SALT LAKE CITY \u2014 Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith joined the Pat McAfee Show on Friday and addressed the team\u2019s recent tanking fine, outlining the challenges rebuilding teams face in the NBA.<\/p>\n
He used a racing analogy to paint the picture of the NBA standings. Sometimes teams need to reload in the pit, but getting back on the track is maybe harder than it should be.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019re gonna go into the offseason and fix some things in the NBA..<\/p>\n
You\u2019re gonna have 8-10 teams every year that are trying to rebuild it\u2019s just the math..<\/p>\n
There\u2019s not one All-NBA free agent right now and trading is hard\u201d ~ @RyanQualtrics<\/a> #PMSLive<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/hqqEKqFS2A<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Pf6Xq2Uqpi<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cYou are going to have 8 to 10 teams every year that are going to have to pull into the pit, put new gas in the car, and change out the tires,\u201d Smith started. \u201cIt\u2019s just the math. How long do we want them in there for? Do we want them in there for four (or) five years? And what are their options to go get out of that pit?\u201d<\/p>\n He then broke down the three routes that rebuilding teams can explore to improve their team: free agency, the trade market, and the draft.<\/p>\n Smith first spoke on free agency, saying, \u201cThere is not one All-NBA free agent right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Which is true. Looking at the 2026 field, maybe the best option among the unrestricted pool is a 41-year-old LeBron James. Not to mention that Utah and other small-market teams have a historical disadvantage when it comes to signing free agents.<\/p>\n Ranking the Top 30 Potential 2026 NBA Free Agents \ud83d\udcdd<\/p>\n 23. Jonathan Kuminga \ud83d\udc40 Read full rankings here: https:\/\/t.co\/7Yd1esY349<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/uGSFWNO6rg<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n He then spoke on making trades, explaining that it his much harder to make trades now than it was even 10 years ago.<\/p>\n This is also true, and much of the blame can be placed on the league\u2019s ever-evolving Collective Bargaining Agreement. The current CBA ties the hands of teams with more money on their books and can make it almost impossible to make a deal if that team isn\u2019t just salary dumping.<\/p>\n Even though that is the association\u2019s reality, the Jazz were still proactive at the deadline and acquired former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. from Memphis.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Last but not least, Smith spoke on the draft.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re a rebuilding team, and you\u2019re saying, \u2018How do I get out of this?\u201d Smith explained. \u201cIt has put a lot of pressure on that draft. And then you have a world-class draft like you have this year, with arguably some marquee players.\u201d<\/p>\n He then broke off to make Utah\u2019s history in the draft lottery known.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m also taking over a franchise that has never won the lottery (and) never moved up in the draft. At some point, the math has got to start mathing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Utah Jazz have never won the lottery and we\u2019ve never moved up in the draft..<\/p>\n I trust Adam Silver and we\u2019re gonna figure out a solution..<\/p>\n The rebuilding process is what we should be looking at\u201d ~ @RyanQualtrics<\/a> #PMSLive<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/DBWn6yrt2Z<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/SVd56elUtw<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Utah finished tied for the fourth-worst record in the NBA last season.<\/p>\n Heading into the draft lottery on Sunday, May 10,\u00a0 the franchise has a 45.2 percent chance of landing in the top four and an 11.5 percent chance of winning the lottery and claiming the No. 1 overall pick.<\/p>\n Chandler Holt is a co-host of the Jazz Notes podcast<\/a> and a Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com<\/a>. Follow Chandler on X<\/a> for Utah Jazz updates.
19. John Collins \ud83d\udcaa
14. Collin Gillespie \ud83c\udfaf
5. Norman Powell \ud83d\udd25
1. LeBron James \ud83d\udc51<\/p>\n
\nTake us with you, wherever you go.<\/p>\n