Utah Jazz: 25 years of the best (and worst) trade deadline deals
By Ryan Aston
6) The DeShawn Stevenson-Gordan Giricek swap; February 19, 2004
The Jazz trade DeShawn Stevenson and a second-round draft pick to the Orlando Magic for Gordan Giricek.
Although DeShawn Stevenson eventually became one of the better defensive guards in the NBA, he never quite found his niche as a youngster with the Jazz. He even clashed with then-coach Jerry Sloan. He did his best to reform and become more than just an athlete in Utah, but the Jazz wanted an offensive upgrade and made the deal for Gordan Giricek.
In Giricek, the Jazz seemingly found their first legitimate starting shooting guard since Jeff Hornacek’s retirement. That was the initial thought, anyway. At the least, he was better-suited for the team’s offense than Stevenson. Over four-plus seasons with the Jazz, he averaged nine points per game and shot over 37 percent from 3-point range.
However, his defensive effort was a mixed bag at the best and non-existent at worst. He also struggled at times to shoot the ball on a level consistent with his perceived ability.
The low point of the Giricek experience came when he and Sloan clashed on the Jazz bench during a game, resulting in a dismissal to the locker room and a plane ticket back to Salt Lake City. From that point on, Giricek was a frequent tenant in Sloan’s doghouse.
On the plus side, the team was eventually able to swing Giricek for Kyle Korver via a trade with Philadelphia in 2007.