For the past couple of years, I’ve been quietly obsessed with the Utah Jazz. The harmonious relationship between Will Hardy’s mad scientist playbook and Lauri Markkanen’s singular gravitational pull. The willingness to embrace unorthodox lineups, play three big men at the same time, and attack with a flurry of passes, cuts, and off-ball screens.
A lot of teams preach positionless basketball. The Jazz actually push the boundary by utilizing a frontcourt that really knows how to move the ball. They haven’t won a ton of games, but that doesn’t mean they’ve been a fun team to play.
Now, by trading for Jaren Jackson Jr., that quiet obsession can officially be blasted through a megaphone. In a blockbuster deal that effectively ends their rebuild and thrusts the organization into a phase when winning matters, the Jazz are about to make the leap from “intriguingly compelling weirdos” to “competitively relevant upstart.” The deal:
Utah Jazz receive: Jackson, John Konchar, Jock Landale, and Vince Williams Jr.
Memphis Grizzlies receive: Walter Clayton Jr., Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang, Kyle Anderson, and three first-round picks
The price Utah paid isn’t as costly as it looks at first blanch. The three picks heading to Memphis are a pair of firsts in 2027 (the best from Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah and then the Los Angeles Lakers’ selection) and a 2031 first from the Phoenix Suns. The 2027 draft is apparently lacking any good basketball players and the Suns are the most pleasant surprise in the Western Conference this season. Owning a future first from them doesn’t sound as appealing as it did when the Jazz snagged it last year.
What’s not going out for JJJ is the top-eight-protected first-round pick that Utah owns in this year’s draft, or any of its own firsts after 2027. If you hear anyone use the phrase “all in” to describe this trade, politely inform them that the Jazz actually still have draft capital, financial flexibility, and internal upside. They aren’t close to being boxed into a corner, but even if they were, the team they’re projected to put on the floor next year could present myriad hellacious matchups every night. Walker Kessler, Lauri Markkanen, Jackson, Keyonte George, and Ace Bailey form a potential starting five that has my attention.
The Jazz didn’t make a splashy move before Thursday’s trade deadline because they wanted attention. They targeted someone who makes sense long term with their existing core and whose skill set can blend into and enhance their style of play. I don’t think JJJ is a perfect player, but I love his fit on both ends in Utah. Defensively, Jackson will absolutely help a team that ranks dead last in points allowed since 2023 (when he won Defensive Player of the Year). He’s the dynamic weakside help they simply haven’t had. Offensively, he’s a low-post bruiser who will have more room to operate than ever before. But he’s also someone who can go off the dribble and attack in various ways off the perimeter.
The Grizzlies didn’t really run Jackson off too many screens, but on occasion they would have him come off a flare then drive downhill against a backpedaling big man. It’s been successful!
JJJ is only 26 years old, with untapped skill that Hardy will try to mine. JJJ’s passing numbers aren’t historically impressive, but when Ja Morant effectively didn’t play two years ago Jackson spent some time at point guard (yes, this actually happened), bringing the ball up the floor and initiating Memphis’s offense. If there’s one team that will lean into inverting the court’s natural geometry by having its big man trigger actions with a live dribble 30 feet from the basket, it’s the Jazz.
I also love what this move conveys about their faith in George. If the 22-year-old hadn’t emerged as one of this season’s young breakout stars, there’s no way three first-round picks would be going out the door for a forward who permanently resides in foul trouble and has $205 million left on a contract that doesn’t expire until 2030.
But the pieces are here for Utah to hit the ground running once everyone is healthy. Kessler is the type of rim-protecting rebounder who’s supported JJJ his entire career. Good luck scoring at the rim when they’re on the court together. (The Jazz, um, have not been very good at protecting it since they traded Rudy Gobert.)
The beauty behind Markkanen’s singular function as a 7-foot-1 marksman who makes everyone better without the ball in his hands is his compatibility in lineups that have Kessler and Jackson. (It was cool when Kyle Filipowski was that third big. Plugging JJJ into that spot should be splendid.)
Of course, Markkanen and Jackson can also work in “smaller” lineups as a frontcourt pairing that directly complements each other. I can already picture JJJ at the top of the key, waiting for Markkanen to slip by with a ghost screen so he can rumble into the paint and punish a defense that’s just been tricked. (Not for nothing, Konchar and Williams are good role players on excellent contracts who can contribute on the edge of Hardy’s rotation. Landale is solid but on an expiring contract.)
This trade doesn’t make the Jazz title contenders or even guarantee them a playoff spot next season. The Western Conference is a blood sport. But the roster we see today surely won’t be the one that takes the floor next year. They have an entire offseason to sign more established players and become a team that’s not only able to crack the postseason but make a little noise once they get there. The days of hoarding developmental projects are over, which is exciting. At the same time, there’s youth here that will have an opportunity to pop. George could take another step, year two of Bailey may be a revelation, and, assuming they tank the rest of the way and keep their 2026 draft pick, another blue-chip prospect is about to climb aboard.
It’s such a fun place for any organization to be, with an auspicious future and competitive present. Hope has been on the Jazz’s horizon ever since they pulled the plug on Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. Now, with Jackson, Markkanen, George, Hardy, and a bunch of intriguing offseason options, they’ve finally reached shore.
