New Utah Jazz president of basketball operations declared the staff would now not maintain veteran gamers out of video games to get higher lottery odds. As an alternative, they’re ditching these veterans fully.
Someday after buying and selling beginning guard Collin Sexton to the Charlotte Hornets, the Utah Jazz are finalizing a buyout of the final 12 months of Jordan Clarkson‘s contract, value $14.3M.
Sexton began 61 video games for the Jazz final season, whereas Clarkson averaged 26 minutes per sport in an injury-marred season. Now the Jazz are transferring ahead with an unsure backcourt that features third-year guard Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier, who made the All-Rookie staff final season, plus Florida level guard Walter Clayton, Jr., whom the Jazz traded up to pick with the No. 18 decide.
These gamers could have vivid futures, however for Utah’s speedy functions, they don’t seem to be prone to be superb within the 2024-25 season. Together with 2024 lottery decide Cody Williams, the Jazz’s high 4 guards could all be 22 or youthful, which places them at a drawback by way of expertise and energy towards most groups.
However that is high-quality with Ainge and the Jazz. Final season, the NBA fined Utah for violating the league’s participant participation coverage by holding Lauri Markkanen out of video games. Additionally they drew the ire of the league with video games like their March 9 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the place the Jazz listed nine players on the damage report.
Utah’s answer is to not attempt more durable to compete subsequent season. It is to do away with the gamers they’d in any other case need to bench to maintain their file dangerous. The NBA cannot frown on the Jazz placing high quality gamers on the damage report if there are not any high quality gamers to start with.
The Jazz nonetheless owe a first-round decide to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder that is protected 1-8 subsequent season. Greater than something, the staff’s precedence is to be dangerous sufficient in 2025-26 that they hold it. The staff could have promised its followers to not manipulate minutes to take action, however they did not promise something about not manipulating the roster.
