Utah Jazz: Four Bold Predictions Before the Trade Deadline

The Utah Jazz Will Make a Trade

The Utah Jazz aren’t typically known as a team involved in flashy, high-profile trades, but when the time is right, they’ve struck while the iron was hot and made some underrated moves to get key players such as Jeff Hornacek, Kyle Korver and most recently George Hill.

There was a lot of squabbling about the Jazz last season around the trade deadline as several rumors arose that Utah was going to make a run at some big-time point guards to try to make a late playoff push. Instead they ended up with former Atlanta Hawks third string point guard Shelvin Mack. Pretty big time, huh?

But in all seriousness, Mack was and has been solid to some extent in patching up Utah’s lack of depth at the point position and it wasn’t a bad trade by any means. Mack deserves a lot more credit than he gets for his efforts on this Jazz squad.

Nevertheless, as the Jazz get closer to the 2017 trade deadline, many may suppose that they’ll stick to their typical quiet selves and not make a move, particularly given that Utah has been successful up to this point and may not want to break up the chemistry that they’ve developed.

However, call me crazy, but I think the Jazz are going to pull the trigger and in someway be a participant in or before the trade deadline madness.

They have four point guards and several capable wings that will be hard to assign minutes for such as Rodney Hood, Alec Burks, Joe Ingles and Joe Johnson and they have ample cap space and could potentially take on a salary dump type trade or simply seek to add some additional veteran experience or depth. While it’s unlikely that some of those aforementioned guys would be moved, others, particularly the back-up point guards, are pretty expendable.

And although the Jazz are definitely having a successful season, especially in comparison to recent years, it’s pretty obvious that they’re still a couple of pieces away from becoming true contenders.

Since his time with the Spurs, general manager Dennis Lindsey has been a mastermind at finding diamonds in the rough and constructing high-caliber rosters that simply work together. If he has his mind set on a deal that could significantly help the Jazz, you can bet he will make it happen.

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Of course it isn’t likely at all that the Jazz would be able to make a move between now and the trade deadline that would instantly propel them to title contender status, but as I said, they’re in need of a couple more pieces and if one of those is available, I could see Utah snatching it up and making a move in the right direction.

Nevertheless, with Utah’s young core finally getting things rolling and converting into a playoff-caliber squad with help from this offseason’s newly acquired vets, I have a hard time seeing the Jazz engaging in any kind of monumental blockbuster trade.

Still, with plenty of talent across the roster and some guys who are somewhat expendable, particularly at the guard positions, I’m projecting that in some way Utah is going to be a trade participant this season.

If I knew exactly who that player would be, this wouldn’t be such a bold prediction, but I believe one way or another the Jazz are going to surprise and make a move. It won’t necessarily be an earth-shattering one, but you can bet that if they do indeed make a trade it will be with that subtle and sneaky Lindsey brilliance that will quietly make the Jazz just a little bit better.