Georges Niang has yet to make his official return to the Utah Jazz, but everyone is looking forward to it. His current injury was a little trickier than anyone would have liked, but at least he shouldn’t be out for much longer. Utah should be happy if he does, because history has shown that Niang’s teams win more games with him on the team.
David Locke revealed that more often than not, the teams that have hired Niang have become worse. This includes one of Niang’s more recent teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cavaliers were 43-10 and traded Georges Niang. Since then, they are 35-19.
It seems crazy, but it’s happened everywhere he goes
Jazz was 52-20 on him and then 49-33 and blew it up after letting him go.
Philly was 51-31 and 54-29 and he left and then went 47-35
—David Locke (@DLocke09) December 7, 2025
Is there a causal relationship in each individual case? Probably not. The Jazz were already in a pretty dire situation when Niang left in 2021, as tension between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert had reached a boiling point. Whether Niang was on the team or not, that team was about to fall apart.
The Sixers deteriorated following Niang’s departure, mainly due to James Harden’s tumultuous impact with the team and Joel Embiid’s mounting injuries. However, Cleveland’s decline after Niang’s retirement was quite remarkable.
They’ve lost other players like Ty Jerome, but it seems like they’ve been on a downward spiral since trading Niang for someone they thought was an upgrade in De’Andre Hunter. Hunter is generally a better player than Niang, but with their disappointing start to the season and their loss to the Warriors last night without Steph, Draymond or Butler despite having Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, it’s hard not to think something is wrong.
Niang isn’t an NBA star and never will be, but it really feels like he’s one of those guys who improves the locker room. Those players are not easy to replace, which played a role in the Jazz’s desire for a reunion.
Niang’s return could reveal where the Jazz go
Currently, the Jazz are in the same position they were in from 2022 to 2024: too bad to be good, but too bad to be good. Fans know this all too well, which frustrated them. Niang’s positive influence, both on the floor and in the locker room, could very well give the Jazz a choice of direction.
Niang is one of the NBA’s best floor spacers. His presence alone should open the floor for Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George and Ace Bailey. That could move the Jazz from flirting with the play-in to firmly in the play-in minimal.
Those in favor of the tank may not be fans of that strategy, especially since it could guarantee OKC gets their pick, but Niang’s inclusion could be the first real step toward the playoffs.
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