'It's natural to be frustrated': Jazz GM outlines plans after historically bad season

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Jazz general manager Justin Zanik understands the frustration.

The losses, the lengthy injury reports, the "rest" days — tanking is tough. It's hard on players who have to pretend it's not happening. It's hard on coaches who have to be diligent in developing players and making game plans when the organization wants to lose.

And it's hard on fans who have to watch their team purposely sit its best players.

"It's natural to be frustrated," Zanik said. "I think the entire organization, we're all competitive and want to win as many games as possible."

Win as many games … eventually, at least.

"The main goal of this organization is to open up a championship window, to give this fan base a way to be very, very proud of a team that can go deep in the playoffs," Zanik said.

It's just difficult to say when exactly that will be.

Say Utah gets lucky on lottery night and lands Duke phenom Cooper Flagg. He'll still be 18 years old when the season begins; it's not fair to expect greatness immediately.

And there is an extra incentive to be bad again next season.

The Jazz still owe a top-eight protected pick to Oklahoma City that they sent out in the Derrick Favors salary-dump move. The Jazz have managed to tank their way into keeping the pick the last two seasons and will likely do the same next year — barring a seismic offseason addition.

That likely means another year of rebuilding, developing, tanking — or whatever label you want to put on the recently completed season. The good news: After next season, the obligation expires.

"I can fully understand why there could be some frustration," Zanik said. "All of us would like to have some immediate gratification of doing this and winning every game and winning a title, and that's just not in the cards.

"What I would say to those that are frustrated is that there are a lot of things to be positive about or to look forward to," he added. "With our young team and what could happen this summer, and with the extra opportunities that we've created to continue to add players that will make this organization and community proud and continue to build that championship-level team, but it takes time, and so I get it."

So, is there a path where Utah's timeline speeds up? Zanik isn't ruling it out.

The Jazz have been strategic, the GM said, in preserving their assets to ensure they're ready if a "great opportunity" arises.

What if Phoenix tears things down to the studs and trades Devin Booker? What if Giannis Antetokounmpo asks out of Milwaukee? Hey, no one expected Luka Doncic ever to be on the move — the NBA can get weird in a hurry.

Utah has the draft equity and contracts to make multiple blockbuster deals. But that's been true for the last two seasons — and so far, nothing's materialized. So the Jazz will continue to walk the same line this summer: Slowly build for the future while keeping an eye out for any game-changing deals.

"Our first goal is to build the championship competitive club that can go deep in the playoffs for a long time," Zanik said. "So if those opportunities where we can kind of speed it up and do that, we'll do it. And if they don't, the flexibility allows us to do it at any time."

If nothing else, the Jazz have shown they are fine taking the long road. And that strategy has cast a bright spotlight on the NBA draft lottery on May 12.

"You guys can bring out all your rabbits' foots and fluffy charms and see what happens," Zanik said. "But we're going to be able to add a good player, then it's our job for whatever young player we draft is to get them better, to develop them and hopefully develop into a core piece with us."

And, hopefully, help end the frustration.

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