a decent pick coming from Minnesota in 2025 was going to be pretty low. But paying Rudy/KAT/Ant/McDaniels a combined $168 M in the season after that was going to make it impossible for them to keep Naz Reid or construct a decent bench, putting them in a situation where any injury would make it far more likely for Utah to get a great pick in 2026 or 2027.

So maybe they got a few picks better in a great 2025 draft. But I think this deal ends up hurting the chances at a much better pick in 2027.

Now watch Rudy decline his player option and trade a $46 M payday in 2025 for a long-term guarantee, further decreasing the their payroll predicament.