The Utah Jazz, trapped by the new Draft Lottery: they could sink in 2027

The Utah Jazz are going through a disastrous start to the season, with a record of 1-9 and eight consecutive losses, but their situation has a particularity that could turn their reconstruction into an even bigger problem. After drafting fifth in 2025 and second in 2026, the new NBA regulations prevent them from obtaining another pick among the top five in 2027. And the most striking thing is that their pick is no longer under their control: it is part of an asset package that primarily benefits Memphis.

The rule that could doom Utah in the 2027 Draft

The NBA approved a major reform of the Draft Lottery in May 2026 to combat tanking. Among its most important measures is a restriction that directly affects the Jazz: no franchise can acquire a pick among the top five in three consecutive drafts.

Utah drafted Ace Bailey at number five in 2025 and Darryn Peterson with the second selection in 2026. Therefore, they have exhausted their margin and will not be able to obtain another top 5 in 2027. If their pick lands among the top five during the lottery, it will be moved down to the sixth position, which will be their best possible outcome.

The peculiar aspect is that the restriction remains tied to the franchise that originated the pick, regardless of who holds its rights. The NBA decided to apply this condition even to traded picks, preventing teams from circumventing the rule through market operations.

Memphis can benefit from the Jazz's losses

The situation is even more striking due to the fate of Utah's assets. The Jazz traded their first-round pick for 2027 in the deal that brought Jaren Jackson Jr. to Salt Lake City. Subsequently, the rights to Utah's, Minnesota's, and Cleveland's picks were rearranged in a package that stipulates Memphis will receive the most favorable of the three, Utah the second, and Phoenix the least favorable.

This means that the Grizzlies can benefit from a disastrous season for the Jazz, but with a very important limitation: if Utah's pick lands within the top five in the lottery, it will automatically fall to number six.

The paradox is evident. Utah could end up among the worst teams in the NBA and still not receive the usual reward of a reconstruction based on accumulating losses. Their pick might end up strengthening Memphis, while the Jazz themselves will have to settle for the second most favorable asset in that package of three selections.

The new Lottery also punishes the worst teams

The reform does not stop there. Starting in 2027, the Lottery will expand from including 14 to 16 teams and will distribute three, two, or one ball depending on the standings.

The seven teams that miss the playoffs and the play-in without finishing among the three worst will receive three balls. The bottom three teams will only receive two, while the teams occupying the ninth and tenth positions in the play-in will also receive two. The losers of the games between the seventh and eighth seeds will each receive one ball.

Additionally, the three worst teams will be guaranteed not to fall beyond the 12th pick. This means that finishing last will no longer necessarily provide the best starting position to acquire a star.

For Utah, the problem compounds: they cannot aspire to a top 5 with their pick, and if they continue at the bottom of the standings, they will enter the group that receives the fewest balls in the Lottery. Their poor season could yield a return far inferior to what is traditionally expected from a franchise in reconstruction.

The Jazz need to change the course of their reconstruction

There is still a long season ahead, and Utah has arguments to try to improve. The injury to Jaren Jackson Jr. has been a significant setback, while the development of their young players will be crucial for regaining competitiveness.

However, the new regulations completely change the incentives. The Jazz no longer have reasons to think that losing more games will necessarily get them closer to a pick capable of transforming their future. Their 2027 pick is conditioned by the top 5 restriction, and moreover, the rights to the best picks in the package could benefit other franchises.

The NBA aimed to put an end to teams that turn losing into a strategy. In the case of Utah, the reform may have a particularly strong effect: a very poor season without the usual reward of accessing one of the top talents in the Draft.

The reconstruction of the Jazz needs to find another path. Because, with the current regulations and their committed picks, drowning in the standings may not help them at all.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los Utah Jazz, atrapados por la nueva Lotería del Draft: pueden hundirse en 2027