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Three big ways the Anthony Davis trade impacts the Utah Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 4: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans and Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz fight for the rebound on March 4, 2019 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 4: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans and Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz fight for the rebound on March 4, 2019 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MARCH 06: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans drives to the basket past Kyle Korver #26 of the Utah Jazz during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center on March 06, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MARCH 06: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans drives to the basket past Kyle Korver #26 of the Utah Jazz during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center on March 06, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

The blockbuster trade sending Anthony Davis to Los Angeles could have a major impact on the Utah Jazz, particularly in regards to free agency.

The NBA offseason is always an exciting time as landscapes change in free agency, big-time trades shake up the playing field and there’s no end to the drama that ensues. The craziness got started off with a bang on Saturday as it was announced that New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis was finally traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

This was a transaction that had been in the works for a while and came as little surprise. Davis long ago requested to be traded and there was no question that the Lakers were his preferred destination and that Los Angeles was desperate to add him as well to pair along fellow superstar LeBron James. Well, now the deed has been done and the Lakers look as though they’ll be a foreboding team to deal with next season.

It should be noted, though, that the Pelicans came away with quite a haul. Along with the young, promising trio of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart, New Orleans netted an incredible bundle of picks detailed out in the tweet below from ESPN’s Tim Bontemps:

That is a significant load of what could be great picks for years to come. The Pelicans now have both meaningful assets and a pathway to add impactful talent for the foreseeable future. The Lakers, meanwhile, have risked their future to some extent as they plan to win now. Pairing Davis and James is certainly an attempt to win it all this year, but also with Davis purportedly intending to re-sign, the Lakers could be in a good spot for seasons to come.

So with all this said, let’s get down to the question that’s really important here – How does this all affect the Utah Jazz? Sure, they weren’t directly involved in the trade in any way, but the impact of the deal will have a far-reaching effect, with the following three items being the biggest ways the Anthony Davis deal could influence the Jazz moving forward.

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