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Looking ahead to 2025-2026

If we get the top pick in the draft, what should we plan on for next season? (Please read the OP)

  • Stand pat, see how things go, adjust at the trade deadline

    Votes: 20 52.6%

  • Sell Lauri/Vets to make sure we get a top pick in 2026

    Votes: 10 26.3%

  • Use assets to go get win now pieces

    Votes: 8 21.1%
  • Total voters
    38
I'm pretty sure what the FO will do is try and tank in 2026 again. I really doubt they are going to factor an unproven rookie in to a win now scenario when there is the possibility of giving up a highly valuable pick and adding another real difference maker on the line. I think that's logical and it's hard for me to see us doing anything different.

It's harder for me as a fan who is really tired for cheering for losses to want to do that, which is why I kind of like the idea of maybe sprucing up the roster a little, but mostly going in to next year as is, and then see what you got and then pivot. On the other hand there are a lot of ways that could go wrong and we might not be able to pivot fast enough. So while I voted for that option, I'm not fully on board.
 
A rookie Cooper Flagg will be great, but his impact won't be greater than rookie Victor Wembanyama's was, and the Spurs managed to tank for Stephon Castle last year. I would assume the Jazz will tank in '26 in search of a top-5 pick in an exceptionally strong draft. Dybantsa, Boozer, Peterson, Avent, ++ is just too much talent to pass up.

Jazz won't move Lauri unless they get a bananas offer for him.
 
While I don't think "wait and see" is always the best strategy, in the OP's conditions I think that's what I would do. Basically, I'd want the Jazz to stay out of the 8-14 range (since the pick is protected to 8). So if we start out with a losing record, start making the adjustments needed to keep our pick. But if we start the year really hot and it looks like we could be a low-seed playoff team, keep rolling with that and build some momentum for the future years. Yes, 2026 could be a good draft with a chance for a good player, but we have lots of draft picks moving forward, including the Lakers' pick and Suns' pick that could give us swings at a star even as a middle-of-the-road team.

EDIT: To clarify a bit, I think any success next season would have much more to do with the talent we already have and internal development than adding a top pick like Flagg.
 
I get a vet point and go. Playing to win with the pieces that we would have would net us a 10 pick at at the floor. We win a top 4 place in the lottery, cool. I'm not watching another entire year of tankball over a likely 10-12 pick. We have enough young players of that ilk already.

If we have injury issues, I adjust. But it is time to go while we are paying Flagg peanuts.
 
SoberasHotRod said:
I'm pretty sure what the FO will do is try and tank in 2026 again. I really doubt they are going to factor an unproven rookie in to a win now scenario when there is the possibility of giving up a highly valuable pick and adding another real difference maker on the line. I think that's logical and it's hard for me to see us doing anything different.

It's harder for me as a fan who is really tired for cheering for losses to want to do that, which is why I kind of like the idea of maybe sprucing up the roster a little, but mostly going in to next year as is, and then see what you got and then pivot. On the other hand there are a lot of ways that could go wrong and we might not be able to pivot fast enough. So while I voted for that option, I'm not fully on board.
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I think it will be different if all the players are young....I feel that way right now. If Collier/Flip/Kessler lead us to victory it's a much different feeling than Lauri/Collins/Sexton. If it's a Flagg (or whoever) led team and no vets, I wouldn't care about where we place in the lotto because it was a product of our young players. We're getting away with this in between for now, but it's also because we're doing a lot of grimy stuff and that feels bad.
 
I think if you want to tank and ensure you get bottom 8 if you have Coop... you almost have to trade Lauri/Kessler or really manage the games in a grimy way (maybe more than this year) and tear everything else down.

If its just me making the decisions. I would see what I can get for Lauri and if the return is good I'd make the move and make sure we are bottom 5. If the returns are meh or bad... I'll stand pat but really manage wins the best I can and consider any offers we get for Lauri though the year. Our young players being really negative has boosted the tank and they won't be as negative in the future.
 
KqWIN said:
I think it will be different if all the players are young....I feel that way right now. If Collier/Flip/Kessler lead us to victory it's a much different feeling than Lauri/Collins/Sexton. If it's a Flagg (or whoever) led team and no vets, I wouldn't care about where we place in the lotto because it was a product of our young players. We're getting away with this in between for now, but it's also because we're doing a lot of grimy stuff and that feels bad.
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And our negative players are really negative... which almost surely gets better (it already has a bit).
 
I also think you could go to Lauri after the lotto and put it on him a bit. Just say the plan is to tank one final year. He is very thoughtful and may prefer to stick it out. If he'd rather not then you can move him guilt free. If he agrees we don't have to feel bad about sitting him for 5 games here and there. If we had Cooper in house I would feel a lot more confident telling players that we are tanking one more year and that is it. I'd feel really confident about being able to flip the switch.
 
Handlogten's Heros said:
I picked number 1 but I am trying to get in Danny Ainge's head and here is what I came up with...

Be opportunistic. Danny actually has one of those motivational posters in his wall that says "be opportunistic" and has some nature picture with a dumb statement underneath it. If the opportunity comes to get like a Cam Johnson... guy in his 20s that fits and the price is right... go for it. It seems those guys are on sale for less than they should. Is Zach Lavine still basically free... go ahead and take that bet. If he's hurt oh well then the opportunity is to tank... if he's good then we build with the other picks we own.

The 2026 draft does seem like a huge opportunity and when the swing is "top 8 pick or nada" that is a reason to stay patient.

I love Lauri and it would be really doing him dirty in some ways with the amount of buy in that he has had BUT if someone came with a big offer... go on ahead and make a move. That's what the money is for.

Also side note. We are all gonna struggle with figuring things out because I think Danny Ainge is like Peyton Manning. There is a general play call but he steps up to the line and then diagnoses what he thinks is needed based on the defensive setup. No idea if it is good or bad but I think that is just what it is.
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I know how and why I spent time on Danny's home but how the heck did You get there?
 
I don't believe that Flagg, Sexton, Lauri, Kessler, Collins, and the rest of the young core is safely in the bottom 8. Even if you trade Sexton and Collins, I'm not sure you get under that bar. If bottom 8 is the goal, then I hope they trade Lauri for a good haul and to insure that it happens.
 
Handlogten's Heros said:
I think the third option scares me as much as the first... which would be have Lauri/Flagg and don't sell off enough and don't buy and send the 12th pick to OKC.

Its truly a guess as to what we may do... I can see the FO seeing the end of those OKC protections and just riding out the tank with or without Lauri. If we didn't land Flagg I do think they look harder at Lauri trades as the timeline would seem to elongate a bit further than they might want.
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I don't think it's "bad" necessarily, but it does kind of put you in that half measure territory where going either direction would lead to more benefit. Getting Flagg would be the only thing that would would make me really consider keeping Lauri, and if we're keeping Lauri I think we might as well add some talent.
 
SoberasHotRod said:
People are free to post and discuss whatever they want, but just for clarification the intent was what YOU would do, not prediction what the FO will do, and the scenario is we win the lottery and have the #1 pick.
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I would start trying to win if we got Flagg and still had everyone who is currently on the roster. I would use picks and players to try to improve the team and get into the playoffs next year.
OKC can have their pick. Let's make as bad of a pick as possible. Give them the 23rd pick or something.

All this is assuming that I, as the jazz front office who is privy to practices and whatnot, believe that Cooper is The Guy. A future MVP candidate level player.
 
NAOS_pt2 said:
I don't believe that Flagg, Sexton, Lauri, Kessler, Collins, and the rest of the young core is safely in the bottom 8. Even if you trade Sexton and Collins, I'm not sure you get under that bar. If bottom 8 is the goal, then I hope they trade Lauri for a good haul and to insure that it happens.
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And just for clarification for everyone, we would really need to have a bottom 6 record next year in order to feel really comfortable with landing a bottom 8 draft pick. It would be pretty scary being the 7th or 8th worst team and hoping that teams don't jump you.

I can only imagine how it might end up going for Philadelphia this year, who if they decide to tank (or even if they don't), end up with at best top 5 or 6 lottery odds and have to hope nobody jumps them. That could be us next year.
 
If Kuminga+all the Warriors picks is still on the table this summer, I'd take that and run. Ditto for a Lakers equivalent if that's on the table.
 
KqWIN said:
If Kuminga+all the Warriors picks is still on the table this summer, I'd take that and run. Ditto for a Lakers equivalent if that's on the table.
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What about all the Lakers picks for Walker... that is the discussion on Twitters today.
 
So the other, probably less desirable, way to secure a top pick in next draft while keeping Lauri is to sign a tank commander. Get someone who will take all the usage with low efficiency and no defense and we should be good.

I'm not advocating for this, just pointing it out as an option.
 
SoberasHotRod said:
So the other, probably less desirable, way to secure a top pick in next draft while keeping Lauri is to sign a tank commander. Get someone who will take all the usage with low efficiency and no defense and we should be good.

I'm not advocating for this, just pointing it out as an option.
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Cody Williams is already on the roster.
 
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