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Utah Jazz center Jaren Jackson Jr.

In terms of ambitious tanking, the Utah Jazz may have set the standard for the past, present, and future in a way that could change NBA rules forever — a truly pathetic voyage of trying not to win games that seems to have driven NBA commissioner Adam Silver a tad bit mad and may force him to change the rules that govern such attempts.

While the Jazz are arguably the worst team in the NBA for the 2nd year in a row in 2025-26, it’s on purpose. And it’s why players like 2-time NBA All-Star and NBA Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. aren’t on the court. Jackson’s season ended on February 12 after 48 games — and just 2 games with the Jazz — to remove a growth on his left knee.

While Jackson isn’t playing, he’s making an incredible amount of money, although it’s just the tip of the iceberg of what the Jazz owe him after trading 3 1st round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies for the 6-foot-10, 242-pound Jackson.

With no clear future in sight for the Jazz yet, Jackson’s deal and the future money owed on it landed him on The Ringer’s annual list of the NBA’s Worst Contracts.

Jackson is playing on a 4-year, $216.5 million contract extension he signed with the Grizzlies in July 2025. That will pay him $49 million in 2026, $50 million in 2027, $52 million in 2028, and a player option for $53.5 million in 2029, when he will still only be 30 years old.

When Jackson’s current contract runs out, he will have approximately $350.2 million in career earnings.

“He’s got career averages of 18 points and 5.6 rebounds, and also 1.9 blocks,” The Ringer’s Bill Simmons said. “I went on StatHead and looked it up to try and find out if there’s ever been a better player who didn’t rebound and who just blocked shots and scored, but didn’t really care about getting rebounds. It’s only 8 guys (in NBA history) to averaged 17 points per game, under 8 rebounds and at least 1 block per game and all of them are forwards except Joe Barry Carroll and Kristaps Porzingis. (Jackson) is an unusual player in a way that I don’t know it makes him a winning player.”

Jaren Jackson Has Never Played for Legit Winner

Jackson was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft — 1 pick after Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic and 7 picks ahead of Oklahoma City Thunder guard and reigning NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

In Jackson’s 1st 7 seasons with the Grizzlies, they only made the playoffs 4 times despite featuring 2 of the NBA’s best young players in Jackson and point guard Ja Morant. Just once, in 2023, did the Grizzlies advance past the 1st round, and that year they lost in the Western Conference semifinals.

Jazz Trying to Tank Way Into No. 1 Pick

We are in an era where the Jazz are purposely losing games for the 2nd year in a row to try and secure the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft — only here again after they missed out on Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg in 2025, where they ended up with Rutgers forward Ace Bailey at No. 5 overall.

In 2027, there are multiple players who could change the fortunes of the franchise, including Kansas guard Darryn Petersen, BYU forward A.J. Dybantsa, Duke forward Cameron Boozer, Arkansas guard Darius Acuff, and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson.