Strong draft puts the Jazz under scrutiny for late-game sit-downs

This year's NBA draft appears to be one of the strongest in several years, and losing enough games to become a lottery team could result in a bigger payoff than even making a play-in game. The NBA has frowned on teams that appear to be tanking for a high pick, and the league implemented a player participation policy in September 2023 to try to discourage clubs from losing on purpose. Teams could face league discipline if star players don't suit up for certain games. But the Utah Jazz might have found a way around that policy. The Jazz did not play stars like Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the fourth quarter of recent close games. Both played three quarters in recent road games against Miami and Orlando. The Magic rallied from 17 points down to win 120-117, but the Jazz defeated the Heat 115-111. Coach Will Hardy was asked after the game at Miami whether he considered playing Markkanen and Jackson in the fourth quarter. "I wasn't," Hardy said succinctly. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver likely will address the topic when he meets with the media Saturday during All-Star weekend in Los Angeles. The NBA fined Utah $100,000 last season after the Jazz rested Markkanen in multiple games. He and the recently-acquired Jackson are the building blocks for the Jazz to try to get back into contention. They traded with Memphis on Feb. 3 for the two-time All-Star and 2023 Defensive Player of the Year. Jackson, however, will be out for the foreseeable future. He will undergo surgery over the NBA all-star break to remove a growth from his left knee, discovered by an MRI in a physical following the trade. Jackson averaged 22.3 points in 24 minutes per game after joining the Jazz. Utah has prioritized player development with younger players on its roster at the expense of chasing wins. The front office is motivated to hold onto a first-round pick in this year's draft that is top-eight protected. Falling outside the bottom eight in the standings means Utah would lose that pick to Oklahoma City. A number of teams, including the Jazz, would seem to have a great interest in securing a high selection for this year's draft. One of those top prospects plays just south of Salt Lake. BYU's AJ Dybantsa is considered a likely top-three and potentially franchise-changing pick along with Duke's Cameron Boozer and Kansas' Darryn Peterson. But it's also a deep draft where simply getting into the lottery could mean still getting a shot at a difference-making player. The Jazz, 18-37 entering Thursday night's game against Portland, will miss the postseason for the fourth year in a row. This comes after a six-year stretch in which the Jazz made the playoffs each season. Under the direction of CEO Danny Ainge and his son and team president, Austin, the Jazz ultimately are trying to return to the glory days when they didn't just make the playoffs. The John Stockton-Karl Malone teams in 1990s were regular championship contenders, making the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998. ___ Freelance writer John Coon in Salt Lake City contributed to this report. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA