One of the biggest news of the offseason thus far came in the form of long-time Utah Jazz owner Gail Miller deciding to sell the franchise for a whopping $1.6 billion. Tech power couple Ryan and Ashley Smith are now the new proud owners of the Jazz, and as it turns out, they might just be looking to “blow up” the team entirely.
BYU basketball head coach Mark Pope, who himself is a close friend of the Smiths, shared his thoughts on this recent development:
“I do know Ryan and Ashley and, I mean, come on, how blessed are we in the state of Utah to have this legendary family like the Millers being stewards over this program, and then have Ryan and Ashley Smith take over the deal?” Pope said Thursday, via Jay Drew of DeseretNews. “I mean, they are going to blow it up to epic proportions, and they are going to represent the state in such an extraordinary way.”
Let's not get lost in translation here. I believe what Pope is trying to say here is that the Smiths are now looking to further elevate the status of this franchise. He expressed how grateful he is of what the Millers have done for this franchise for more than three decades, and how he truly believes that the new owners are going to carry on with their legacy.
He doesn't seem to be hinting at the possibility of the new owners literally blowing up the roster this offseason. The Jazz had a relatively good run last term, and as it is, they appear to have a formidable core that they should be able to build around for years to come. Tearing this down does not make much sense at this point.
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