Aday Mara’s early surge is a fresh reminder that the Utah Jazz had a reason to embrace the ugly side of last season.
Utah took heat for how aggressively it tanked, and that criticism came with two clear threads: the Jazz were chasing a potentially special prospect, and they also wanted no part in helping Oklahoma City get stronger. They got their own prize in Darryn Peterson, but the other piece of the equation mattered too. Thanks to the Derrick Favors trade, the Jazz were on the hook for a top-eight protected pick in 2026, and the last thing they wanted was to see that asset turn into a gift for the Thunder.
That didn’t happen. And the reason the fear never fully materialized is tied to a different team entirely.
Oklahoma City still wound up with a lottery pick from the Los Angeles Clippers through the Paul George trade, and they used it on Mara. He’s already looking like another example of why the Thunder are so dangerous when they land a decent first-rounder.
Mara’s line in one half of basketball said plenty: 12 points, nine rebounds, three blocks, three assists, and a perfect five-for-five from the field. For an Oklahoma City team coming off a disappointing playoff run, that kind of production is exactly the sort of thing that can push them back toward the top.
And that’s where the uncomfortable part for Utah comes back into focus. Imagine Oklahoma City pairing Mara with someone like Brayden Burries or Yaxel Lendeborg, or even with the best player they saw after the eighth pick. That scenario never came to pass, and the Jazz had at least some reason to be relieved.
Last season was hard to sit through, but the logic behind it is looking better now. Utah could see a high lottery pick coming its way, while also doing its part to keep the Thunder from stacking even more talent. They couldn’t control what every other team did, of course, but they could avoid being part of the problem.
There are cases where a team’s hand is basically forced once the season starts going sideways and the draft obligations are already in place. That wasn’t Utah’s exact situation, though it did apply to the Clippers, where there was little that could be done.
So yes, the tank was painful in real time. But Mara’s breakout is the kind of development that makes the logic behind it easier to understand.
The Jazz weren’t about to hand Oklahoma City Peterson, but they did help make sure the Thunder didn’t get another easy boost. And even if that might have happened anyway, Utah was smart to make sure it didn’t happen with their help.
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