How the Utah Jazz could get involved in a Ben Simmons deal
Danny Green blocks Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)
Utah Jazz add perimeter defense
In short, yes. The Utah Jazz roster the best rim protector in the NBA in Rudy Gobert, but he needs help. Royce O’Neale is a rugged, impactful defender, but at 6’5, he can’t anchor the entire perimeter defense.
Danny Green would be a tremendous help. He’s posting a characteristically strong 1.5 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM) in 2021-22. His reputation as a perimeter stopper speaks for itself. Meanwhile, he’s a career 40.0% three-point shooter who is currently knocking down 38.1% of his 4.8 attempts per contest. He’d fit cleanly into this perimeter oriented Utah Jazz attack.
Lou Williams isn’t a mere salary matcher either. Although he’s a significant downgrade from Jordan Clarkson at this stage in their careers, he does replicate a semblance of Clarkson’s from-scratch creation.
Making this deal would force the Jazz to rely more heavily on Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley. It would also allow them to add a significant perimeter defender while making up a portion of Clarkson’s production.
Utah Jazz help Hawks land their man
Frankly, we’re not sure about the fit between Ben Simmons and the Hawks. The Hawks have become practically synonymous with the term “heliocentric offense” during the Trae Young era to date. Everything in Atlanta runs through their dynamic young playmaking guard.
It’s hard to envision Simmons’ fit as a non-shooter. More broadly, this is partly why Simmons is difficult to trade. He’s a tremendous young talent, but he’s idiosyncratic. It takes a particular roster construction to maximize those talents.
Luckily, the Utah Jazz wouldn’t care. Danny Green is textbook plug-and-play. If the Jazz can acquire him (and Williams) at the cost of Jordan Clarkson, they shouldn’t hesitate.
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The Utah Jazz are a great team. Nobody is disputing that. It is beginning to appear that if they want to win an NBA championship, they’ll need to make some changes. This one could help them get over the top.