So you have a few models you've identified:
1. The Houston model is to calculate every move based on statistics. If your inputs are correct, you can really create some magic. This "moneyball" style requires you to stay ahead of the curve, as it's a copycat league. Aesthetically speaking, I would rather lose with Hood than win with Harden with that ****ing draw through move to get those ******** fouls.
2. The Golden State/Heat model is to focus on relationships to create a unique environment. They have this crazy culture with Curry/Draymond/Kerr. That situation is like once-in-a-lifetime because how are you going to have crazy Silicon Valley money plus A cap spike, plus Steph Curry playing like Air Bud for 40 cents on the dollar, and then getting Durant. The Heat have done it with Pat Reilly. Quin Snyder might become like Pat Reilly but he's nowhere close to that yet.
3. Trust the Process. That's Philly. Let's all remember that Philadelphia still isn't good. Their fans have just decided that they're good now. They probably will be awesome once Simmons and Fultz and Embiid all get online. We tried the soft process with Ty Corbin. That sucked so bad. I don't have it in me for another round. Neither do the Millers or Dennis Lindsey. Lest we forget that Hinkie got ****canned for trying it because it was deemed such a disgrace at the time.
4. The San Antonio model is to win on operational excellence. This is obviously what the Jazz are trying to do. If you can hammer the rock by doing every single little thing right, one day the rock will split open. Honestly, given the constraints facing the Jazz (media-market size, national perception, not a coastal city, not a city well-suited for an average NBA player, and so on), this is probably the only approach that is feasible. You got Rudy Gobert who is probably as close to a Tim Duncan impact player you're going to get. Fill it out.
I would add
5. The New York Knick model. Which is to just **** the bed for decades.
6. The Cavaliers model. Just let LeBron James manage the personnel. Also only Comic Sans.
7. The Boston model. Just playing man **** that team.
Ehh, all those models have the same thing in common: Get the best talent.
1. Houston has traded for theirs
2. Golden State caught fire in the draft then used that to snowball into a KD signing because of the cap-spike and 2nd Curry contract
3. Philly has the most distinct "model" to me in how they refused to be good for a while, but they had huge draft misses and bad injury luck (very similar to Utah)
4. Spurs are got supremely lucky by having Robinson get injured for the season which let them draft Tim Duncan, who was elite in his rookie year. That let them win rings early and they snowballed that w/ destroying the draft. The early success led to their stars have a high level of organizational loyalty which made their franchise easier to manage financially.
I would say Spurs/Golden State are very similar in that they have great systems that allow them to develop replacement level players into rotation worthy players. They also have the "destroying the draft", especially w/ later round picks and both have 2nd round super-stars. Other teams like Cleveland and the Lakers of the past kind of refused to do this and just relied on more washed up vets instead of developing players. I think this is something DL wants to emulate that is a unique feature that not all teams know how/have the patience to do.
So I would say the model is get a star(s) (either through trade or draft), nail the draft (even if you are drafting late, but especially if you have early round picks), and have enough early success were your stars want to stay.
Utah had the stars, but they had enough draft misses in the lottery that set them back, not allowing them to have enough early success to gain the loyalty of Hayward.
If Utah nails the picks that became Kanter, Burks, Exum, and Burke then who are the Jazz? Hell, if Utah just drafted Kawhi Leonard instead of Burks, where are the Jazz? Do they have multiple championships? Does Hayward stay and we have a 3-headed monster of Gobert/Hayward/Leonard?
By the same question, if Golden State never drafts Draymond Green or they get Alec Burks instead of Klay Thompson, where are they? You just can't afford to miss in the draft.
*And this isnt meant to be a criticism, just an example that a lot of consecutive luck is needed to build a true contender*
The Jazz have to nail at least one or two more draft picks (in addition to Mitchell developing into a starter, hopefully border-line allstar) if they ever want to be an elite team.
TL/DR: The draft is the most important thing in any model
