Should the Utah Jazz trade for Otto Porter?

With all the trade rumors and speculation buzzing around the NBA, Otto Porter is flying under the radar as one of the best potential targets in the league. Should the Utah Jazz inquire about the young Wizards wing?

The Utah Jazz have been mentioned by many in the national media as one of the most likely teams to make a trade at the upcoming deadline. Rightfully so, because the Jazz have a collection of quality players that will become free agents this summer.

Derrick Favors has often been the first name to come up as a player that would likely part with the Jazz at the deadline. Although he said that he could possibly re-sign on Twitter, the chances of him staying in Utah beyond the deadline are quite slim.

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Joe Johnson, the hero of last season’s first-round playoff series against the LA Clippers, looks destined to end up on another contender this year. If the Jazz can’t find a suitable trade for him at the deadline, he may be bought out and snatched up by a playoff team that’s in greater need of his services.

The Jazz have reportedly been shopping Rodney Hood, which could contribute to why he’s missed four consecutive games. At this point, it would not be surprising if Hood was dealt at the trade deadline. But, quite frankly, I have no idea why the Jazz are so eager to move him.

Hood was burdened with being ‘the man’ because of a decision one of his teammates made in the offseason. Thus, unfairly being given unrealistic and outlandish expectations from fans. Let’s not forget that last season, Hood’s job was to provide an offensive boost as the tertiary option in the starting unit.

At the beginning of this season, it seemed everyone; fans, media and even the coaching staff, expected him to break out as an offensive dynamo that was going to single-handedly carry the Jazz to the playoffs.

Has he amounted to those absurd expectations? No. I’m not saying that all fans thought he was capable of doing that or that the Jazz treated him unfairly. I’m saying that booing one of your own guys who is actually out on the floor, who is better at his craft than you or I ever were, who is competing at the highest level against the best players in the world and who is giving his very best effort is asinine!

Four years ago, fans felt the same way when Gordon Hayward. It was his first year as ‘the man’ and people felt he wasn’t delivering the level that they expected. In Hayward’s fourth season, he averaged 16.2 points, 5.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 0.5 blocks and 2.8 turnovers. He shot 41 percent from the field, 30 percent from three and 81 percent from the free throw line. The Jazz won just 25 games that season.

So far in Hood’s fourth NBA season, he’s averaging 16.7 points, 1.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 0.8 steals, 0.2 blocks and 1.7 turnovers. He is shooting 41 percent from the field, 39 percent from three and 86 percent from the line.

Hayward went on to be an NBA All-Star, lead a young team to the playoffs and be the best player on a team that won a playoff series. I’m not saying that Hood is a guarantee to do any of those things. But it is unfair for people to write him off so soon.

However, if the Jazz are hell-bent on moving Hood, they have to get the best possible player in return, and Otto Porter may be that player.

Porter has had somewhat of a letdown year considering the big contract he was signed to in the offseason, but that hasn’t really impacted his value. He has tremendous physical tools; standing 6-foot-8 with a near 7-foot-2 wingspan. He is an elite level shooter from the perimeter and is shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc this season. Porter is only 24 years of age and still has considerable upside.

Because he inked an offer sheet with another team and was matched during the offseason, the former lottery pick would have to agree to any trade before July, but if the Wiz want to move him and he agrees to a swap, Utah could be a nice landing spot for him.

Utah Jazz

If the Jazz were to deal Hood, Derrick Favors and Joe Johnson for Otto Porter, they have then solidified their young core of Exum, Mitchell, Porter and Gobert. In this scenario, they would still have their 2018 first round pick which is currently projected to fall in the lottery. Most likely, the Jazz would look to take a power forward that would fit into that starting unit down the road.

Kentucky forward Kevin Knox springs to mind as a player Dennis Lindsey could target come draft night if he manages to slip out of the top 10. There are a plethora of young power forwards projected to go in or around the lottery which makes life easier for the Jazz if they go down that path.

It seems as though the Jazz would be getting a pretty sweet deal if they got Porter for three players set to be free agents. So what’s in it for Washington?

The depth-deprived Wizards would be receiving three quality rotation players in exchange for one. Since the Wiz look like they are going to make the playoffs once again, the acquisition of Joe Johnson will go a long way in helping them to a series win in the postseason.

Derrick Favors is a better center than Marcin Gortat and is seven years younger. If the market for Faves isn’t as high as it might have been a couple of years ago due to salary cap restrictions, the Wizards may look to re-sign Favors as a long-term center.

Most importantly for Washington, they get Hood’s Bird rights, which will be key to re-signing him in the offseason.

Next: Utah Jazz: Possible trade options from every other NBA team

It’s been rumored that the Wizards and John Wall in particular, were looking for another All-Star to combine with he and Bradley Beal to make them a legitimate contender. Paul George is a player whose name has come up and he just happens to be a free agent this summer as well.

If the Wizards wanted to make a run at George or another max contract player, they will need Otto Porter’s contract off the books and this trade doesn’t tie them in to any long-term contracts. This gives Washington the ability to decide whether they want to keep Rodney Hood and/or Derrick Favors long-term, or let them walk if they could indeed fetch an All-Star talent.

Honestly, this trade is very unlikely to happen. Nevertheless, it’s one the Jazz should definitely pursue.

Statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference.