The Utah Jazz didn’t get the outcome they hoped for despite tanking to secure the best lottery odds for the 2025 NBA Draft. Landing the fifth pick was their worst-case scenario.
However, trading up is still an option for the Jazz. According to an NBA analyst, they have an offer to move up, but it may come with a catch: the acquisition of a player that no team really wants.
76ers Willing to Trade Third Pick to Jazz
The Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen revealed on “Locked on Jazz” that the Philadelphia 76ers, who have the third pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, are willing to trade it to the Jazz on the condition that they take Paul George with it. Larsen added that such an offer might not appeal to Utah.
“I do think it’s true that the Philadelphia 76ers are interested in trading down to No. 5, potentially, if they can get off the Paul George deal. That may not make sense for the Jazz given how long that contract is and how iffy Paul George was. I don’t think the Jazz are going to take that offer. But I do think that’s an offer that’s been presented.”
Later, Larsen clarified via his X account that what he knows about the Sixers potentially trading George to the Jazz is that it has only been discussed, but there is no traction on a deal at this point.
Welp, got aggregated today.
I’ll say this as a point of clarification: while all of the possibilities I mentioned (Sexton to Dallas, LAL interest in Kessler, PHI interest in a pick 3/5 swap) have been discussed, they haven’t gotten into the serious stages to my knowledge.
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) June 18, 2025
George was an outright disaster for the Sixers in his first year with the team.
At 34 years old, with three years still left on his contract and coming off his worst statistical season since his second year with the Indiana Pacers, George has become a burden that most teams want to avoid. However, pairing him with a high lottery pick might still hold some appeal for Utah.
But would the Jazz think that’s worth it?
Utah isn’t expected to contend anytime soon as the team continues to rebuild, meaning taking on George’s contract might not be a major problem. However, absorbing such a burdensome deal just to move up two spots in a draft many believe is already deep with talent might not be worth it.
Even though the top lottery prospects are exciting, there hasn’t been a clear standout after Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper. Several prospects seem relatively equal in talent from picks three through eight. So the Jazz don’t have much to lose by passing on a deal like this.
If they pull the trigger on a George trade, it would be because they believe whoever they select at No. 3 would be worth the risk.
