Owner Ryan Smith calls Ashley Smith his “lucky charm.”
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Ashley Smith at the announcement of the new name for Salt Lake City’s NHL team, Utah Mammoth, in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
| May 9, 2025, 4:40 p.m.
The Utah Hockey Club got lucky during the NHL draft lottery.
Now Ryan Smith is hoping his basketball team can follow suit.
After the worst season in franchise history, the Utah Jazz have a 14.1% chance of winning the No. 1 pick in Monday’s NBA draft lottery. That’s tied with the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets for the best odds at the top selection.
Co-owner Ashley Smith will represent the Jazz on stage at the lottery and her husband is hoping that she will be the difference for the franchise.
“My lucky charm, Ashley, is going to go represent [the] Jazz,” Smith said during a radio interview this week.
The Jazz are guaranteed a top-five pick in the June draft.
But winning the lottery would give the team the chance to draft Duke’s Cooper Flagg, who analysts believe is the by far the best prospect in the 2025 class.
The Jazz have never had the No. 1 overall pick.
The draft lottery will be held on Monday evening in Chicago. ESPN’s coverage of the event starts at 5 p.m. MDT.