Utah Jazz News: Trade Frenzy Begins, Gordon Hayward in SLC

With the NBA Trade Deadline looming and some teams already having deals in place, the Utah Jazz are rumored to be having discussions involving point guard Trey Burke.

The first wave of deals ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline on Thursday have begun to trickle in, leading some to wonder if there will be more moves than expected around the league. In all, the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets, Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat all made changes to their rosters in a series of deals on Tuesday.

The Magic and the Pistons reportedly agreed to a swap of Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova for Tobias Harris. With the deal, the Magic get cap relief in the form of Jennings’ expiring contract, while Stan Van Gundy’s team picks up a talented tweener who will help spread the floor for Andre Drummond down low.

I have to say–I love this deal for Detroit. Harris will help make up for some injuries on the wing and can also work as a playmaking/stretch big. The Pistons currently sit one half game out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, but could be dangerous coming down the stretch.

The other deal reported on Tuesday was a three-way affair between the Grizz, Hornets and Heat. In the trade, Memphis receives the “Birdman” Chris Andersen, P.J. Hairston and two second-round picks, Charlotte acquires Courtney Lee and Miami gets Brian Roberts.

This deal could have ramifications on the Jazz as Quin Snyder’s and crew suddenly find themselves within striking distance of the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference currently held down by the Grizzlies (who will be without Marc Gasol for the rest of the season). Jazz radio commentator David Locke talked about this in his analysis of the deal for WeAreUtahJazz.com—

"Without the spacing of Lee and the passing of Gasol, Memphis is going to have a hard time scoring. Memphis is currently on pace for about 45 to 47 wins and the 5th seed. If the Jazz get hot and close 20-10, they finish with 46 wins."

Obviously, there are no deals to announce yet on the Jazz front. A report from Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune has them engaged in talks surrounding Trey Burke, while Chris Mannix of Y! Sports told 1280 AM KZNS in Salt Lake City that the team balked at a deal with the Atlanta Hawks involving Jeff Teague and Rodney Hood.

Hayward Back in Utah

Elsewhere in Jazzland, leading scorer Gordon Hayward is apparently back in Salt Lake City and was putting in work with his trainer, Rob Blackwell, at the Zions Bank Basketball Center on Monday–

Hayward may not have played in Sunday’s All-Star Game, but he’s definitely putting the work in to get his spot in next year’s game. With the Jazz likely winning more games and another year of growth under his belt, it’s hard to see west coaches keeping him out again at this time next season.

G-Time Makes the Case for Gamers

Speaking of Hayward, the noted Starcraft and League of Legends player is once again waving the banner for gamers everywhere. Last week, Hayward penned an article for The Players’ Tribune entitled, “The Case for Gaming”.

As a person who is concurrently playing Grand Theft Auto V, Fallout 4 and Firewatch on the ol’ PS4, I have to give it up to Hayward. The eloquent way in which he tries to educate the unlearned (and the ignorant) on what it means to be a gamer is admirable. A lot of the tripe that is used to knock the hobby and those who participate in it is riddled with misconceptions.

Hayward speaks to this in his piece–

"There’s a bizarre logic that if you’re willing to put in the time to become good at a video game, you won’t be willing to put in the time to become good at anything else. This complete nonsense regresses the conversation surrounding these thoughtful, challenging, advanced games that are consistently pushing barriers."

Next: What Lies Ahead for the Utah Jazz After the All-Star Break?

More epic and win from G-Time. Keep on fighting that good fight, sir.