Asked during his introductory press conference on Monday about whether the Jazz intend to continue tanking and manipulating players’ minutes in 2025/26, new president of basketball operations Austin Ainge offered a succinct response, per Kevin Reynolds and Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune and Tony Jones of The Athletic.
“You won’t see that this year,” Ainge said.
The Jazz held several of their most effective veteran players – including Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, John Collins, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson – out of games or limited their minutes down the stretch last season. While the team’s leaders might have said that approach was about developing young players, it was more about improving Utah’s lottery odds. That backfired on lottery night last month, as the Jazz fell to No. 5 in the 2025 draft after posting an NBA-worst 17-65 record.
Based on conversations with team sources, Jones writes, Ainge’s vow not to tank in 2025/26 could mean one of two things. While it’s possible that Utah focuses on improving its roster and adding veteran talent around Markkanen in the hopes of moving up the standings next season, it also could mean the Jazz simply double down on their youth movement and trade away some of their current vets who would help them win more games.
Even without manipulating players’ minutes, Utah could very well be the worst team in a competitive Western Conference in ’25/26. All 10 clubs that made the playoffs or play-in tournament are expected to remain in win-now mode, with the Suns, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Pelicans potentially all looking to break into that group as well. In other words, the Jazz don’t necessarily need to explicitly tank to end up with another high draft pick in 2026.
It’s also worth noting that the Jazz will owe their 2026 first-round pick to the Thunder if it lands outside the top eight. If it falls within the top eight, Utah would keep it and would no longer owe Oklahoma City a pick. That figures to be a major factor working against the idea of trying to move up the standings by adding veteran help this summer.
We have more out of Utah:
- While the Jazz were disappointed that the lottery didn’t put them in position to draft a potential franchise cornerstone like Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper, Ainge said on Monday that winning the lottery isn’t the only way to find that kind of player. “If you look at the playoffs and look at all the best players in the NBA, and how many of them went No. 1, it’s better to have the No. 1 pick,” Ainge said, per Reynolds of The Salt Lake Tribune. “But there’s a lot of other stars that came from all over the draft, and certainly the Jazz have a long history of second-rounders that become All-Stars. So (getting the No. 1 pick) is not the only way to do it.”
- Utah isn’t known as a popular free agent destination, but Ainge believes players will want to come if the team can build a positive culture, like his old team in Boston did. “It’s the same. Honestly, I think this is a great place,” he said, according to Reynolds. “Players want hope. They want to win. They want great culture. They want great coaching. They want great teammates. So that’s what we have to give.”
- The Jazz’s pre-draft workouts to this point have mostly featured prospects they view as second-round picks or undrafted free agent targets, according to Jones. The club intends to bring in candidates for its No. 21 pick within the next couple weeks and potential targets at No. 5 later this month, Jones adds. Besides No. 5 and No. 21, Utah owns the 43rd and 53rd overall picks, though Ainge said on Monday that everything is on the table with all of those picks, so the club may end up trading one or more of them.
- At least one team drafting in the lottery has already engaged the Jazz in discussions about a possible deal, sources tell Jones.
Jazz should try and win and hope the league fixes a lottery in their favor if they stop obviously and purposefully tanking. If they just miss the play in and have a feel good season the nba would let them keep that pick I bet. If they try and lose then it won’t be top 3. They didn’t get rewarded yet for selling their stars, and they might never be rewarded cause they aren’t a big market.
Currently they are nowhere near good enough to even sniff the play-in.
Nothing gave me joy like seeing the Jazz fall to the 5th pick. They were the only team tanking and it backfired
Nothing like seeing karmic payback
Every team outside of the play in with the exception of Phoenix was tanking.
I disagree, Philly legitmately sucked and I think they’d rather have people believe they were trying to lose lol
The Wizards are simply a bad team, the Blazers had a bad start but they really strung along a lot of wins at the end of the season. The Spurs lost Wemby to a season ending injury and they were already middle of the pack WITH him.
The Mavericks had tons of injuries but AD even played in the play in. The Bulls I also believe they were trying and were simply a bad team, but they also found an interesting rythym at the end of the season. The Pelicans I also think they just sucked like the Sixers. Miami also just not good enough. Charlotte also sucks. Is there any team missing? But overall I think the Jazz were the only ones that were deliberately sitting out all of their best players (who were healthy) to lose.
Spurs have been tanking for the last 2 years. Even with Wemby, they deliberately play ball that doesn’t result in winning: making low-% shots from long distances and not rebounding the basketball.
And they have been rewarded for it 2 years in a row in the lottery.
I think they tanked to get Wemby but after that I dont see, just an overall bad team. Losing Pop didnt help this year too
IMO, Utah tanks if not for the significant probability that OKC gets their lottery pick regardless of how badly Utah finishes. This team epitomizes “tankworthy”.
Recent history suggests that this 2025-26 season:
– Jazz use their vets (Collins, Sexton, Clarkson and Markkanen) enough to finish higher than the other tanking teams, but finish out of the playoffs.
– their less-than-promising young core stays that way
– OKC gets the Jazz’ lottery pick in June 2026
– return to full-on tanking in 2026-27, when they own their first round pick
Best case for next playoff appearance is.2029, 7 years after the start of the “Ainge Era”
Good luck with all that Danny , believe it when i see it
Crunch, this is not Danny, this is Austin talkin’
Have you noticed that Ainge Sr has been AWOL since the hiring of Jr?
Jazz owner is front and center.
Fair enough , I just found the timing odd as the west has never been deeper and this team is hopeless atm ….. tack on their pick is protected I just don’t see today as the day to plant the flag on punching up as an org
Most likely just Pr work for the weird sanctions / fines that Silver somehow pulled outta his hat a couple months ago directed towards Utah
Silver is OK with tanking, I assume anyway, since he pretends not to know what it is. But, like most who aren’t up to their jobs, he doesn’t want to be shown up. The elder Ainge was too brazen and directly contentious with the league on the issue last year. Sitting Clarkson and Collins, OK, but LM, Sexton and Kessler? I don’t think Danny will ever (have to) speak publicly for the team again. The kid will be the one quoted, but the words will be familiar.
Who the hell is Austin Ainge? What happened to Danny?
Danny spends the summers in Central Texas a little south of Dallas. It’s become his nickname during the hot months.
I call BS.
The best way to ensure they get the #1 pick next year is to ask who the commissioner wants them to give Kessler and Markenen to during the trade period! Maybe Golden State??
Truth