Utah Jazz general manager Justin Zanik, who was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) in October, underwent a successful kidney transplant on Tuesday, according to the team and head coach Will Hardy.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted on Tuesday that Hardy had told him Zanik had completed the transplant, and moments later, the Jazz announced the news.

“Utah Jazz General Manager Justin Zanik is in recovery following a successful kidney transplant at the University of Utah Hospital today,” the Jazz's graphic says. “He is expected to return to his day-to-day responsibilities in the coming weeks.”

Jazz GM Justin Zanik's battle with kidney failure

Jazz GM Justin Zanik and owner Ryan Smith

In an ESPN article earlier this week, Wojnarowski detailed Zanik's battle with PKD since being diagnosed with the disease following a long-overdue physical in late September with the Jazz's team physician. Shortly after the diagnosis, it became apparent that Zanik would need a kidney transplant to avoid dialysis.

However, Zanik's family, as a result of their own medical battles and history with kidney disease, would not be suitable for a transplant. Zanik's father was diagnosed with PKD and received a kidney transplant 21 years ago this week, while his wife, Gina, and their children — Ava, Oskar, and Lucy — all suffer from autonomic neuropathy. Additionally, since their father's diagnosis, the three children have also been diagnosed with advanced forms of PKD, which will likely require kidney transplants before they turn 30 and possibly multiple transplants over the course of their lifetimes.

Zanik received a kidney from Jeff Hart, a family friend, who passed the screening test and agreed to donate his kidney. The procedure will keep Zanik hospitalized for a few days, and if he recovers well, he will then be sent home to continue healing before ultimately resuming his work leading the Jazz front office.

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Zanik has served as the Jazz's GM since May 2019, when he was promoted from his role as assistant GM. He initially became involved in the basketball business in the late 1990s as part of the sports agency Priority Sports and Entertainment, where his eventual wife also worked.

Eventually moving on, Zanik became a basketball player agent at ASM Sports for a decade before finding his way into the Jazz front office. Zanik first arrived in Utah in 2013 as the assistant GM to Dennis Lindsey.

Zanik stayed with the Jazz until 2016 when he took the same role within the Milwaukee Bucks organization. He only spent one year in Milwaukee before returning to the Jazz assistant GM position he had left. In his time with the Jazz, Zanik has been reportedly critical in multiple front-office moves, including the signings of Georges Niang, Royce O'Neal, and Bojan Bogdanovic, as well as the acquisition of Mike Conley.

After reaching the playoffs six consecutive seasons but failing to make it past the second round once, the Jazz decided to rebuild during the 2022 offseason by trading three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and perennial All-Star Donovan Mitchell. Utah, which hired former Boston Celtics GM and president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, also hired Celtics assistant Will Hardy as its head coach during the offseason.