NBA Source: Jazz ‘Set to Benefit’ From Timberwolves’ 2027 Draft Pick
After the drastic decision last offseason to deal away their two All-Stars, the Utah Jazz front office has positioned their timeline for high-level basketball a few years down the line rather than trying to compete with their current core. With the help of high-ceiling draft picks across the next few offseasons, the Jazz plan to collect a = stash of great young players for the future.
As a result of trading Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Jazz got five first-round draft picks in return. Two of those picks have already converted with the selections of Walker Kessler in 2022 and Keyonte George in 2023. These results are already trending tremendously well in just two drafts, but Utah may not be done just yet.
In CBS Sports’ most recent ranking of all 56 future NBA first-round draft picks, the 2027 pick the Jazz got from the Minnesota Timberwolves came in at 12th amongst the league in terms of value. The Jazz also held positions at 19th, 22nd, 28th, 29th, and 35th.
CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn gave readers some context as to how the Jazz can inevitably continue to profit even further from the Rudy Gobert trade from 2022, specifically in the 2027 offseason:
"This is the best pick from the Gobert trade. It comes after Edwards' seventh season, so if he's going to force a move, it will likely have either already happened or be happening at this point. Gobert will be gone and Towns will be overpaid in his 30s. If Minnesota hasn't found a way to retool without their picks by this point? The odds of Edwards sticking around to sink with the ship are likely low, and Utah is set to benefit."
While these all come down to some distant future projections with substantial pessimism surrounding the future of Anthony Edwards in Minnesota, the framework for Utah to have a high-value draft selection this year is laid out in front of us.
Combine this with three other projected first-round picks at the Jazz’s disposal during the summer of 2027 (Utah’s own, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers top-4), this can develop into the offseason where Utah truly begins to cash in big.
With patience and a little bit of luck, the route for the Jazz to have a perennial mix of team success on-court with high draft capital coming in as well. Within just one season of joining the Utah front office, Danny Ainge may have already turned this team into the 2020s edition of his 2010s Boston Celtics.
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