This can be a pivotal yr for Utah Jazzcoming into the third yr of a rebuild that started in 2022. The Jazz personal three first-round picks heading right into a talent-laden 2025 NBA Draft led by projected No. 1 total choose Cooper Flagg.
Jazz has its choose (high 10 protected), the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ first spherical choose, and the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ first spherical choice. The place these picks land might decide how rapidly the Jazz can turn out to be related once more.
So the place do oddsmakers predict these picks will land? Let’s study.
The Cavaliers are nonetheless in win-now mode since buying and selling for Donald Mitchell simply earlier than the 2022-23 season. Assuming they’ll keep away from accidents, count on the Cavs to be aggressive in 2024. Moreover, Mitchell’s new contract retains the ex-Jazzman underneath membership management via the 2028-29 season .
Together with Mithcell, the Cavs established veterans Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Their roster can be intensive, with high quality actors together with Caris Levert, Max Strus and Isaac Okoro. There is no cause to imagine this group cannot match or exceed what they had been in a position to do final season.
DraftKings predicts the Cavs will win 49 video games this yr, one sport higher than their 48-win season final yr. If the oddsmakers are right, the Jazz could be awarded the twenty first choose within the draft primarily based on what 48 wins would have yielded final season.
The Timberwolves enter 2024 with some of the full groups within the league. In addition they simply had a 56-win season with arguably a greater squad than final yr. The Timberwolves misplaced one among their greatest gamers in Karl Anthony-Cities, however added All-Stars Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.
Though Minnesota has accidents, its roster is nice sufficient to remain out of the lottery. DraftKings initiatives a 52-win season, which appears good for a franchise that has its eyes on a championship.
If this projection comes true, the Jazz could be awarded the twenty sixth total choose primarily based on the 2023-24 rankings. That is not what Utah had in thoughts when it confronted Gobert two years in the past.
If Utah desires to take an opportunity on Copper Flagg, it is going to seemingly have to return from his choice. The Jazz have sufficient veteran expertise to remain out of the underside 5, but when they play their playing cards proper, it is believable to have a practical probability at a high choose.
Utah has signed six gamers over the previous two seasons, and if it pushes the youth motion, this could possibly be its worst yr for the reason that rebuild started. Utah did not hesitate throughout Media Day to let followers know that the upcoming season shall be targeted on participant improvement.
Nevertheless, oddsmakers imagine the Jazz can nonetheless win round 29 video games this yr. It will be dangerous information if Utah targets a top-5 choose. Based mostly on final yr, a 29-win season would give the Jazz the eighth-best probability at touchdown the No. 1 choose. That will give the Jazz a 26.3% probability of constructing the highest 4 and only a 6% probability of touchdown at No. 1.
