Three ways the draft lottery results may impact the Utah Jazz

Could Conley talks re-emerge?

One of the most disappointing aspects of the Utah Jazz season occurred at the trade deadline wherein it appeared that the team had a very real chance of conducting a trade for prolific veteran point guard Mike Conley. Unfortunately, no deal was ultimately agreed upon, with some believing that the Memphis Grizzlies stopped negotiating and others claiming that Dennis Lindsey wasn’t willing to be aggressive enough or sacrifice the right pieces.

Whatever you believe to be the case, the fact of the matter is that when all was said and done, the Jazz didn’t end up with Conley, regardless of any interest they very well had.

However, with the Grizzlies unexpectedly nabbing the number two pick in the draft this summer, their perspective and plans could very well change moving forward. There is a lot of speculation that the second pick in the draft will be Murray State standout Ja Morant and if he does indeed go to Memphis, that may create a bit of redundancy with Mike Conley and Delon Wright already on the roster.

Sure, it’s entirely possible and perhaps even probable that the Grizzlies will want to keep the savvy vet Conley around to mentor Morant and help turn him into an ideal future star. If Memphis wants to be as competitive as possible next season, the team would be foolish to give up their best player in Conley.

However, getting this high of a pick in the draft may also result in them wanting to adjust their roster to match the timeline of Morant and other younger members of their core. Conley would no doubt bring in a nice haul in a potential trade, therefore if the Grizz decide they want to increase their youth and focus on assembling a roster built for the future, then it’s entirely possible that they might re-open the door on a potential trade for Mike Conley.

If such were the case, it’s a near certainty that the Jazz would want back in. Their interest in Conley makes perfect sense as the team desperately needs both another playmaker and an upgrade at the point guard position. Putting together a good enough package that would get Memphis to bite would be challenging now that players such as Ricky Rubio, Thabo Sefolosha and Ekpe Udoh are free agents, but there’s still an opportunity to make a move for Conley.

Depending how the Grizzlies view this draft lottery fortune, they may be quite willing to deal Conley yet again. And if such ends up being the case, expect the Jazz to be one of the top and most active suitors.