After showing promise the year prior, the Utah Jazz have sunk this season with no signs of progress. The front office can speed up the team’s timeline, though, if they choose to acquire one-time All-Star guard Darius Garland from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Jazz had a season that mirrored the previous year, starting slowly with a 10-17 record. However, injuries plagued superstar Lauri Markkanen, limiting him to 55 games. The Jazz won only four more games before the All-Star break, entering it with a 26-30 record after a close loss to the Warriors.

The second half of the season proved challenging, with the Jazz winning just five more games. They finished with a 31-51 record, placing 12th in the Western Conference. In the NBA Draft lottery, the Jazz landed the 10th overall pick. Despite the tough season, the absence of Markkanen and trade activity provided opportunities for young players like Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, and Brian Sensabaugh to showcase their potential.
Looking ahead, the Jazz will rely on individual improvements and the development of a core around franchise player Lauri Markkanen. With two first-round picks in the upcoming draft, they aim to bolster their roster with talented up-and-coming players. Incremental improvements and valuable experience gained by the young players were the positives from a season that didn’t see significant progress for the team.
Utah Jazz Acquire All-Star Point Guard Darius Garland From the Cleveland Cavaliers

As it stands, the Jazz boasts a good number of assets and they can use them to bring in more talent to their team. In this regard, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz suggested Garland to speed up Utah’s rebuild.
“While Keyonte George, 20, may turn into a star one day, Garland has already been named an All-Star while helping carry a team to the playoffs the past two years. Garland also has experience playing with both Lauri Markkanen and Collin Sexton from their time together in Cleveland.
Even though Sexton missed most of the 2021-22 season with an injury, the Cavs had a net rating of plus-9.2 when Garland and Markkanen shared the floor (93rd percentile, via Cleaning the Glass). If the Cavs want to break up the Donovan Mitchell-Garland pairing, these two front offices should do business once again,” Swartz wrote.
Although his numbers went down last season, Garland remains an effective playmaker and floor general. Over the course of 57 games, the Cavs star averaged 18.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per contest.

It remains to be seen whether Utah goes for Garland or find another star in the market. In any case, the upside he brings to the table will be more than enough to spur some progress for the Jazz if they get the All-Star guard for next season.

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