The Utah Jazz on Tuesday pulled off the most stunning trade of this NBA season to date. The Jazz have landed former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. in an eight-player trade that will see Utah send three future first-round picks to the Memphis Grizzles.
On its face, the trade might not make sense for Utah this season. The Jazz are 15-35 amid a six-game losing streak, and they are bound for the draft lottery again. But Danny Ainge and Justin Zanik are cooking up a roster that could bring the Jazz back to relevance as soon as next year.
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That's because the lineup Utah can throw at opponents following the Jackson trade is long, explosive and only getting better.
Utah is envisioning a long-term frontcourt with Jackson, Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen --a trio that combines floor spacing with rim protection. Rookie Ace Bailey continues to develop as a scorer, while breakout star Keyonte George is just behind Markkanen for the team scoring lead.
Jazz potential future starting lineup:
Keyonte George
Ace Bailey
Lauri Markkanen
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Walker Kessler (RFA)
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) February 3, 2026
In addition to all that, the Jazz own their first-round pick for the upcoming draft. If the season ended today, Utah would pick sixth; a ball bouncing here or there could see the Jazz move up a few spots and earn the right to select AJ Dybantsa, who is playing college ball just up the road at BYU.
Though the Jazz are ticketed for a fourth successive season out of the playoffs, the future just got much brighter in Salt Lake City.
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