The Utah Jazz, originally from New Orleans, have a storied history in the NBA. Led by legends like John Stockton and Karl Malone, the team reached its peak in the 1990s with two NBA Finals appearances. In recent years, the Jazz have seen success with players like Deron Williams, Rudy Gobert, and Donovan Mitchell, culminating in the best regular season record in 2020–21. The team is currently in a rebuilding phase with a focus on emerging talent like Lauri Markkanen.
The Utah Jazz have not won any championships in their history.
The Utah Jazz have made 31 playoff appearances in their history.
The Utah Jazz are a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were established in 1974 as the New Orleans Jazz before relocating to Utah in 1979.
The Utah Jazz were established in 1974 as the New Orleans Jazz before relocating to Utah in 1979.
The New Orleans Jazz basketball team was established on April 22, 1974. The team's name was inspired by the famous jazz music culture of New Orleans.
The New Orleans Jazz were granted an expansion franchise into the NBA on June 7, 1974. The team chose the name as a tribute to the city's musical heritage and began playing in the 1974-75 season.
The Utah Jazz were established in 1979 after relocating from New Orleans where they were known as the New Orleans Jazz.
The Utah Jazz relocated from New Orleans to Salt Lake City on June 8, 1979. This move marked a significant change in the team's history and location.
The New Orleans Jazz team was sold to a group of businessmen in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1979 and became the Utah Jazz on June 26, 1979.
The Utah Jazz was established in 1980 and has been based in Utah for more than four decades.
In 1983, the Jazz faced financial difficulties and resorted to playing games in Las Vegas to increase profitability. Despite these challenges, the team had a successful season on the court, winning the Midwest Division.
The Utah Jazz made their first NBA Finals appearance in 1984, showcasing their competitiveness in the league.
In the 1985 NBA draft, the Utah Jazz added Karl Malone from Louisiana Tech, who had an immediate impact in the 1985-86 season. Malone averaged 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
In 1986, Adrian Dantley, the star player of the Utah Jazz, was traded to Detroit for Kelly Tripucka. This trade marked a significant change in the team's roster.
Since the 1991-92 season, the Utah Jazz have played their home games at the Delta Center. This venue has been the team's home court for many years.
In 1993, Larry H. Miller purchased local TV station KXIV and renamed it to KJZZ to create a sports-oriented station to showcase Jazz games.
Jazz Bear, the mascot of the Utah Jazz, was introduced to the league on November 4, 1994. Known for exciting the crowd during halftime performances, Jazz Bear often rides a motorbike onto the court.
In 1996, the Utah Jazz lost in the Western Conference Finals. The team was led by head coach Jerry Sloan and star player Karl Malone.
In 1997, the Utah Jazz made their first NBA Finals appearance against the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan. Although they lost, it was a significant achievement for the team.
On February 17, 1998, the Utah Jazz attempted to acquire center Rony Seikaly from the Orlando Magic in a trade, but Seikaly refused to report within the NBA-mandated 48 hours, leading to the deal being called off.
In 1999, the Utah Jazz lost in the Western Conference Semifinals. The team led by head coach Jerry Sloan and star player Karl Malone fell short in the playoffs.
The Utah Jazz lost in the Western Conference First Round during the 2000-01 NBA season. The team was led by head coach Jerry Sloan and star player Karl Malone.
During the 2000-01 season, the Utah Jazz posted a 53-29 record but lost in the playoffs after surrendering a 2-0 series lead in the first round to the Dallas Mavericks.
In the 2001-02 season, Andrei Kirilenko made his rookie debut for the Utah Jazz, averaging 10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.91 blocks per game.
During the 2003–04 season, the Jazz wore replicas of the 1986–96 white uniforms to celebrate the team's 25th season in Utah.
During the 2004–05 season, injuries to key players such as Arroyo, Raúl López, Boozer, and Kirilenko played a significant role in the team's decline, leading to their worst season since 1981–82.
The Utah Jazz had a season record of 41-41 in the 2005-06 NBA season. They finished 2nd out of 5 in their division with a winning percentage of .500. The team was coached by Jerry Sloan and Mehmet Okur was a key player with an average of 9.3 points per game.
During the 2006–07 season, the Utah Jazz significantly improved, finishing with a 51–31 record. Boozer and Okur were selected as All-Stars, and Deron Williams excelled in assists, ranking third in the league.
Utah Jazz faced the Houston Rockets in a close-fought match-up in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The series was intense, with each of the first six games being won by the home team.
In the 2008–09 season, the Utah Jazz revived their original 'J-note' logo, using it for television broadcasts and in the team's then-current colors.
On February 20, 2009, Jazz owner Larry H. Miller passed away due to complications from diabetes. His son, Greg Miller, took over as the new CEO of the team.
The Jazz unveiled a new color scheme and logo, which marked a return to the old 'music note' logo. This rebranding was part of the team's efforts to refresh its image.
Boozer agreed to a five-year, $80 million contract with the Chicago Bulls in free agency, leading to a sign-and-trade deal with the Jazz. The Jazz received a trade exception worth around $13 million in return from Chicago.
Wesley Matthews signed a five-year, $33 million offer sheet with the Portland Trail Blazers, departing from the Utah Jazz. This move was part of the rebuilding phase for the Jazz.
On September 27, 2010, Kyrylo Fesenko signed the qualifying offer from the Utah Jazz, just a day before the start of training camp.
In 2011, Jerry Sloan abruptly resigned from the Utah Jazz due to conflicts with team management and players, including Deron Williams.
On February 23, 2011, the Utah Jazz traded star player Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets for Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, and two first-round draft picks.
The Utah Jazz unveiled an alternate jersey on December 9, 2011, featuring green as the primary color with a navy stripe on the side. This jersey was worn until the 2015–16 season.
In the 2012 draft, the Jazz selected Kevin Murphy with the No. 47 overall pick. They also signed Mo Williams and Randy Foye, re-signed Jeremy Evans and Tinsley, while C. J. Miles signed with Cleveland. Andrei Kirilenko did not re-sign with the Jazz. Dennis Lindsey became general manager and Kevin O'Connor vice president of basketball operations.
Rudy Gobert was selected with the 27th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets but was traded to the Utah Jazz. He signed his rookie contract with the Jazz on July 6, 2013.
On March 14, 2014, the Jazz were officially eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, ending their postseason hopes for that season.
The Jazz earned the 5th pick in the 2014 NBA draft and selected Dante Exum. They also picked Rodney Hood with the 23rd pick. Jarnell Stokes was selected with the 35th pick but traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
On June 6, 2014, Quin Snyder was named the head coach of the Utah Jazz, signing a three-year contract with a team option for a fourth. He replaced Tyrone Corbin and had previous coaching experience with several NBA teams.
In May 2016, the Utah Jazz updated their logos and uniforms, selecting a new wordmark logo as their primary logo and introducing new home and road uniform designs. The team discontinued the use of the mountain logo that had been in use since 1996.
The Utah Jazz finished the 2016-17 season with a 51-31 record and qualified for the NBA Playoffs as the fifth seed in the Western Conference. They defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games in the first round, marking their first playoff series win since 2010.
Donovan Mitchell was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets, who then traded Mitchell's rights to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Trey Lyles. This marked the beginning of Mitchell's career with the Jazz.
Gordon Hayward, after a breakout season in 2017 with the Utah Jazz, left the team to sign with the Boston Celtics as a free agent on July 4, 2017. His decision was announced in a letter published by The Players' Tribune.
After a strong finish to the 2017-18 season, the Utah Jazz secured the no. 5 seed in the 2018 NBA playoffs. They went on to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round before losing to the Houston Rockets in the Second Round.
On May 10, 2019, the Jazz announced the promotion of Dennis Lindsey to executive vice president of basketball operations and Justin Zanik to general manager.
On December 24, 2019, the Jazz announced that they had waived forward Jeff Green, signed G-League free agent Rayjon Tucker, and traded Dante Exum to the Cleveland Cavaliers for shooting guard Jordan Clarkson.
On January 30, 2020, Gobert and Mitchell were named reserves for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, marking the first time since 2007 that multiple Utah Jazz players had been selected to the All-Star game.
Ryan Smith, co-founder of Qualtrics, purchased the Utah Jazz from the Miller family, ensuring the team remains in Utah.
Rudy Gobert signed a five-year, $205 million contract extension with the Utah Jazz, making it the third-largest contract in NBA history for a center.
Quin Snyder was announced as the head coach of the Western Conference team for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, the first Jazz coach to receive this honor since 1984.
Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert were named as All-Star reserves for the second consecutive season, with Mitchell also set to compete in the three-point contest.
Former Jazz forward Elijah Millsap alleged that then-general manager Dennis Lindsey made a racist remark during an interview in 2015, leading to an investigation by the Jazz organization.
Mike Conley was chosen as an All-Star reserve for the first time in his career, replacing the injured Devin Booker and also participating in the three-point contest.
Dwyane Wade acquired a minority ownership stake in the Utah Jazz and was expected to be involved in team operations.
The Jazz defeated the Sacramento Kings to secure the best regular season record in the NBA for the first time in franchise history.
On June 5, 2022, Quin Snyder resigned as the head coach of the Utah Jazz, leading to the hiring of Will Hardy as his replacement.
On July 1, 2022, the Utah Jazz traded Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for multiple players, draft picks, and pick swaps.
On September 1, 2022, the Utah Jazz traded Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, and future draft picks.
Lauri Markkanen was selected as an All-Star reserve in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, marking his first career All-Star appearance.
On February 8, 2023, the Utah Jazz traded Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt to the Los Angeles Lakers and other players to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a three-team trade.
Due to injuries, Lauri Markkanen was named an All-Star starter in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, where he also participated in the Three-Point Contest.