Time to call OKC

[Yield23]

Ok, so maybe we're too late, maybe our leverage is gone, but what would it take for OKC to give us our full rights to our 2026 pick back. What would be too much for us to give up? Do you just not make the phone call at all? If our pick goes to them as the #12 pick, no big deal? 2nd least favorable 2027 1st unprotected too much to give up?

 

[Coach Ellis]

Ok, so maybe we're too late, maybe our leverage is gone, but what would it take for OKC to give us our full rights to our 2026 pick back. What would be too much for us to give up? Do you just not make the phone call at all? If our pick goes to them as the #12 pick, no big deal? 2nd least favorable 2027 1st unprotected too much to give up?

I think playing those types of stupid games have already hurt the Jazz.

Trading Favors away for cap space to sign Rudy Gay? And then playing the stupid tanking games they did for two years - when they could’ve tanked for Wemby and then admitted the 2024 draft was garbage and let the Thunder get the pick that year and gain control of their drafts back.

Then trading Conley and NAW to Minnesota when you want their picks to be garbage after trading them Gobert for a windfall?

Helping to facilitate the Doncic trade when you already sold out to get a pick from the Lakers that is either protected or garbage?

At this point, it’s either a shameless tank and keep the pick, or let the chips fall where they may and count it as a loss. Either way, you just accept your fate and move forward. No more stupid games.

 

[LogGrad98]

I think playing those types of stupid games have already hurt the Jazz.

Trading Favors away for cap space to sign Rudy Gay? And then playing the stupid tanking games they did for two years - when they could’ve tanked for Wemby and then admitted the 2024 draft was garbage and let the Thunder get the pick that year and gain control of their drafts back.

Then trading Conley and NAW to Minnesota when you want their picks to be garbage after trading them Gobert for a windfall?

Helping to facilitate the Doncic trade when you already sold out to get a pick from the Lakers that is either protected or garbage?

At this point, it’s either a shameless tank and keep the pick, or let the chips fall where they may and count it as a loss. Either way, you just accept your fate and move forward. No more stupid games.

Nailed it in a very tidy nutshell.

Add to this the fact that there is zero incentive for the league to allow us any top draft picks and the future is pretty ****ing bleak. In fact, from a money standpoint, you know the only standpoint the league cares about, it would really help the league for Utah to flame out so bad that the franchise's best bet at success would be to move to a new city, even if it stays under the same ownership. The Las Vegas [enter new name here] would be a much stronger sell for the new tv contracts, and they could give the jazz name back to New Orleans so they can ditch the horrible pelicans name. Huge win-win-win for the league as a whole there.

 

[Tanktastic]

If our pick goes to them as the #12 pick, no big deal?

Whatever OKC gets or doesn't get doesn't have any value to the Jazz.

If the Jazz want to buy a #10-12 pick, then the price is going to be above an average 1st round pick.