Creation of New VM with higher OS

Hi All,

I have two 2008 machines deployed in Azure and now i want to shift them on 2016 DC. But unfortunately OS upgrade is not supported on Azure. So what i am trying to do is can i create same with higher OS by editing the JSON of current VM and create the new VM using this template. 

Is it possible? i might be wrong here.
If yes then apart from OS what should i need t edit in JSON since there are VNET and storage account i could see in JSON.

{"properties": {"vmId": "5c90131a-XXXX-4XXX-XXXXf-XXXXXXXX","availabilitySet": {"id": "/subscriptions/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/resourceGroups/XXXXXXXXXXX/providers/Microsoft.Compute/availabilitySets/XXXXXXXXX"
        },"hardwareProfile": {"vmSize": "Standard_D3_v2"
        },"storageProfile": {"imageReference": {"publisher": "MicrosoftWindowsServer","offer": "WindowsServer-HUB","sku": "2008-R2-SP1-HUB","version": "latest"
          },"osDisk": {"osType": "Windows","encryptionSettings": {"enabled": true,"diskEncryptionKey": {"sourceVault": {"id": "/subscriptions/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/resourceGroups/XXXXXXXXXX/providers/Microsoft.KeyVault/vaults/XXXXXXXXXXX"
                },"secretUrl": "https://XXXXXXXXXXXXXX.vault.azure.net/secrets/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/e4fcXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXa256eb"
              }
            },"name": "XXXXXXXXXX-OS","createOption": "FromImage","caching": "ReadWrite","managedDisk": {"storageAccountType": "Standard_LRS","id": "/subscriptions/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/resourceGroups/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/providers/Microsoft.Compute/disks/XXXXXXXXXX-OS"
            },"diskSizeGB": 128
          },"dataDisks": [
            {"lun": 1,"name": "XXXXXXXXXXXXX-DATA01","createOption": "Attach","caching": "None","managedDisk": {"storageAccountType": "Standard_LRS","id": "/SUBSCRIPTIONS/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/RESOURCEGROUPS/XXXXXXXXXXXXXX/PROVIDERS/MICROSOFT.COMPUTE/DISKS/XXXXXXXXXXXXX-DATA01"
              },"diskSizeGB": 128
            }
          ]
        },"osProfile": {"computerName": "XXXXXXXXXXXX","adminUsername": "AzureAdmin","windowsConfiguration": {"provisionVMAgent": true,"enableAutomaticUpdates": true
          },"secrets": []
        },"networkProfile": {"networkInterfaces": [
            {"id": "/subscriptions/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/resourceGroups/XXXXXXXXXX/providers/Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces/XXXXXXXXXX-NIC1","properties": {"primary": true
              }
            }
          ]
        },"diagnosticsProfile": {"bootDiagnostics": {"enabled": true,"storageUri": "http://XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.blob.core.windows.net"
          }
        },"licenseType": "Windows_Server","provisioningState": "Succeeded"
      },"resources": [
        {"id": "/subscriptions/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/resourceGroups/XXXXXXXXXXXXX-RG/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/XXXXXXXXXXXXX/extensions/AzureDiskEncryption"
        },
        {"id": "/subscriptions/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/resourceGroups/XXXXXXXXXXXXX-RG/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/XXXXXXXXXXXXX/extensions/IaaSAntimalware"
        },
        {"id": "/subscriptions/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/resourceGroups/XXXXXXXXXXXXX-RG/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/XXXXXXXXXXXXX/extensions/Insights.VMDiagnosticsSettings"
        },
        {"id": "/subscriptions/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/resourceGroups/XXXXXXXXXXXXX-RG/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/XXXXXXXXXXXXX/extensions/MicrosoftMonitoringAgent"
        },
        {"id": "/subscriptions/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/resourceGroups/XXXXXXXXXXXXX-RG/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/XXXXXXXXXXXXX/extensions/tscaddusers"
        },
        {"id": "/subscriptions/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/resourceGroups/XXXXXXXXXXXXX-RG/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/XXXXXXXXXXXXX/extensions/VMAccessAgent"
        }
      ],"type": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines","location": "canadaeast","id": "/subscriptions/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/resourceGroups/XXXXXXXXXXXXX/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/XXXXXXXXXXXXX","name": "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
    },

Please share your views on it.

Cheers, Gourav Please remember to mark the replies as answers if it helped.