As of writing this, the Utah Jazz are tied for the worst record in the league, have the league’s worst offense, and are very likely to be the last-place team in the NBA when the season ends. It’s looking like the team won’t hit double-digit wins by the trade deadline and it’s likely that more vet trades will happen causing the team to go on a losing trend through the end of this season.
And I say, I have never been more excited as a fan. For the first time since Stockton and Malone, I have hope the Jazz will win a championship.
For so many years the Utah Jazz have had one style of teambuilding. Fill the roster as best you can to get as many wins as possible and make their way to the playoffs. It’s been a successful strategy if the goal is playoff contention. The Utah Jazz are fourth in all-time win percentage as a team. Why? Because they’ve never allowed themselves to bottom out. They’ve also done a good job of team building enough to get into the playoffs year after year.
But with all that winning, there isn’t a championship banner at the Delta Center. Utah is one of 10 teams that has never won a title. A big reason is that Utah is doing this on hard mode. It’s a small market at the bottom of the list for top-tier free agents if it’s even on the list at all. On top of that, Jazz fans typically have little hope for a title, that they can’t keep players here, and that the NBA might not even want a title here. It can be pretty bleak in Jazzland.
But because of Ryan Smith, the Utah Jazz are trying something different. Utah has gone with a youth movement like never before. Its rotation is full of young players they’re developing for the future, while also securing a high pick in the draft. Yes, this means some rough nights as the young players take their lumps. But it will allow the Jazz to see which players are long-term pieces while they position themselves in an incredible draft. They probably keep this strategy going next season because the 2026 draft is also phenomenal. And Utah will likely be sitting at the top of the draft board that season again.
If Utah hits in one of these drafts, they will bring on franchise-altering talent the likes they haven’t seen since peak Deron Williams and Karl Malone. Adding a player with MVP potential in Cooper Flagg, or all-star potential in Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, will give Utah a wide range of possibilities to build toward a title.
This couldn’t have been an easy decision. No one has more skin in the game than Ryan Smith. The fact he’s willing to let this team develop regardless of losses is something no Jazz fan should ignore. This isn’t a huge market, and there have to be moments where it’s a really scary outlook for what the team might look like without a plus .500 record.
Well, we’re here and it has had an interesting effect. Fans are interested, they’re looking at draft boards and dreaming about what Cooper Flagg would look like in a Jazz jersey. For a fan base that has felt a lot of despair in the playoffs, including giving up multiple playoff series leads, seeing constant strife with players and potential free agency signings, there’s a new feeling in Utah: Hope
There’s hope of drafting a superstar, multiple superstars even. There’s hope of building an actual contender. There’s hope that Utah can build something lasting that will make players want to stay with the team. In addition, the NBA has adjusted the league CBA for even more parity. Utah has a legitimate shot if they can just get themselves a few top-tier players. All of this is now possible in Utah!
Thank you, Ryan Smith, this literally couldn’t have happened without you!