Utah Jazz: 3 superstars the team would love to acquire someday

Utah Jazz find perfect fit in superstar talent

We anticipate that some readers may be scratching their heads at this point in the article. If we’re not bound by the constraints of reality in this exercise, why not have the Utah Jazz acquire the best player on the Los Angeles Clippers in Kawhi Leonard?

The answer is simple: Paul George may be a better fit. The Jazz, as constructed, aren’t necessarily in the market for a new clear-cut number one option. Donovan Mitchell, again, just averaged 26.4 points per game, and he did it at the ripe old age of 24.

It might make better sense for the Jazz to acquire a player with some experience as a second option (even in this no-holds-barred fantasy land). As far as second options go, there might not be a better one in the entire National Basketball Association than Paul George.

This is a man who is two years removed from the remarkable feat of garnering MVP consideration playing alongside Russell Westbrook. George may not have received a ton of votes last season, but his per game averages of 23.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists still speak of an NBA superstar.

Formerly thought of as an elite defender, George has consistently slipped on that end of the floor over the past several years. He posted a 97 Defensive Rating as a member of the Indiana Pacers in 2013-14. That figured plummeted all the way to 110 by the 2020-21 season.

However, it’s worth noting that the last time George graded out as an elite defender, he was playing alongside an elite rim protector in Roy Hibbert. With 3x Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert manning the middle for the Utah Jazz, it’s possible that George could return to his previous level of defensive excellence.

Either way, a starting lineup of Conley, Mitchell, George, O’Neale and Gobert projects to give opponents fits on both ends of the floor. With all due respect to current Utah Jazz wing Bojan Bogdanovic, George offers doses of athleticism, shot creation and playmaking that the Croatian sharpshooter simply can’t match.

Coming off of a season where he shot 41.1% on 8.2 three-point attempts per game, he doesn’t compromise Quin Snyder’s all-important spacing either.

Paul George may be the least starry name on this list, but as far as fit is concerned, he’s arguably the NBA superstar the Utah Jazz would most like to acquire.