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As the page turns for the Utah Jazz, from the tanking doldrums to a team meant to be on the rise, fans can start to pay more attention to the NBA regular season rather than the mayhem and chaos of the offseason and the draft lottery ... right?

Well, that might not completely be the case, depending on what happens in Cleveland.

When the Jazz traded Donovan Mitchell to the Cavaliers in 2022, they received a number of first-rounders and pick swaps in the deal. Of course, there is a partial expectation that trading an All-Star player to a good team means that any first-rounders received in return are likely to fall late in the draft round. But the longer into the future those picks extend, the more chance there is of the unknown coming into play.

Of the numerous assets the Jazz got back in the Mitchell deal, the ones that are of particular interest now are a 2028 pick swap and a 2029 first-rounder.

Mitchell has played great for the Cavaliers, and Cleveland made another big trade this season to bring on James Harden so the Cavaliers could have a better chance for a deep playoff run.

But with the penalties of the second apron looming for Cleveland, the team needs to advance beyond the second round of the playoffs and also sign Mitchell to an extension this summer for their to continue to be hope for the current Cavaliers’ core.

If they don’t get past the second round, and especially if they aren’t able to secure an extension this offseason for Mitchell, the Cavaliers could reportedly be motivated to make some massive changes to the roster.

If Cleveland decides to trade Mitchell and start its own rebuild, the 2028 and 2029 assets the Jazz have from the Cavs start to look a lot more interesting. And, with changes to how the draft lottery operates coming after this summer, those assets could end up being high first-rounders.

There are a lot of Jazz fans who, especially during the Jazz rebuild, have rooted casually for Mitchell’s success, and in turn the Cavaliers success, which makes sense. But, Jazz fans might want to look at this through the lens of the Jazz’s future. Because playoff disaster for the Cavaliers could mean the team decides to do a complete 180, and that could mean that even as the Jazz are on the rise, they could still benefit from incoming, high-end talent.

So, pay close attention to how things play out for Cleveland this postseason. And pay even closer attention to everything that happens for the Cavaliers this offseason.

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