With the 2024-25 season drained down the gutter, the Utah Jazz had high hopes to rebound in the upcoming season. Sad luck, it was an (odd) day to be a Utah die-hard. Talk about brutal luck. The Utah Jazz walked into the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery holding the league’s worst record and what should’ve been a golden ticket. 14% odds at the top pick and better than a coin flip (52.1%) to land in the top four. Instead? They got the worst-case scenario: fifth overall. They watched helplessly as Dallas, San Antonio, Philly, and Charlotte snatched up those precious top selections. It’s a gut punch for even legends like Dwyane Wade. Especially when you realize no team with the worst record has won the lottery since the NBA “flattened” the odds back in 2019. Almost the entire league is side-eyeing the system.
Owner Ryan Smith’s words, “We will regroup and rise,” couldn’t mask the frustration. While Walker Kessler’s shell-shocked “Wow” said it all. And it wasn’t just Utah howling. Kevin Love’s “I mean come on man” tweet echoed the disbelief. And analyst Joe Pompliano straight-up called Dallas’ jump to No. 1 “awfully convenient” post-Luka trade. ESPN’s Field Yates dropped the damning stat. He said, “Since the NBA changed its lottery system in 2019, the team with the league’s worst record has never won the lottery and picked first overall.” But Dwyane Wade had the most explicit commentary, not just once, but multiple times.
And they’re all right. When the worst team keeps getting punished while others leapfrog on “random” bounces, fans do feel cheated. On Time Out with Dwyane Wade, when Bob asked, “How do y’all feel?” Dwyane Wade just couldn’t stop saying, “I was hot, I was hot, I can’t even hold you, I was hot.” He continued to tell what exactly went through his mind. “I’m sure we get to number one, how we get five?” He was expecting the Jazz to score Cooper Flagg, the top prospect. However, he didn’t completely sideline the value of number five.
Dwyane Wade said, “Great things have happened at number five, not saying nothing’s gonna happen in the future with number five, we don’t know.” Of course, how could the No. 5 overall pick by the Miami Heat in the 2003 NBA Draft miss that? However, this didn’t mean that he was content with Utah’s position. “But right now, as we sit here, how do we get five? Give us three at the very least, at the very least!” Well, he didn’t just stop after expressing the shock; he went into the reason behind it.
Dwyane Wade continued, “I think the thing about it is, it’s open for all of us to say what we feel.” The statement made it clear that D-Wade thinks what happens in the public eye should be open to comments from the public. He said, “And when stuff like that happens, it looks a little funny, it looks like funny money in the light. That’s all I’m saying. It looked like funny money in the light.” Wade’s remark could suggest that he believes the lottery results looked suspicious. Or even manipulated when viewed closely.
But…… There has been some great players drafted with the 5th pick! pic.twitter.com/o29KhUM9cc
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) May 12, 2025
Dwyane Wade’s Utah is still waiting for its star
The Utah Jazz enter the 2025 NBA Draft in a precarious position. Holding the No. 5 pick but lacking a true franchise cornerstone to accelerate their rebuild. Their current roster has seven players aged 23 or younger, yet only Walker Kessler has shown enough promise to be considered a potential long-term piece. Even Kessler remains unproven in high-pressure situations and continues developing crucial aspects of his game.
With no star in place and a core of raw, unpolished talent, the Jazz face a pivotal offseason that could define their path for years to come. Draft night will present both opportunity and complication. Utah owns four picks: No. 5, No. 21, No. 43, and No. 53. This could flood an already youth-heavy roster with even more inexperience. Team executives recognize this imbalance, making roster consolidation a near certainty. The front office must weigh whether to package picks for established talent or gamble on developmental prospects.
Meanwhile, critical contract decisions have to be made, too. Cody Williams and Isaiah Collier are locked in through 2025–26, but the Jazz must decide their 2026–27 and 2027–28 options by October 31. Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, and Brice Sensabaugh also have team options for 2026–27, while Kyle Filipowski’s non-guaranteed 2026–27 salary and 2027–28 option add another layer of complexity. With no clear star emerging from their young core, the Jazz’s path forward remains murky.
Jan 12, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier (13) attempts a three point basket against the Brooklyn Nets during the third quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Trade scenarios are inevitable. Especially if the front office sours on certain prospects. But the lack of a definitive centerpiece complicates negotiations. The decisions made in the coming weeks, from draft selections to contract maneuvers, will determine whether Utah’s rebuild stays on track or stretches into another prolonged cycle of mediocrity. Every move carries weight, and missteps could cost the franchise years of progress.
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