The Washington Wizards have aspirations to land the No. 1 overall pick this offseason, even after the bold moves to form a superstar duo in Trae Young and Anthony Davis ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
In fact, after the decision to land the two former All-Stars, the team's decision to push back their evaluation and possible debut made it clear that the tank was still on.
The only problem? Washington isn't the only team in full pursuit of earning the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
With a loaded draft class highlighted by top prospects such as Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer, nearly every team in the league would like the opportunity to land one of the premiere talents atop this offseason's draft.
As a result, teams are taking every measure possible to position themselves for the chance to land the top pick, one of which being the Utah Jazz.
At the moment, the race at the bottom of the NBA standings is tight, with the Wizards holding on to the third-worst record in the league at 14-38.
However, if the teams at the bottom of the standings don't quickly adjust, they'll be forced to watch the new strategy for the Jazz make their No. 1 overall pick aspirations disappear.
Jazz tanking strategy is becoming hard to overlook
The Jazz have been in the NBA headlines a lot over the last few weeks, and not just because of the team's surprising trade for former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr.
Instead, Utah has been the talk across the league due to the team's new tanking strategy that head coach Will Hardy has put in full effect.
With a loaded young roster, headlined by talented like Lauri Markkanen, Jackson Jr. and even emerging young guard Isaiah Collier, the Jazz have the talent to compete on a nightly basis and they've proven that.
Nonetheless, Hardy's has implemented a strategy that has allowed him to still allow his top players to play, while continuing to tank alongside the worst teams in the league.
How? Hardy allows for his top players to suit up when healthy, but when the fourth quarter comes, their nights come to an end.
Is it legal? Yes. Should it be? Debatable.
Hardy is getting ahead of the competition and his strategy is allowing for the team's roster to build chemistry with new players and still make a push to add another top prospect.
If the Wizards don't adapt, they could find themselves missing out on the No. 1 overall pick yet again.