Why The Utah Jazz Do The Deal

OK, fine. You got us. The Jazz aren’t doing this deal for Bertans. They’re in it for the first-round pick. 

For much of 2022-23, it didn’t appear as if Utah would prioritize the future like this. The Jazz were supposed to be tanking, but instead, they opened the year looking like contenders. Lately, they’ve come back down to earth. 

Of course, they’re still in the playoff hunt. At 14-12, the Jazz are 8th in the Western Conference. If they wanted to stay in win-now mode, that would be justified. 

On the other hand, changing course is probably their wisest choice. This team isn’t built to win much in 2022-23.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Collin Sexton, Utah Jazz & Dallas Mavericks Updates

Adding first-round picks is their best route toward building a squad that can win big in the future. 

Is this the Mavericks’ best route toward winning now?