Utah Jazz trade deadline 2019: Five targets at the center position
By Ryan Aston
Robin Lopez
For all the talk about Jabari Parker, who may not be a guy with that “Jazz DNA” we often hear about, the Chicago Bulls big man that makes the most sense for Utah may be Robin Lopez if Favors gets moved.
With the Bulls in the midst of a youth movement in their frontcourt with Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr., Lopez has the feel of a placeholder in the Windy City. The 30-year-old is averaging just 17 minutes per night, his lowest usage since the 2011-12 season. And word is he’s just as available as Parker.
In Utah, his court time likely wouldn’t increase much, but he would be playing important minutes for a good team that actually has something to play for besides pingpong balls.
Lopez has always been solid down low, but he’s also become a mid-range maestro, connecting at a percentile in the mid-50s on attempts between three and 16 feet from the basket this season (where nearly half of his offense comes from). He’s also still willing to do the dirty work down low and comes with playoff experience to boot.
He’s the kind of bench player that good teams need in their rotation and his deal would come off the books at the end of the season.