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Utah Jazz: Thanks for Everything, Trevor Booker

Ryan Aston|

Forward Trevor Booker, an energizer and locker room leader for the Utah Jazz for the past two seasons, is headed to the Brooklyn Nets.

Sometimes in life, things catch you off guard. You’re humming along, feeling groovy, when suddenly BAM–bad things happen and it’s difficult to cope. However, there are also times when you can see the big change coming a mile away, but it still manages to leave you rattled.

You’ve rationalized it, you think you’re prepared for it, but, somehow, it still hits you like a gut punch and leaves you wondering how things could have possibly unfolded as they did.

Such was the case for Utah Jazz fans on Saturday when it was reported that Trevor Booker, a fan favorite among the Jazz faithful for the last two years, had agreed to take his talents to the East Coast as the newest member of the Brooklyn Nets.

Again–we knew it was coming. Trey Lyles had already begun to infringe upon Booker’s minutes last season and his potential as a playmaking big man would only warrant more of the same going forward.

Moreover, the team’s move to pick up former All-Star Joe Johnson as a hybrid three/stretch four would further serve to decrease Booker’s role on the team. And, honestly, even before the team’s dealings this offseason, there was always going to be a bigger role and a bigger payday for Booker elsewhere this summer.

Despite all of that, the fact that it’s now set in stone–that Booker will no longer be the team’s energizer and locker room leader–is still a bitter pill to swallow.

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Few players have inspired the fanbase in recent years like Booker. He was like a modern-day Antoine Carr; a fiery big man who would enter the game, rile the crowd at Vivint Arena and rattle the opposition with his intensity. The kind of player any team would like to have and one we were lucky enough to have for two seasons.

His departure stings and he will be missed, both by the fans, as well as his teammates. But as strange as it feels at the moment to know that he’ll be suiting up for another squad next year, it’s a development that will ultimately prove beneficial for all parties involved.

For the Jazz, it represents the continued evolution of Lyles from curious late lottery selection to an up-and-coming star in the league, as well as a committment by the team’s decision-makers to bring in the veteran talent necessary to facilitate a return to the upper echelon of the NBA.

For Booker, it’s fincancial security for himself and his family; a hard-earned reward for the good work he has done on the hardwood, coupled with the potential to be an important piece for a franchise on the rise. Just as he was for the Jazz.

Nevertheless, as Jazz Nation collectively mourns his loss, Booker is looking back on his time in Utah as an overwhelmingly positive experience. One for which he’ll be forever grateful–

Next: Utah Jazz Agree to Deal with Joe Johnson

I think I speak for the whole of the fanbase when I say that the feeling is mutual. In other words, thank you, Book…

For the thunderous dunks.

For fighting tooth and nail for loose balls.

For weak-side blocks.

For showing our young players what it means to be a competitor.

For defending the Jazz organization from the barbs of disgruntled former players.

For that crazy night in Portland.

For letting Roy Hibbert know what’s what.

And for the greatest shot I have ever seen in multiple decades of watching basketball games.

Thanks for everything, Mr. Booker. In just a few, short years, you’ve managed to leave an indelible mark on the pages of Jazz history.

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