The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz: Eight potential trade targets (and how realistic they truly are)

By Jared Woodcox

OAKLAND, CA - MAY 2: Dennis Lindsey of the Utah Jazz and Jerry West of the Golden State Warriors attend Game One of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 2, 2017 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - MAY 2: Dennis Lindsey of the Utah Jazz and Jerry West of the Golden State Warriors attend Game One of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 2, 2017 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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ORLANDO, FL – DECEMBER 28: Mario Hezonja #8 of the Orlando Magic dunks the ball against the Detroit Pistons on December 28, 2017 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL – DECEMBER 28: Mario Hezonja #8 of the Orlando Magic dunks the ball against the Detroit Pistons on December 28, 2017 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Mario Hezonja

If and when the Utah Jazz make some trades this season, it’s likely that bringing in less of a major impact player and someone more of the caliber of Mario Hezonja will be the path they take – adding someone with some promise that doesn’t break the bank while hopefully eliminating some undesirable contracts themselves.

Trading for Hezonja wouldn’t exactly be a sexy move – he’s averaging just 6.1 points per game on 44.8 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent shooting from deep in just 15.7 minutes per game – but it could be an under-the-radar one. There’s no denying that Hezonja has under-performed since joining the league, but perhaps in a different setting and system, he could truly break out as a shooting extraordinaire.

After all, he was heralded as such before entering the league and we’ve seen other players, such as Tobias Harris and Victor Oladipo, thrive after leaving Orlando. So maybe a change of scenery could be enough to get him back on track. He’s still just 22 years old and certainly has the tools to blossom into solid player, so if Utah is able to get him without costing themselves too much, he could be a pretty nice get.

The only bad news is that Hezonja is set to hit unrestricted free agency at the end of this season, meaning that he could just leave Utah high and dry. On the other hand, though, it’s not like his value is very high at all at the moment, so he may instead be excited to re-sign with the team that showed faith in him by pursuing him in a mid-season trade, then Utah could add him on the cheap.

Then again, if they’re truly interested in him, they might be better off waiting until he hits free agency and hoping to woo him over at that point in hopes that convincing him that he can blossom in their system would be his best bet.

This one seems like a bit of a long shot, but since the Magic will likely be selling at the trade deadline and Hezonja is a pretty low-risk option for all parties involved, I could see the Jazz potentially testing the waters with a player of his caliber. It wouldn’t be an earth-shattering move by any means, but it also wouldn’t be a bad one either.