The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz: Five potential trade options involving Rodney Hood

By Jared Woodcox

MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 7: Rodney Hood #5 of the Utah Jazz dribbles the ball during the game against the Miami Heat on January 7, 2018 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 7: Rodney Hood #5 of the Utah Jazz dribbles the ball during the game against the Miami Heat on January 7, 2018 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Utah Jazz replace their wing with another – Evan Fournier

Another name that has surfaced a handful of times in speculated relation with the Utah Jazz is Evan Fournier. While no reports have necessarily indicated that the Jazz and Magic are discussing such a transaction, it has been reported that Fournier is on the trade block and he would make a lot of sense in Utah.

Especially since the Jazz are now looking to trade Hood, they might very well look to simply replace him with a wing that they feel more comfortable with fitting into their system. Fournier might very well be that perfect fit. On the season, Fournier is averaging 18 points per game while shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from deep. Each of those marks is higher than those of Hood while both are nearly the same age. Many would consider Fournier an upgrade over Hood and the Jazz may feel the same way.

However, since the salaries don’t line up, once again the Jazz would have to package in another player, such as a Johnson or Favors to make the deal work. Maybe the Magic want to shed some salary by dealing Fournier, but there’s a good chance that Hood will cost a similar amount if they re-sign him this summer, so that seems questionable to me.

Then again, if Orlando is simply looking to shake things up and make a change, they could very well view Hood as having a higher ceiling than Fournier and perhaps fitting in better with their needs. They could potentially flip the second player they received for an asset from another team or maybe they’d require a second round pick to finalize the deal, but I think there’s a reasonable way that a deal like this could get done.

The question would be if the Jazz want to take on Fournier’s contract that’s worth $17 million for each of the next four seasons. That’s not an overwhelming amount annually, but a long time to be tied down to him if he doesn’t pan out. Nevertheless, the Jazz will certainly have a void on the wing if they trade Hood away, so if they feel confident in Fournier as a long-term fix, nabbing him as Rodney’s replacement could end up being a savvy move.

His style of play could fit well in Quin Snyder’s system as a solid playmaker and three-point specialist, and he’d likely enjoy a nice chemistry with fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert. With all this in mind, it’s definitely an option the Jazz should consider.