CBS Sports Drops Utah Jazz's Biggest Question for 2024-25 NBA Season

The Utah Jazz need to find some answers.

Nov 17, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) and head coach Will Hardy speak while the Phoenix Suns shoot free throws in the fourth quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Throughout the most recent NBA offseason, the Utah Jazz have made some solid strides forward in their rebuild process by combining their selections in the summer's draft for a few new pieces in their young core, along with their re-negotiation and extension to keep Lauri Markkanen held down in Salt Lake City for the foreseeable future.

Yet even with a productive summer, the Jazz still have a few looming, burning questions to answer before leaping to becoming one of the NBA's more competitive squads. Utah likely still stands a ways away from landing within Play-In Tournament contention, but still may not have as lowly a roster as one would need to sit atop the upcoming lottery.

It's a common dilemma we've seen Utah face across the last couple of offseasons, and now, with Markkanen locked in for the next five years, it's led to some asking if the decision to re-up with the one-time All-Star could further cloud the Jazz's vision of a productive rebuild.

When shuffling around the league for each team's biggest question for next season, CBS Sports' Jasmyn Wimbish labeled the Jazz's most notable one being: "Will keeping Lauri Markkanen be worth it?" describing Utah potentially being better off with better odds to land Cooper Flagg if they kicked the tires early:

"I don't really get why the Jazz wouldn't just deal [Markkanen] right now, especially when keeping him on the roster likely puts them out of real contention for the No. 1 draft pick and landing Cooper Flagg, who is projected to be a generational talent. They have plenty of veterans who will likely be traded before the deadline like Jordan Clarkson, John Collins, and Collin Sexton. But wouldn't you rather start the season out tanking than doing it in February when teams like the Wizards, Pistons, and Bulls will have a head start on you?"

- Jasmyn Wimbish, CBS Sports

It's a viable question to ask, as the Jazz have virtually found themselves in NBA purgatory across the last two seasons, but even with Markkanen back on board, the road to Utah securing one of the top talents in the upcoming draft is far from lost.

Having a talent like Markkanen on the roster may prevent the Jazz from having the best luck at reaching the peak of the NBA lottery odds, but not only have we seen teams like the Atlanta Hawks vault into the top spot without the best chances, this draft has an immense amount of value past Flagg.

So long as the Jazz prioritize their youth further this coming season, even with Markkanen playing, Utah could find themselves in the bottom five of the league standings and secure one of the top-end prospects. They can continue to draft well, retain their top talent on the roster, and develop their current core soon to become a suitable team in the Western Conference.

Rather than ship out an All-Star caliber forward like Markkanen to claim some extra trade value early, the Jazz made the choice to lock him in and bet on themselves to build a competent core around him. With the right moves, that goal can be accomplished, but it may take some patience.

Regardless, in the meantime, Utah can hold onto one of the league's top 30 players while continuing to their hand at trying to bring more of those premier talent into the fold within the next few seasons.

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