SALT LAKE CITY – The Portland Trail Blazers made quick work of the Utah Jazz, winning 137-117 at home.
The Jazz were led by Lauri Markkanen, who scored 22 points, while former Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic added 21.
The Trail Blazers knocked down 19-48 from the three-point line, led by five makes from Shaedon Sharpe.
Deni Avdija Sets Good Example For Jazz
Deni Avdija dominated the Jazz throughout Monday’s contest, piling up 33 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds without playing a single minute in the fourth quarter.
This Israeli wing’s performance stood out for several reasons: he and Jazz guard Keyonte George appear to be the two frontrunners for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, and he and Markkanen might be battling for the final All-Star spot in the Western Conference.
If their head-to-head matchup decided the outcome, Avdija made a convincing case to claim both honors.
THE 3 THAT GOT DENI TO 5K 👌 pic.twitter.com/ihI57f595F
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) January 6, 2026
Beyond those two regular-season awards, Avdija illustrates why teams like the Jazz should exercise caution when considering trading proven veterans for unproven draft picks.
The former ninth overall pick from the 2020 draft began his career with the Washington Wizards and, after three slow seasons, broke out in 2022-23.
To accelerate their rebuild, the Wizards traded the improving Avdija to the Trail Blazers for two first-round picks and two second-round picks.
So far, the Wizards have only Bub Carrington to show for the deal—a decent young player, but nowhere near the All-Star caliber wing Avdija has become.
The Wizards giving Deni Avdija away was truly a terrible, terrible trade.
That’s how you set your franchise back several years.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) January 6, 2026
Markkanen has long been the subject of trade rumors around the NBA, and the Jazz have rejected every offer.
While a collection of future draft picks always looks tempting, the gamble rarely pays off when moving a proven star.
As the Jazz aim to exit the toughest stretch of their rebuild and possibly pursue more proven players as soon as this summer, keeping Markkanen on the roster will speed up the process far more than any future draft pick could.
Jazz Might Face Buzz Saw In Oklahoma City
The Jazz delivered a disappointing performance in Portland, and now they might walk into a thunderstorm in Oklahoma City.
On Wednesday, they will close their four-game road trip against the Thunder, who have gone just 6-6 in their last 12 games, including a stunning 124-97 home loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
The Jazz have already faced the Thunder twice this season, and both matchups ended in lopsided blowouts.
The Thunder suffer their worse defeat of the season losing by 27 to the Hornets 😬 pic.twitter.com/ta0xIcFBXF
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) January 6, 2026
On November 21, the Thunder crushed the Jazz 144-112, then handed them another 30-point shellacking in Salt Lake City on December 7.
Oklahoma City has beaten the Jazz six straight times at home and seven consecutive times overall.
The Thunder opened the season 24-1, sparking speculation they might challenge the 73-9 Golden State Warriors for the best record in NBA history. But after their recent struggles, they sit at 30-7 overall, with 45 games left and the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA.
Regardless, Oklahoma City will look to bust out of its recent slump and has owned the Jazz’s number for several seasons.
With both teams struggling Monday night, the Thunder will likely aim to regain championship form, while the Jazz may hope to return to Salt Lake City as soon as possible.
Next Utah Jazz Broadcast
The Jazz will travel to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder on Wednesday at 6 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and heard on97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone . Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.