History Repeats: Decades Night Points to Parallel Rebuilds

How did Hayward and Favors fit into the salary structure of a contender? (Getty Images)

As the Jazz’s 50-year celebration continues with decade-by-decade retrospectives, they spent last week celebrating the 2000s. Deron Williams, Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur, and Carlos Boozer came to town for the occasion. With D-Will at the helm, AK-47 doing everything, Memo hitting threes, and Booz yelling “AND-ONE,” the 2000s Jazz core had a run of competitive basketball where a few different breaks could have left a few different outcomes. 

Ultimately, on February 23, 2011, the Utah Jazz sent franchise cornerstone Williams to the Brooklyn Nets for a haul that held implications for the next decade. 

Fittingly, the Jazz celebrated the 2000s era, a 115-107 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, on the day before the anniversary of the historic trade. Giving it some extra connection, the Jazz started two rookies and a third saw significant action off the bench, in a true flashback to the ultimate reset that happened after the D-Will era ended, defining the early 2010s. 

Deja vu? 

A Different Decade, A Different Rebuild

Reflecting on the 2011 trade, the Jazz received a young, promising big man in Derrick Favors and the rights to the Nets’ #3 draft pick, which became Enes Freedom (Kanter at the time). The Jazz also received Devin Harris and another draft pick they would eventually use in a 2013 move-up trade to select Trey Burke in the lottery. The pick ultimately became Gorgui Dieng whom the Jazz selected for the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Burke. 

(Harris played two seasons in Utah before getting traded to Atlanta for Marvin Williams, who then played two seasons in Utah before departing in free agency.) 

Cliff Notes: The Jazz traded away Deron Williams and essentially got back Favors, Kanter, and Burke. 

With their other draft picks around this same time, the Jazz also selected Gordon Hayward and Alec Burks in the late lottery. Hayward came via a pick they received in a 2004 salary dump trade with Phoenix, and Burks was taken with their own 2011 draft pick. This was the original youth movement. Before Burke arrived as the last piece, Jazz fans labeled the quartet a “Core Four,” and Burke’s arrival turned them into a “Core Five.” In the next draft, Utah added Rodney Hood and Dante Exum, too! The future looked bright with the keys to the franchise in the hands of the young guns.

In the 2013-14 season, Burke, Favors, Hayward, and Kanter tallied 206 minutes together, while those four plus AB were together for 122. The Jazz won 25 games that season, the last under coach Ty Corbin. In 2014-15, the group of five was the most used lineup for new coach Quin Snyder, suiting up for 328 minutes en route to 38 wins. In 2015-16, Hood was more involved, as was Rudy Gobert, and the Jazz won 40 games before the franchise took off the following season.

In other words, some draft picks didn’t work, but others bridged the gap to competition throughout this era. 

Back to the Now, Back to the Rebuild

How the Jazz got to this current roster is well documented, with picks and players from Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert trades writing most of the origin stories for the 2023-24 Jazz. 

They say history repeats itself. And as the game against Charlotte showed, the youth movement is beginning again, taking shape to reframe the decade and rebuild the next iteration of successful Jazz basketball. 

This time around, the first draft picks are Keyonte George (point guard), Taylor Hendricks (small-ball big), and Brice Sensabaugh (wing), all from the 2023 draft class. Hendricks was taken with the Jazz’s own pick at #9, George was taken #16 with the pick from the Rudy Gobert trade, and Sensabaugh came about with the #28 pick that the team gained after trading swingman Royce O’Neale to the Brooklyn Nets. Will it be those three accumulating lineup minutes together for the rest of the season? In four seasons, will they still be part of the core rotation? Will it go down as significant when the three held their debut together on game 57 of this season?

It was a pretty solid debut, too. Hendricks put up 12 points, nine rebounds, and was +10 in nearly 26 minutes. George went off for 16 points, five assists, and three rebounds while +7 in 31 minutes. Sensabaugh was the new face, showing a lot of hustle and heart while adding seven points and a steal in twelve minutes. The game ended in a loss, which is typical for a rebuilding team, but the loss may ultimately help the Jazz get a little closer to another lottery pick this upcoming off-season. 

And remember, this is just the beginning of the draft picks. If the Jazz land in the top 10 this summer, they’ll keep the pick. In 2025, they could have their own and a first-rounder from Cleveland and Minnesota. In 2026, they may have the best of three teams’ spots in the draft. In 2027, they could have four first-round picks, with the coveted top-four protected pick from the Lakers as the potential crown jewel. After that, it just keeps going with as many as six first-rounders through 2030.

With three key pieces getting to run right now, plus a few other tantalizing prospects playing for the SLC Stars, the Jazz are beginning the youth movement now. With all the picks coming up, don’t be surprised if a new iteration of the Core Four or Fab Five or Solid Six banner hangs out front Delta Center soon, too.