The Utah Jazz are one of the biggest sleeper teams in the NBA. As a team that has undergone major roster changes recently, the Jazz have slipped away from everyone’s radar and are now going through a rebuilding phase.
With the young core of Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, Walker Kessler, and Colin Sexton, the Jazz have one of the best young teams in the NBA. The Jazz got off to a very hot start last season and were huge play-in threats before barely missing it.
Besides roster and front office changes, the franchise also saw a change of ownership in 2020. Tech savant Ryan Smith bought the franchise for around $1.66 billion three years ago, and the franchise is now valued at just over $3 billion. This is impressive considering the fact that the Jazz are in a rebuilding phase and do not have that many players who can boost the team's value.
Ryan Smith, the owner of the Utah Jazz is among the top entrepreneurs in the country and is only rising in value and stature day by day. Smith has been listed in the Forbes 40 under 40 list twice and currently has a net worth of around $2.3 billion.
A native resident of Utah, Smith has always been a huge Jazz fan and fondly recollects the days of going to Jazz games with his father during the Karl Malone and John Stockton era. According to Smith, it is a surreal experience to be the owner of a team he is a fan of.
Smith is the co-founder of Qualtrics, a software company. Some of their clients include Uber, Pfizer, and Coca-Cola. Smith also bought the Vivint Arena, where the Jazz play, the Jazz’s G League affiliate team, the Salt Lake City Stars, and the Triple-A Salt Lake City Bees.
FAQs
A. According to Statista, the Utah Jazz are currently worth $3.09 billion.
A. The current owner of the Utah Jazz is Ryan Smith.
A. Donovan Mitchell currently plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
A. Rudy Gobert currently plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
A. Lauri Markkanen is currently 26 years old.