The 2014 NBA Draft is quickly approaching, and the future of the Utah Jazz could drastically be changed if the right player is drafted to Utah. The question is, however, will the Utah Jazz make a move?
There was a rumor that came about on Thursday afternoon that the Jazz were in discussions with the Cleveland Cavaliers about a possible trade, allowing the Jazz to move from the fifth pick to the number one overall pick. The trade would allow the teams to swap picks, while the Jazz would also send big man Derrick Favors to the Cavaliers. Spencer Checketts of 1280 Sports confirmed that this trade has been discussed.
Can confirm Jazz offered #5 and Favors to Cleveland for #1 pick. But source says target is Andrew Wiggins, not Jabari Parker.
— Spence Checketts (@spencechecketts) June 20, 2014
A lot of Jazz fans would be skeptical about this trade because of how good Favors can be, but there are reasons to why this trade should happen.
Being able to trade up to the number one pick is something that every team is more than likely trying to do at this point. However, for the Jazz, the rebuild process could potentially take longer if the Jazz stay at five.
Jabari Parker of Duke, and Andrew Wiggins of Kansas, are the top two players in this draft and will more than likely be drafted in the top two spots, due to the foot surgery to Wiggin’s teammate at Kansas, Joel Embiid. Parker and Wiggins have been two of the top talents since before the college basketball season even started, both could potentially change the landscape of the Jazz franchise, but both players are completely different.
Parker is they type of player that can come in from day one and be able to score the basketball. Having a guy that can come in and score right away is something that would help the Jazz out a lot. With the Jazz hoping to bring back restricted free agent Gordon Hayward, adding Parker would give the Jazz two scorers on the court, and would make it so defenses couldn’t key in on one player. However, the knock on why the Jazz might be wanting pass on Parker for Wiggins is because of the defensive end of the court. Parker struggles on the defensive end, and with what Jazz general manager, Dennis Lindsey, not playing defense well will not fit with what he is wanting to do.
Wiggins is good offensively, but not quite at the level that Parker is at. Wiggins has Parker beat however, because of his explosiveness and athleticism. Wiggins can run the floor like a deer and would give the Jazz a much better option in their fast break offense. Wiggins also is much better on the defensive end than Parker is. The jump shot is something that people have concerns about with Wiggins. However, his jump shot is there, and will develop quickly once he gets with a shooting coach in the NBA. Wiggins fits the mold of what Lindsey is trying to do with the Utah Jazz. Parker is going to be a great player, but his fit in Utah isn’t as great as Wiggins is.
When you look at the other aspect of this trade, you have to think about Favors. Why on earth would the Jazz want to give up on Favors? Just because the Jazz are willing to part with there big man, doesn’t necessarily mean that they have given up on him. The NBA is a business, and Lindsey’s job is to make sure that he does whatever it takes to make the Jazz a championship contender in the future. Favors is a good player, and could potentially blossom in to something really special. However, when looking at this trade, you have to ask yourself which player will push the Jazz closer to a championship. Derrick Favors or Andrew Wiggins?
Sending Favors to Cleveland doesn’t mean that the Jazz are in trouble at the big man position either. The Jazz have plenty of cap space this summer to sign a quality free agent or two onto the roster. Players like Greg Monroe of the Detroit Pistons, Pau Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Zach Randolph of the Memphis Grizzlies could all be on the free agent market this summer. If the Jazz can possibly land one of those guys in free agency, it could be a better fit than Favors would have been.
As I said before, Favors is a good player and could potentially blossom in to something special in the future. However, this is a scoring wing league, and having the opportunity to draft a player like Wiggins that could turn in to one of the best scoring wings in the league in the future is something that the Jazz can’t afford to pass on. If Dennis Lindsey really is on the phone with the Cavaliers, there is a good chance that the Jazz could potentially land a deal. I, for one, hope that Lindsey can pull the trigger on this deal.
Derrick Favors will be a great player, but Andrew Wiggins could be the future.