Jazz NBA Future Rankings Revealed by ESPN
ESPN released its annual NBA future rankings on Tuesday. The 30 NBA franchises are ranked based on their outlook over the next three years, and it appears the Utah Jazz are right in the middle of the pack, coming in at the 15 spot.
NBA front-office insider Bobby Marks comprised Utah’s viewpoint.
What a difference a year makes. The Jazz recouped seven first-round picks and three pick swaps from the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert trades, but Utah still ranked last in the FPR. The reason? A roster that ranked last among teams and the unknown of then-rookie head coach Will Hardy. The Jazz's roster moves up 10 slots thanks in part to the play of All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen and first-team All-Rookie selection Walker Kessler. The Jazz will likely not be a playoff contender this season but have the financial flexibility and draft assets to improve over the next three seasons. Utah ranked No. 3 in draft equity and No. 4 in money. The Jazz also cracked the top five in management, moving up nine slots from last year.
Utah has certainly made strides over the last year, but Marks still doesn’t believe Utah is playoff-bound in 2023-24. This would be par for the national perspective course, considering the oddsmakers predict Utah’s win total to come in at 36 games this year.
The next step for the Jazz, if they want to be considered a serious contender, is landing a top-10 talented player in the NBA. That’s a lot easier said than done for a small market franchise when looking at the NBA landscape.
Acquiring an All-NBA talent for the Jazz via trade or free agency is a long shot. Elite players become available via trade occasionally, but persuading an All-NBA player to stay in Salt Lake City long-term can be a challenge.
The most likely way the Jazz can pull it off is by developing a current player or getting lucky in the draft. The Jazz have 15 first-round picks through 2029. It’s within the realm of possibility that Utah strikes gold in an upcoming draft.
Regarding the current roster, Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George are the most likely to have a first-team All-NBA ceiling. It would be a tall task for either prospect to develop into that type of player, but both are at an age where there should be plenty of room to grow.
Either way, the Jazz are moving up the ladder in a league where parity is becoming a real thing.
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