It's hard to think of how the 2026 NBA Draft could go wrong for the Utah Jazz. This is a loaded class, and the Jazz already have a roster talented enough to make the playoffs. Danny Ainge's draft history should give the fanbase all the confidence in the world that they will choose right, but what many don't know is that he tends to think outside the box, and it has more often than not worked.
Bill Simmons harped on this when discussing the Jazz's upcoming draft situation. While he believes Utah will take Cameron Boozer over Darryn Peterson, he mentioned that Ainge is a wild card when it comes to the draft, but he's always proven to be right on the money with his high picks.
Some interesting takes on the new episode of The BS Podcast@BillSimmons thinks Danny is a wild card at pick 2. Too many red flags with Peterson. Really thinks the #UtahJazz will draft Boozer at 2@jkylemann mentions Boozer going pick 1 & them being play-in ready next season pic.twitter.com/VvN6kq86Jk
— JazzNation (@JazzNationNews) June 9, 2026
Now whether the Jazz draft Boozer or not, we'll know when draft say arrives. However, Ainge has the tendency to know exactly who he wants while knowing how to get his team the best possible outcome form it. That goes beyond getting the right guy.
Boston had the No. 1 pick in 2017, back when Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball were considered the sure-things in the draft. Ainge had all the cards, and yet he traded down to get some rando named Jayson Tatum. The rest was history from there. Because Utah has so many options, don't be surprised if they try something like this again.
The Jazz have options to choose from
While the Jazz likely won't trade up knowing what the price would be to do so, they could dangle the No. 2 pick. Between AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer, there is no wrong answer regarding who they could take between the three of them. Because of that, who's to say they wouldn't try to dangle it to Memphis?
The Grizzlies are starting their rebuild while the Jazz are finishing theirs. Hence, it's more important for the former to nail their pick than the latter. Utah could take this to their advantage, depending on how desperate Memphis is and who they want in the draft.
The Grizzlies just got inadvertently spurned by the Jazz by the JJJ trade negatively affecting one of the conditional assets they sent them to get the former Defensive Player of the Year. Maybe the Jazz can help assist with their rebuild in a No. 2 for No. 3 swap, but it would definitely cost the Grizzlies a fair amount.
That's only just a hypothetical, but it's an example of the magic Ainge can work when he's calling the shots in the front office. The Jazz really have no wrong choice to make at the draft, and with Ainge on their side, history would say they will choose right regardless of what their choice is.
