The Utah Jazz could be making a serious play to acquire Memphis Grizzlies PG Mike Conley ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
Strap in, Utah Jazz fans — things are about to get crazy in the Association.
It’s still a handful of days away, but the NBA trade deadline action has already begun on the GM backchannels. Things got real earlier this week when Anthony Davis requested a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans. Then, out of the blue, the New York Knicks agreed to a deal that will send star big man Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks.
Meanwhile, the Jazz don’t look like they’re content to just sit back and watch other teams get better. Per multiple reports on Friday, the team has engaged in trade talks with the Memphis Grizzlies on point guard Mike Conley.
According to the New York Times’ Marc Stein, the Jazz would likely send Ricky Rubio along with additional assets to complete any potential deal —
Utah has had exploratory discussions with Memphis on a potential swap headlined by Mike Conley and Ricky Rubio in advance of next week's trade deadline, according to league sources.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 1, 2019
ESPN’s Zach Lowe also commented on the discussions and, per his sources, “those talks may pick up steam as the weekend approaches.”
There’s no denying that Conley would be a great fit for the Jazz on the floor right now. On the year, he’s averaging 20 points and six assists per game. He’d provide the Jazz with a much better scoring threat than they currently have with Rubio without sacrificing a lot in the playmaking department.
He also continues to be a defensive contributor after capturing All-Defensive Team honors six years ago. This season, the Grizz allow just 103.6 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor. Conley also comes up on the positive side of the defensive box plus/minus ledger and holds opponents to a negative field goal percentage differential when he’s the closest defender.
The rub here is the cost, and I’m not just talking dollar signs. That said, Conley is owed around $67 million over the next two seasons; when he inked his free agent deal in 2016, it was the richest in NBA history. It still ranks among the top 10 league-wide — Conley is actually making more than Kevin Durant this season.
The Jazz have never approached taking on that kind of financial burden via trade. In 2013, they brought on a combined $24 million in the deal that netted Richard Jefferson, Andris Biedrins and Brandon Rush. Three years earlier, they brought in Al Jefferson at $14 million per annum. Clearly, this is a huge step up from those moves, especially for a 31-year-old backcourt player with a history of injury.
GM Dennis Lindsey also has to consider the cost in additional assets. Word is that Memphis is looking for first-round picks as part of any compensation package and the Jazz’s 2019 pick will be middling at best. One has to carefully weigh whether Conley is also worth trading the multiple first-round picks a trade might require given potential risk.
Many have opined that Pels point-man Jrue Holiday would be a better option (he’s younger, more versatile defensively and cheaper) but according to The Athletic’s Tony Jones, the Jazz inquired on his availability and were told he’s off the table.
No I’d take jrue but the jazz called on jrue and were told he’s not available. https://t.co/1jfI2t18xy
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) February 1, 2019
As far as a No. 2 option goes, Conley is amazing — who knows, he may even be Utah’s top choice should they trade Rubio. But do they actually have an ability to get a deal done and, if so, is Conley worth such a massive investment?
Lindsey has until February 7 to figure all of that out. I’ll say this, though, at some point, you have to pay the big bucks to bring in elite-level talent, and the Jazz may just be one more really good player short of true contention.