The worst season in Utah Jazz history is over. What now?

SALT LAKE CITY — The worst season in Utah Jazz history is over.

The team ended it doing what they've been better at than any other team this season: lose.

The Jazz's 2024-25 campaign closed with a 116-105 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, securing the team at least a top-five pick in the 2025 NBA draft.

Utah finished with a league-worst 17-65 record, completing a season-long goal to be at the bottom when everything was all said and done.

That was clear again on Sunday in Minneapolis.

But the Jazz could have actually benefited from a win in the season finale. A Utah victory would have pushed the Timberwolves into the play-in tournament, where they would have been a couple of losses away from giving the Jazz an additional lottery pick (Utah owns Minnesota's first-round selection).

Yet, the team continued to sit out the likes of Lauri Markkanen and John Collins, and Collin Sexton received a "DNP-coach's decision."

Maybe it was too late to take players off ice after coasting at the end of the season, or maybe Utah just wanted the sure thing.

With the Wizards' surprise victory over Miami (which featured a buzzer-beater) on Sunday, Utah only needed to lose to make sure it couldn't fall any further than No. 5 on lottery night.

Brice Sensabaugh had 22 points and Oscar Tshibewe had 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Jazz. Keyonte George played all 48 minutes, becoming the first Jazz player to play every second of a regulation game since 1992 (John Stockton).

Minnesota's Anthony Edwards, who only played on Sunday after a technical foul was rescinded, dropped 43 points, helping the Timberwolves pull away in the second half. Rudy Gobert added 19 points and 18 rebounds for Minnesota.

So what's next for the Jazz?

Lottery night: May 12 will be the most important date of the year for the Jazz. Utah has a 14% chance of landing the first pick and a 52.1% chance of getting a top-four pick.

"I think it's a big moment," Jazz owner Ryan Smith said Friday. "The Jazz have never moved up in the lottery and they've never had the No. 1 pick, and I think we're due for some luck."

Quick correction: The Jazz have never moved up via their own pick, but the Nets' pick they owned from the Deron Williams trade did move up to No. 3 in 2011 (Enes Kanter). But Smith's point remains: Utah hasn't had a ton of luck in the lottery.

If Utah lands the No. 1 pick, all the losses will be quickly forgotten. The Jazz will have a new centerpiece in Duke phenom Cooper Flagg to build around, and the long rebuild can at least begin to take shape.

The rest of the top 5 is filled with good — if not as sure fire — prospects, too. Rutgers guard Dylan Harper looks set to be the No. 2 selection and should be a lead NBA guard for years to come. Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe, Texas guard Tre Johnson and Rutgers forward Ace Bailey are expected to round out the top five in some order.

The draft: The 2025 NBA draft will be on June 25.

Along with their own high-lottery pick, the Jazz will have Minnesota's selection, which will be No. 21. The Jazz also have two second-round picks in the draft.

Offseason: Lauri Markkanen had a reprieve from trade rumors this season, but he probably won't escape them for much longer.

A potential Flagg-Markkanen-Walker Kessler frontcourt could be fun, but Utah could choose to reset completely around Flagg if it does indeed get the top pick. Regardless, it does appear the team will be in on the tank for at least one more year.

"I'm just super grateful for our fans of being patient," Smith said. "The more patient we are a little bit, the higher the upside is, unfortunately, in this sport."

John Collins (who is expected to pick up his sizable player option), Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton will all be on expiring deals next season that should make them easier to move money-wise and a bit more valuable. The team opted to go full-on development mode this season, and that likely won't change next year, either.

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