Utah Jazz: 3 trades to consolidate depth and add star power

Some rumours suggest that T.J. Warren has demanded a trade from the Indiana Pacers; rumours Warren himself seems quick to dismiss. Meanwhile, others speculate that the Pacers are ready to move on from The Bubble God. We’re not sure who to believe, but one thing seems certain: T.J. Warren can be had.

The Utah Jazz should be interested. Unlike DeRozan, it does not take a deep imagination to see Warren fitting into Utah’s offense perfectly. In 2019-20, his last (mostly) healthy season, Warren gave the NBA a clinic in hyper-efficient auxiliary scoring, averaging 19.8 points per game on a tantalizing 53.6/40.3/81.9 shooting split. That’s a 61% TS%. There are no superlatives that accurately capture that level of efficiency.

Warren could comfortably slide into Utah’s starting lineup, able to effectively space the floor for Mitchell’s drives and Conley Jr.’s pick-and-roll wizardry while also creating his own looks with more comfort than any other player currently rostered by the Jazz.  He would be assured to upgrade a Jazz offense that already ranked second in the NBA last season with an offensive rating of 118.4.

He does not come without downside risk. As remarkably efficient as he can score the ball, he provides little else: his assist percentage of 6.5 from last season was both low and entirely on-brand. His Defensive Box Plus Minus (DBPM) of -2.5 last season also leaves much to be desired. T.J. Warren is a bucket, full stop, end of sentence.

Still, there is tremendous value in that. Warren is a more effective shot creator than anyone currently on Utah that isn’t named Mitchell or Conley Jr., by a comfortable margin. If the Jazz covet another player who can generate his own offense, they should be on the phone with the Indiana Pacers as we speak.