How Did Saturday’s Loss Affect Utah Jazz Lottery Odds?
Feb 28, 2026, 10:06 PM
Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) and guard Ace Bailey (19) (Credit: Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News)
(Credit: Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz fell to the New Orleans Pelicans 115-105, dropping their fourth-straight game since the All-Star break, and fifth straight overall.
Isaiah Collier led the Jazz with 21 points, while New Orleans was paced by Saddiq Bey with 24.
With Saturday’s loss, the Jazz moved to 18-42, 0.5 games ahead of the Pelicans for the NBA’s fifth-worst record, with 22 games remaining.
How could Utah Jazz loss affect the draft lottery?
With all eyes on May’s draft lottery — and the Jazz needing to finish with the eighth pick or better to avoid sending it to the Oklahoma City Thunder — each loss increases the odds the pick stays in Utah.
If the standings hold and the Jazz finish with the league’s fifth-worst record, they would have an overwhelming 99.4 percent chance of keeping the pick, with four teams needing to jump them in the lottery in order to lose it.
While the percentages remain firmly in Utah’s favor, the lottery has delivered unlikely results since the league flattened the odds for non-playoff teams in recent years.
With tonight’s loss, the @utahjazz will have the fifth-worst record in the NBA at 18-42 with 22 games left to play.
Jazz would have a 99.4 chance of holding onto their draft pick if these lottery standings hold.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) March 1, 2026
In 2024, the Jazz entered the lottery with the eighth-worst record but fell to the 10th pick, despite having only a 6.7 percent chance of being leapfrogged by two teams.
In 2025, the Jazz finished with the NBA’s worst record but dropped to fifth, while the Dallas Mavericks landed the top pick despite holding just a 1.8 percent chance at No. 1 and Cooper Flagg.
Though the door remains slightly open for the Jazz to lose the pick, the odds still favor them moving up rather than falling out of the draft entirely.
With the fifth-worst record, the Jazz would have a 42.1 percent chance of moving into the top four.
The Jazz have never moved up in the lottery with their own selection.
Can Mo Bamba fit in with Jazz?
With a litany of injuries to the frontcourt, the Jazz used their open roster spot to sign Mo Bamba to a 10-day contract.
The former lottery pick joined the Jazz during the preseason, and sans a short stint with the Toronto Raptors earlier in the year, has spent the 2025-26 campaign with the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League.
In 22 appearances with the Stars, Bamba is averaging 17.0 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists, while shooting 55 percent from the floor and 38 percent from three.
But beyond his production in the G League, Bamba has been able to learn the Jazz’s playbook through similarities in how Will Hardy and Stars coach Rick Higgins lead their teams.
Mo Bamba is back in the Association on a 10-day contract with the @utahjazz! The @slcstars center is our 54th #NBACallUp of the season. ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/NTx1xrr8hV
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) February 27, 2026
“Mo has a pretty good understanding of the general concepts,” Hardy said. “I think Rick has done an amazing job this year with his group in terms of them doing mostly what we’re trying to teach.”
Due to a difference in personnel, the Jazz and Stars can’t utilize identical playbooks, but the concepts are designed to be similar to help the organization develop players.
“I always want to give Rick the freedom to coach his team, just like we’ve done with some of the guys in the past,” Hardy said, “but the core principles, I think Mo has a good understanding of.”
Bamba’s 10-day contract will expire on Saturday, March 10. The center is eligible to sign a second 10-day contract with the team.
Next Utah Jazz Broadcast
The Jazz will host the Denver Nuggets on Monday at 7 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
