Utah Jazz: 25 years of the best (and worst) trade deadline deals
By Ryan Aston
5) Jazz move Enes Kanter in a three-team trade; February 19, 2015
The Jazz acquire Grant Jerrett, Kendrick Perkins, the rights to Tibor Pleiss, a conditional future first-round draft pick, as well as a future second-round draft as part of a three-team trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons.
OKC gets Enes Kanter and Steve Novak from the Jazz, as well as D.J. Augustin, Kyle Singler and a future second-round draft pick from the Pistons. Detroit receives Reggie Jackson in the deal.
You can basically look at the Enes Kanter trade in one of two ways. It’s either a franchise-defining moment or an admission that the team completely missed the ball on a top-three pick. In any event, it’s hard to feel great about the actual return on the deal in hindsight.
Jazz fans may not love Kanter at this point, but the fact remains that no less than two teams were willing to give him a max contract when he hit the open market. So the Jazz essentially got an insta-waiver in Perkins, a non-NBA player in Jerrett, a failed project in Pleiss and a draft pick for a “max player.”
Still, Rudy Gobert‘s ascension, which has undoubtedly altered the franchise’s trajectory in the best possible way, was made possible by the trade. Gobert developed into an All-NBA selection and Defensive Player of the Year in short order.
The pick Utah got in the deal also allowed them to go out and get Rubio during the summer of ’17. He was a big part of the team’s success the following season and he could end up being the one of the pieces that helps them procure Conley from the Grizzlies.
So, if the whole point of a trade is make your team better, this one hit the nail on the head. Even if it was addition by subtraction initially.