2. Utah Jazz
Pre-lottery odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick: 4.5%
The Utah Jazz are kind of the perfect example of what I would want to see from any team that is looking to make the move from mediocrity to rebuilding. The Jazz did it last season almost perfectly. The Jazz turned Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell into a plethora of future first-round draft picks and a solid core of young talent. They competed this season to start the year and even though they falter late in the season, they have an outside chance to move up in the draft lottery.
Many will say they’d much rather have a 14 percent shot at Victor Wembanyama than a little regular-season enjoyment that won’t end up mattering in a few years, but I’d differ. You always want to see your team compete. And that’s exactly what the Jazz did. Until they couldn’t.
If I were a basketball god, the Jazz is one team that I would give serious consideration to rewarding. If they win the lottery, it would be a great story. From Gobert and Mitchell one offseason to Wembanyama the next. That would be great to see for their fanbase which has really suffered in the past 12 months.