With the rise of young teams like the Thunder and Rockets, it has become clear that change is constant in the world of sports. Just as with the Sichuan team in our CBA, which initially had mediocre results and wasn't highly regarded, they later made significant improvements through hard work, tactical adjustments, and the cultivation of new talent, surprising many with their rapid progress. This is similar to the rise of the Thunder and Rockets, who have undergone remarkable changes that no one could have predicted! Today, we're talking about the Utah Jazz, a team that also shows signs of resurgence.
In the 2022 offseason, the Utah Jazz traded away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, acquiring seven first-round draft picks, six of which had no protection measures. However, up to now, only one of these draft picks has been used, selecting the promising Keldon Johnson. We can say that the Jazz's operation was quite bold. Imagine trading away two of the team's biggest stars; it takes a lot of courage! It's like our village basketball team letting go of the two best players on the team, which would be quite shocking! However, if you can really select good prospects through draft picks, it's worth it. For example, the basketball team from the neighboring town didn't perform well at first, but they selected a particularly talented young player named Xiao Li through the draft. Once Xiao Li joined the team, his performance was outstanding, leading the team's results to soar. Therefore, if draft picks are used well, they can truly bring new hope to the team. The Jazz selected Keldon Johnson with just one draft pick, which might just be the beginning of their team's rise!
In this season, Keldon Johnson's statistics have achieved a qualitative leap. In the 21 games that have ended, he averaged 31.8 minutes per game, scoring 15.4 points, grabbing 3.1 rebounds, dishing out 5.7 assists, and making 0.7 steals. His shooting percentage is 38.2%, his three-point percentage is 32.9%, and his free-throw percentage is 79.3%. We can say that these statistics are not simple! Taking Zhao Qiang, a player from our CBA, as an example, his statistics were not ideal before, but after a hard training during the offseason, his statistics also saw a significant improvement in the new season. Just like Keldon Johnson this season, through his own efforts and dedication, he has improved his performance on the court. Zhao Qiang gets up early every day to train, practicing shooting, dribbling, and physical fitness, leaving no stone unturned. As a result, at the start of the new season, his average points, rebounds, assists, and other statistics have shown a noticeable increase, allowing more people to see his efforts and progress. Therefore, as long as you are willing to put in the effort, statistical improvement is not a dream, and you can perform better on the court.
What's frightening is that the Jazz still holds six of the seven first-round draft picks acquired through trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, and they can use these draft picks to select young players with great potential. We can say that this is quite impressive. You see, draft picks are an important resource for team development. It's like some teams in our CBA; there was a team that didn't perform well, but they acquired many draft picks through trades. They relied on these draft picks to select several young players with potential. At first, everyone didn't think much of these young players, but after being cultivated by the team, their progress was rapid, and they later performed exceptionally well on the court, significantly improving the team's results. Therefore, the Jazz has considerable potential with these six first-round draft picks. If they can be used well and the right people are selected, the team's future development should not be underestimated.
At the same time, after trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, they acquired Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, and Walker Kessler, players that many teams in the league want, and the Los Angeles Lakers are also interested in them. We can say that in the NBA, player trades are commonplace. Just like this trade involving Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, which brought in Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, and Walker Kessler. These players have performed well and are quite attractive, with many teams keeping an eye on them. For example, in our domestic basketball league, there is a player named Xiao Wang who originally played averagely for Team A but was later traded to Team B. After joining Team B, Xiao Wang transformed as if he were a different person, greatly improving his skills and performing exceptionally well. As a result, other teams became envious and wanted to acquire him. This is similar to the situation with the teams in the NBA that want Lauri Markkanen and others. The Los Angeles Lakers are also interested in these players.
According to American media outlet "FS," after two consecutive big losses, the Los Angeles Lakers now have a record of 12 wins and 10 losses, ranking ninth in the West. Next, let's talk about this. You see, these two big losses indicate that there are problems within the Lakers. They need to enhance their frontcourt depth, defense, and scoring ability; otherwise, how will they compete? That's why the Jazz's Collin Sexton and Walker Kessler have caught the Lakers' attention. Let me give you a similar example: imagine a village basketball team that has lost several games in a row. Upon analysis, they find that their inside game is weak, their defense is lacking, and their scoring methods are limited. What should they do? They need to find someone who can solve these problems. At this point, there are two guys from the neighboring village, one strong and capable of grabbing rebounds, the other good at defense and scoring. Wouldn't the village basketball team be tempted? They would definitely want to bring these two over to enhance the team's strength. The Lakers are currently in such a situation.
The Los Angeles Lakers acquired: Collin Sexton, Walker Kessler. We can say that the Lakers getting Collin Sexton and Walker Kessler is indeed a good move. It's like a team in our CBA, for example, Liaoning Team, which may have had some weaknesses in their lineup before, but if they could obtain players with distinct characteristics like Collin Sexton and Walker Kessler, it would significantly improve the team. Take Collin Sexton, for example, he's fast and has strong breakthrough abilities; if placed in Liaoning Team, he could pose a significant threat to opponents on the offensive end. As for Walker Kessler, with his excellent rebounding and defensive capabilities, he could stabilize the team's frontline. The Lakers obtaining these two players is akin to Liaoning Team obtaining strong reinforcements that complement their weaknesses, surely enhancing their strength and making future matches more exciting.
The Utah Jazz acquired: D'Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Sheffino, a 2029 first-round draft pick, and multiple second-round draft picks. Look at this; the Utah Jazz has indeed made a substantial gain! They acquired D'Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Sheffino, as well as a 2029 first-round draft pick and several second-round draft picks. It's like a person going treasure hunting and suddenly finding a lot of good stuff. We can say that our village's little Li Zi loves playing basketball and has always dreamed of joining a professional team. One time, when they organized a basketball competition in their town, little Li Zi worked so hard and performed exceptionally well. As a result, he was spotted by a scout from a professional team and was directly recruited into the team. This is similar to the Utah Jazz, who have obtained so many promising players and draft picks, giving them a promising future!
However, according to Sam Amick and John Hollinger of American media outlet "The Athletic," the Jazz is not interested in a trade proposal centered around D'Angelo Russell and multiple first-round draft picks. Why isn't the Jazz interested? That's because the Lakers are interested in Collin Sexton, who has performed exceptionally well this season. It's like a certain domestic player in our CBA who was previously overlooked and everyone thought he was just average. But this season, he's like a whole new player on the court, with outstanding performances in scoring, assists, rebounds, and more, making everyone take notice. Collin Sexton is just like this domestic player, performing so well that the Jazz doesn't want to part with him for D'Angelo Russell and multiple first-round draft picks offered by the Lakers.
Up to this season, Collin Sexton averages 16.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of 48.2%. Collin Sexton has a very high cost-effectiveness ratio. His salary this season is 18.4million,andforthe2025−26season,it′s19.2 million. We can say that this high cost-effectiveness ratio is not just a fluke. It's like some players in our CBA; some may not have statistics as impressive as Collin Sexton, but their salaries are exorbitant. However, Collin Sexton is different; he doesn't make much money but performs well. There are also many similar examples in our country. For instance, there's a young player named Xiao Li who wasn't highly regarded when he first entered the league, as people thought his physical conditions were average and his skills weren't particularly outstanding. But Xiao Li has a fighting spirit; he trains extremely hard and plays with great determination. As a result, his statistics continue to improve, with
