While the Golden State Warriors had no part in Monday's NBA Draft Lottery, there was no shortage of drama in perhaps the most shocking result in recent memory.
Yet as the Dallas Mavericks celebrate claiming the No. 1 pick despite having just a 1.8% chance, it's a different story for some teams who spent their entire season hoping for a far better result than what they got.
One of those is the Utah Jazz who had the worst record of any team this season, and subsequently entered with the equal-best lottery odds alongside the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets. But instead of getting the first pick or even a top three selection, the Jazz were forced to settle for fifth in a "nightmare" result according to Michael Saenz of The J Notes.
Warriors get last laugh on failed Lauri Markkanen negotiations
Rewind nearly 12 months ago and the Warriors and Jazz held significant negotiations surrounding All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen. Part of the reason the Finnish forward was thought to be available was that while he's a very good player, he's not the franchise cornerstone level player that Utah want or need.
After over a month of rumors and speculation, the Jazz ultimately kept Markkanen and renegotiated-and-extended his contract that also prevented him from being moved at February's mid-season trade deadline.
Utah were proven right in thinking they could tank while retaining Markkanen on the roster, with the 27-year-old appearing in just 46 games this season. However, that's not to say their decision to keep him was the right one.
The Jazz could have got a bunch of picks and young players for Markkanen and cast their net of assets far wider, rather than relying on the luck of this year's lottery. Instead, they can still get a good player with the No. 5 pick, but might have to tank another year or two in the hopes of gaining that true cornerstone piece.
What does that mean for Markkanen who's never made the playoffs in his eight-year career? Utah could consider trading him again this offseason, yet the problem now is that he holds far less value than what he did last July. Not only is Markkanen about to start a substantial four-year, $195 million contract, but his underwhelming form this season would suggest that isn't great value from a team standpoint.
So now the Jazz are left with a player who has lost significant trade value, while still being without the franchise cornerstone piece they crave. The Warriors appear to be having the last laugh on those failed Markkanen trade negotiations, especially given they subsequently used less assets to acquire Jimmy Butler who has lifted them to the second-round of the playoffs.