Will

Hardy

In a statement released by the NBA less than an hour before the Jazz tipped off against the Trail Blazers on Thursday, commissioner Adam Silver said, “Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition and we will respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games.” The Jazz were held accountable for holding out starters, notably Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen, in the fourth quarter of the February 7 game against the Magic and February 9 game against the Heat. It’s been an active week for Silver, who also levied multiple suspensions against players stemming from a benches-clearing incident with the Hornets and Pistons. Only time will tell if the Jazz receive this message or decide to get more creative in their pursuit of better lottery odds.

The extension keeps Hardy with Utah through the 2030-31 season. The new deal is a vote of confidence from Utah’s front office as the team continues its rebuild in the post Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert era. Hardy has a record of 85-161 through three seasons as Utah’s head coach, but it’s hard to put that on him given how often the Jazz have sat starters over his tenure. The team could be on the upswing with a 14 percent chance to land the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Just 34 years old, Hardy will be one of the youngest head coaches ever hired in the NBA. He’s got quite a resume, learning from the likes of Gregg Popovich, Brett Brown, Steve Kerr, Ime Udoka and Brad Stevens. He’ll inherit a roster that’s likely to see some shakeup in the offseason after another disappointing year.

Hardy is just 34 years of age and started in the video room for the Spurs, then learned under experienced coaches like Brett Brown and Gregg Popovich. He was also on the Team USA coaching staff in Tokyo with Steve Kerr and followed Celtics head coach Ime Udoka to Boston, helping them advance to its first NBA Finals in 12 years. Hardy is not a lock for the gig, but Larsen did say that “the team’s decision-makers are favoring younger assistant coaches in their search for a new leader,” a mold that Hardy seems to fit quite well. Whoever lands the job, they’ll have their work cut out for them as the Jazz have underperformed in basically every postseason in the Donovan Mitchell-Rudy Gobert era, as they’ve failed to get past the Western Conference Semifinals in all five seasons played together.