Utah Jazz: Eight potential trade targets (and how realistic they truly are)

As the Utah Jazz figure to be major players leading up to the trade deadline, here are eight guys that may very well be on their radar for a potential deal.

Despite some promising moments during the 2017-18 season, and Donovan Mitchell’s exhilarating break-out notwithstanding, this season is slowly but surely appearing to take a turn for the worst for the Utah Jazz. Losers of 12 of their last 15 games and now sitting seven games below .500, there’s little doubt that the organization’s focus now has to turn more towards success down the road rather than prosperity in this single season.

And a major portion of that future success will likely start at and leading up to this season’s trade deadline which falls on February 8th. With several players that don’t figure to be part of Utah’s long-term plan and the need to fill some voids and make some internal improvements, the Jazz figure to be key players once trade season really heats up.

But the question is, who exactly could the Jazz target and ultimately land in a trade? As painful as it is to say it, the Jazz don’t have a ton of overwhelmingly glorious pieces to trade away save for some expiring contracts and players on team options. Therefore, they might be hard-pressed to strike any sort of deal that makes them significantly better this season.

Even so, there are plenty of names floating around as being on the trade block, being on Jazz fan wish lists or that perhaps the Jazz ought to look at if they aren’t already. With that being the case, I’ve decided to dive into eight players that fall into at least one of those three categories and observe why the Jazz should (or shouldn’t) pursue them and what the chances are of actually striking such a deal.

So without further ado, let’s roll out the candidates.

Nikola Mirotic

Of all the players on this eight-person list, Nikola Mirotic seems the absolute most likely to be dealt. He has plenty of value, a very manageable contract, has made it clear he’d like to be traded and his Chicago Bulls team would probably be better off building for the future rather than allowing Mirotic’s electrifying play to simply will them into mediocrity.

And given that he’s eligible to be traded on January 15th, his departure from the Windy City could be coming sooner rather than later. It’s a near certainty that Mirotic will be sporting a different jersey before this year’s trade deadline.

I already covered in detail my thoughts on the Jazz pursuing Mirotic, which you can read via the link in the tweet below, so I won’t go too crazy here, but the following are my overall thoughts.

In terms of fit, Mirotic could very well be an awesome piece for the Jazz as he’d serve as a reliable stretch-four option that would likely coexist quite well alongside Rudy Gobert. His contract is also low-risk since it has a team option in year two, meaning that if the Mirotic experiment didn’t work out, the Jazz could just cut their losses. There’s honestly a lot to like about adding him to the Jazz fold.

However, I have concerns about him reverting back to his poor shooting from last season and that his recent play could be little more than a spike. While there’s no way of knowing exactly what opportunities will be out there, I also worry that if Utah pulls the trigger on Mirotic, they might miss out on better options closer to the deadline or this summer.

In all honesty, though, while I think the Jazz swinging for Mirotic is somewhat realistic, I also have a hard time believing that Utah has much that the Bulls would want to take on. Favors or Johnson’s expiring contracts might be attractive for some teams, but since Mirotic has a team option for next year, that doesn’t really buy them much.

My guess is that Chicago will want picks more than any sort of talent that will boost them in a lost year and I would venture that Utah will be hesitant to give up much in that regard for Mirotic.

In short, if Mirotic was just magically plopped on Utah’s roster, I’d be perfectly happy with it. And while I believe he will be traded, I’m just not sure if there’s a mutually beneficial agreement between Utah and Chicago that will actually take place, though I do believe that Nikola Mirotic is a guy on the Jazz’s radar that they’ve likely at least inquired about.

Julius Randle

Although there’s been no concrete ties to the Jazz showing interest in Los Angeles Lakers power forward Julius Randle, there certainly have been several reports indicating that the Lakers would be all too happy to move him. The Lakers are in the midst of a nine-game slump and are more than likely looking to make some changes, not only to improve somewhat this season, but also to help position themselves to make some major splashes in free agency this summer, which is obviously their main goal.

Since LA has clearly made Randle so available, it would stand to reason that he could be a potential target for Utah. After all, their power forward situation has been an interesting one as each of Jonas Jerebko, Joe Johnson, Thabo Sefolosha and Derrick Favors (when Rudy Gobert has been healthy) have logged time at the position, but none have set themselves apart as the long-term answer for the Jazz in that regard.

In that case, perhaps Randle could be a nice young talent for Utah to insert at that spot. After all, he is averaging a respectable 13.2 points and 6.8 rebounds this season off the bench and could perhaps be ready for a larger role in a more favorable situation. At just 23 years of age, Randle has a lot of untapped potential and could be a solid piece for the Jazz.

However, in actuality, I don’t think he would be the right fit at all for Utah and isn’t one they should heavily pursue whatsoever. Randle’s had some nice minutes but he’s been extremely inconsistent throughout his career in terms of play and effort. Not only that, but one of Utah’s biggest problems this season, especially with Rudy Gobert in action, has been their inability to space the floor. Considering that Randle is shooting just 25.9 percent from three this season on less than one attempt per game, he’d do next to nothing to remedy that.

I’d much prefer that Utah pursued a more reliable stretch-four (even someone such as Mirotic who was mentioned before) over Randle. I just don’t see any way that he makes Utah much better, if at all, and especially since he’s a restricted free agent at the end of this year, LA could just let him walk at the end of the season rather than trading him for expiring contracts which would likely be about all that Utah would be willing or able to offer for him.

And his restricted free agent status makes him somewhat risky as well. What if Utah trades for him, then after the remainder of this season, he gets an offer outside of what the Jazz realistically want to pay him so they just lose out on him or commit too much money on him moving forward? That would be a bad situation to be in.

Luckily, I can’t see Utah’s front office doing anything like that. Randle is certainly available and I think there’s a very good chance he will be moved by the deadline. I just hope the Jazz aren’t the ones that opt to pursue him in any way unless they find some miraculous way to get him for pennies on the dollar.

Jordan Clarkson

Julius Randle’s Los Angeles teammate Jordan Clarkson finds himself in about the exact same boat. He’s also a guy that the Lakers have made quite clear that they are more than willing to trade if they can find the appropriate suitor. It seems he’s run his course in LA and that they’re more than willing to part ways with their sixth man of sorts.

Again, while there’s been no reported connections between Clarkson and the Jazz yet, the fact that he’s definitely available certainly makes him a potential target. In some ways, I feel like there’s a lot to like about Jordan Clarkson. He’s proven himself as a solid scorer and playmaker who can play either guard position effectively. He’s found success both as a starter and off the bench and could provide the Jazz with some nice scoring punch in the right situation.

With that all being said, if I were Utah, I wouldn’t touch him with a 30-foot pole. Sure, he consistently puts up 14 or so points per game, but he’s not very efficient in doing so. On the season, Clarkson is shooting 44.6 percent from the field and just 33.6 percent from deep. Those are both only slightly above his career averages.

I’ve seen some Jazz fans go as far as wanting to pursue Clarkson as a Hood replacement. And while I get as frustrated with Hood’s streakiness as anybody, I strongly disagree with this line of thinking. If anything, Clarkson would be a step down from Hood in most areas. Sure, he’s a little more dynamic of a playmaker than Hood and maybe he doesn’t have as many hills and valleys in terms of inconsistency as Hood, but his overall efficiency is simply so much worse that it’s not worth pursuing him.

Not only that, but he’s under contract for the next two years after this season for $12.5 and $13 million, respectively. That’s a lot of money to have committed into a guy who’s far from a sure thing. Perhaps Clarkson would bring in some much-needed points night after night, but beyond that he’d offer little more and would likely hamper the Jazz’s spending abilities for the next two years.

Sure, he could be a trade target given that LA seems pretty dead-set on moving him, but there’s definitely a reason whey they’re so willing to part with him. Of the three players I’ve mentioned so far, Clarkson is easily the last one I’d want the Jazz taking a look at.

Dario Saric

Philadelphia 76ers forward Dario Saric is a name that has popped up several times on Jazz Twitter as a sought-after trade piece. While there hasn’t been a lot of noise around a potential Saric trade, some have hypothesized that in Philly’s crowded frontcourt, he could ultimately be the odd man out.

This article from the Ringer available via the link in the tweet below does a nice job of explaining that very train of thought. In a nutshell, author Kevin O’Connor points out that while Saric is an important piece for the Sixers right now, the role he is playing with them behind Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid is taking out one of the most prolific aspects of his game – his playmaking ability.

In other words, Saric may be able to thrive better in a different role on another team, Philly might have a hard time paying for him along with their other young talent down the road and, thus, may be better off moving him for a more pressing need at the moment.

If there were some grains of truth in this and the Sixers were willing to part with Saric, this would be a move that I would be in support of the Jazz pursuing. The young man out of Croatia is averaging 13.6 points per game and is filling a stretch-four role well by shooting 37.2 percent from deep this season. That’s an area where he still seems to have plenty of room to grow and improve as well.

Adding an effective big man who can stretch the floor and who has the potential to be a dynamic playmaker on offense sounds about exactly what the Jazz need. Yes, there’s some concerns about his defense, but tell me who outside of Thabo Sefolosha in the right match-ups hasn’t been a concern defensively at the four for Utah?

The other nice thing about Saric is that he’s on an extremely affordable contract that has two more years left on it after this season while also including a team option for 2019-20. There’s a lot to like about that in regards to affording him and having flexibility with him should he not pan out as the Jazz might like.

In terms of what the Jazz could trade for him, Philly might be willing to take on some veterans on friendly contracts to help mentor their young guns without hampering them too much down the road. It’s far from a guarantee, but it’s at least feasible.

In short, I think trading for Saric would be an absolute home run for the Jazz. Unfortunately, I also don’t think it’s very realistic at all. While there is some reason behind moving him, Philly has made no indication that they’re aiming to trade such a promising and important player and as such, I severely doubt that they’re really going to be looking to give him up. Even if they are, I have a feeling their asking price would be higher than the Jazz would be able to pull off.

If by some miracle Saric becomes available and the Jazz can snag him, then great! But I wouldn’t count on it in the least.

Evan Fournier

Again, we’re early enough in so-called trade season that not every player that’s on the trade block has a million rumors floating around them. Such is the case for Evan Fournier, but that doesn’t mean that he might not be on the move.

In a recent piece from Basketball Insiders’ Steve Kyler covering the bottom teams in the NBA, he mentions that the Magic could very well agree to a deal for Fournier and that, while they won’t go all out fire sale on the team, they could be very big players in the trade market. Therefore, if the Jazz want to add some more offense and solid three-point shooting, they could very well look Fournier’s way.

He’s averaging 17.9 points on 40 percent shooting from deep this season and has been a pretty consistent contributor. Not to mention, due to his French background and the interactions we’ve seen on Twitter, he and Rudy Gobert could potentially have a solid chemistry.

For the Jazz to get him, they’d probably have to give up some pretty substantial talent such as Rodney Hood and another piece, but if Utah is looking to shake things up or is concerned about how much Hood might demand in restricted free agency this summer, it could very well be worth it. Fournier isn’t a massive upgrade over Hood by any means, but he is more efficient and more consistent, which could pay dividends in the long run, especially if the young 25-year-old continues to improve.

Perhaps the most worrisome thing about Fournier is that he is owed $17 million dollars each year until through the 2020-21 season. That’s not atrociously high, especially if he can continue to improve, but it’s enough money and for enough seasons that if he takes a downturn at all or doesn’t get much better, it could become a detrimental contract not too far down the road.

That is a little bit scary and makes pursuing him quite risky. However, given his three-point ability, his potential for growth and the thought of a Gobert-Fournier connection, I think if the price is right, it’s a gamble that the Jazz could very well look to take. Unfortunately, I don’t know that Utah really has enough of the right pieces that Orlando would be looking for to make this trade go through, unless they’re hoping do dump Fournier’s contract for some expiring contracts.

There’s a lot of unknowns regarding the possibility of a Fournier deal, but I’d certainly say it’s well within the realm of possibilities.

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.

Jabari Parker

Here’s the trade option that’s going to make several Jazz fans drool. It’s no secret that Jabari Parker has been a highly coveted target among the Utah faithful for some time. Many have attributed that to the fact that they hope that Parker’s LDS ties could inspire him to stay in Salt Lake City well beyond a single contract, but of course there’s no guarantee of that by any means.

That aside, Parker has the potential of being a perfect fit on the court in Utah as well. He’s exceptionally built to be a dynamic, playmaking four which is exactly the kind of player that the Jazz are looking for to put alongside Rudy Gobert. Last season, prior to yet another ACL injury, Parker was averaging 20.1 points on 49 percent shooting from the field and a respectable 36.5 percent from deep. The Jazz would certainly hope that his three-point percentage could continue to climb, but those are extremely solid numbers for a Jazz team starving for offense.

Parker also has the tools to be a solid defender as well, which would only solidify his fit in Utah. In almost every way imaginable, it would appear that Jabari would be an absolute perfect fit with the Jazz and a move that Utah should absolute pursue.

Unfortunately, this isn’t a perfect world, especially for Utah Jazz fans.

First and foremost, as nice as it would be to get Parker, I don’t think it’s likely that the Bucks will deal him. Prior to his ACL injuries, Parker was touted as one of the league’s next elite players and I don’t think they’ll be willing to give up on him so quickly. He’s a restricted free agent at the end of this year, which might be a better time for Utah to pursue him anyway, but it’s quite likely that Milwaukee will match any offer sheet that comes his way.

Due to his injuries, Milwaukee will have a good shot at signing him to a relatively favorable deal and, in my mind, would be foolish to trade him before knowing what sort of offers are being extended to him, unless a team is willing to give them a ton of value in return at the trade deadline. And unfortunately, Utah doesn’t have nearly enough value to fill what the Bucks front office would be looking for, I’m afraid.

Therefore, this trade idea is likely dead in the water from the onset given that if the Bucks are smart, they’ll wait to see what it takes to retain Parker in restricted free agency before even thinking about trading him and because the Jazz likely don’t have enough to steal him away anyway.

Even if Utah were able to trade for him, his injury history is certainly a massive concern. And while he appears to be a perfect fit, he does need to improve in several aspects including his aforementioned three-point shooting efficiency. It would be a shame if Utah traded for him, then either broke the bank to pay him at the end of this season only to have him suffer further injury or fail to fit in.

I love the idea of Jabari Parker in Utah playing alongside Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. Unfortunately, as many Jazz fans will likely have to accept sooner rather than later, it’s probably little more than a pipe dream.

George Hill

Now here’s a well-known name! Jazz fans are all too familiar with point guard George Hill who declined Utah’s extension offers last season only to go on to sign a mediocre deal with a dismal Sacramento Kings team. Man, hindsight can be painful sometimes, especially considering that, regardless of your opinion on George Hill following the contract and injury aftermath of last season, there’s no denying that both he and the Jazz would be better off had he stayed.

And recent comments from Hill make it appear that he’s well aware of that and is in fact kicking himself for turning down the extension in the first place (maybe that’s how he suffered the toe injury in last year’s playoffs?!). This George Hill quote below from the following Sacramento Bee piece pretty much sums things up.

And this is far from the first time that Hill has expressed dissatisfaction in Sacramento, which has led to Hill already becoming a frequent mention in early trade rumors. Despite a disappointing season thus far with the Kings, he’s still shooting exceptionally well from deep at a career-high 46.9 percent and, as he proved last season, could absolutely thrive in the appropriate system and situation.

As unlikely as it is to happen, I believe the Utah Jazz still have such a system. I may be in the minority here, but I would take George Hill back on the Jazz in a heartbeat. If Utah could somehow bamboozle the Kings into taking Rubio in order to get Hill back, I’d do it without hesitation. Not only was Hill extremely effective in Utah aside from his somewhat freak injuries, but his highly criticized contract really isn’t that bad, especially when considering that the third year has only a tiny portion that’s guaranteed.

For better or for worse, though, I think there’s plenty of reasons why the Jazz won’t go after Hill even though he’s almost certainly on the trade block. First of all, I think that much to the chagrin of several Jazz fans, the organization is committed to Rubio for at least the duration of his current contract. Furthermore, it appears that Hill may have very well burned some bridges both with the front office and the players by turning down the extension offers then failing to play in the final three games of Utah’s second round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors.

Beyond that, although his contract isn’t all that bad, as I mentioned, he’s still a 31-year-old set to make $19 million next year. And, especially given that he would no longer fit into Utah’s long-term plans, I don’t see the Jazz wanting to pay that extra amount even for one year when they could potentially use that money more effectively elsewhere.

Therefore, while I personally miss George Hill and what he brought to the team immensely and wouldn’t mind having him back for the here and now, it’s not a move that’s likely to be made. In many ways, Hill only has himself (and I suppose his since-fired former agent) to blame. He had all the chances in the world to stay in a place where he could have thrived for a comparable amount of money. Instead he let it pass him by.

George Hill may very well be moved from Sacramento by the trade deadline, but I find it very unlikely that the Utah Jazz take much more than a passing glance at him.

Next: Utah Jazz at Denver Nuggets reaction: Twitter tells all

So while there may be several potential trade options in the works, as you can see from this list here, very few will likely fit what the Jazz and/or the players’ current teams are looking for. As much as we’d probably all like to see the Jazz make some major moves in the coming weeks, putting together a trade that makes a significant impact will likely be easier said than done.

Nevertheless, I’m more than certain that Dennis Lindsey and the rest of Jazz brass have plenty of irons in the fire and no shortage of tricks up their sleeve. You can rest assured that if the right opportunities present themselves, the Jazz will make a move.

As we draw nearer and nearer to that February 8th trade deadline, be sure to stay pinned to TheJNotes.com for the latest trade rumors, news and insights.