Big things are happening in Jazzland! Utah has traded a haul of young guys and draft picks for Jaren Jackson Jr. JJJ is a 2x time All-Star and former DPOY, and two of the picks traded for him land in 2027 — this signals the Jazz will be playing to win next year. That’s exciting!

This should be exciting news for fans who were very plugged into the Rudy Gobert/Donovan Mitchell era of the Jazz but have struggled to connect with the more recent iterations. Winning is fun, and having a chance at the title is compelling. Like many fans, I’ve followed the Jazz's rebuild, but have interacted online much less. Bad lottery luck made it even harder to be as invested in the rebuilding journey, as the Jazz missed out on the Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. There have still been fun games, players, and moves. I’ll always be a Jazz fan. And I don’t even disagree with Utah’s macro strategy over the last few years — it’s just been less interesting to follow.

That said, the JJJ trade portends a shift, both in the direction of the team, and in my personal interest.

Let’s quickly summarize the on-paper nice things about Jaren Jackson Jr.:

• At 26 years old, a great fit with the team’s timeline. He’s under contract for the next three seasons after this one, locking in a solid core.
• Accolades include 2x All-Star (as recent as last season), 1x DPOY, 3x All-Defense.
• He’s a premier defender, both as an elite rim protector and help-defense menace. He’s switchable and has great defensive IQ. The Jazz need better defense more than anything, and if he can pair well with Walker Kessler, the paint will be locked down.
• Last season JJJ averaged 22 PPG and shot 38% on 3s at over 5 attempts per game. That offensive ability combined with his defensive prowess is a rare combination.

The risks:

• JJJ’s game is not without flaws. He’s not a good rebounder for his size and position. He fouls a lot. His offense can be streaky. HIs all-out defensive style is physically taxing across an 82-game season and he’s had some injury concerns (particularly in his third year when he missed most of the season).
• His fit with both Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler is TBD. On paper, it could work. Lauri has played a lot of small forward, in Cleveland and even some in Utah. JJJ has traditionally been paired with huge centers like Steven Adams and Jonas Valančiūnas. If you plan on Ace Bailey joining that group as a shooting guard, you have one of the tallest lineups in NBA history. But we’ll have to wait and see how they actually play together.
• It’s no secret that JJJ has had a down year this season. That could be easily explained by the overall dysfunction in Memphis this year, but it’s not a given.
• The Jazz are currently sitting with the 6th worst record. If that holds, it’s an okay outcome for Utah. That would give them a 37% chance at a top-4 pick, and less than a 4% chance of surrendering their pick to OKC by sliding out of the top 8 on lottery day. It’s a loaded draft, and any of Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer, or A.J. Dybantsa could be the “the guy” the Jazz have coveted as a potential franchise player to build around. The reality, though, is that even with the worst record there’s a greater chance of not getting one of those players than landing a top-3 selection. We saw just that last season. All that said, adding an All-star calibre player risks the Jazz dropping below the 6th best odds. Losing the pick to the Thunder would be catastrophic in such a high-ceiling draft. I suspect we’ll be seeing a lot of DNPs for Utah’s best players.

So you can look at this trade from a lot of angles. That’s the nature with trades in the NBA. It might work out, it might not. But I think I can speak for most Jazz fans, that I’m excited to try something new. The seasons-long tank has made logical sense, but it’s been a long process.

The Jazz have yet to land their “best player on a championship team guy”. Perhaps Bailey, Markkanen, or Keyonte George can make a leap that proves me wrong as a late bloomer, like Tyrese Haliburton on last year’s Cinderella Pacers. But a championship contender needs multiple All-Star-level guys, and JJJ adds to that group for Utah.

And then there is this year’s draft… Again, I need to remind myself that in their current position, drafting 7th is the most likely outcome. But if the lottery gods finally favor Utah, things could get really interesting. Darryn Peterson, for example, very much is looking like the proverbial guy. With the right luck, things can turn around fast.

Let’s also remember that the Jazz have plenty of draft capital remaining. If they keep this year's pick, they'll have a 1st rounder in every upcoming draft, including possibly two in 2029 and several swaps. At the height of the Gobert/Donovan era, the team was salary strapped and barren of difference-making picks. In contrast, the Jazz have a lot of flexibility over the next half-decade.

It’s possible the JJJ trade doesn’t work out, and the Jazz traded their blue-chip picks too early. It’s possible they lose this year’s pick or worsen their odds. But it’s also possible the Jazz are a scrappy playoff team with multiple build-around young players next season. If anything, it’s something different, and it’s going to be a blast to watch.