The Utah Jazz need something.
They’re good. In fact, they’re among the NBA’s upper echelon. Their 0.625 win percentage ranks 7th in the league. That’s a solid mark, but for a team whose sights are set as high as the Jazz’s, it’s not quite good enough.
There is a sense of urgency around this club. Whispers that Donovan Mitchell would prefer to play in a larger market are growing increasingly louder. Discord between him and star teammate Rudy Gobert is rearing its ugly head again. The Jazz have lost 8 of their last 10 contests. Granted, some of those losses have come in games where they were decimated by injuries.
Some haven’t. Either way, there is an air of negativity around this team. It feels like there’s only one cure for it: winning.
Winning, as they say, cures all in professional sports. The Utah Jazz need to get back to it, but they might need some help. Here are five trade targets that we think could provide it.
Utah Jazz Trade Target #1: Jerami Grant
We’re starting with the most ambitious target. It feels unlikely that the Jazz could land Jerami Grant. He’s the only player on this list who can qualify as a star in this league.
He’s also got the potential to be the most coveted player on the trade market this season. It seems increasingly likely that Daryl Morey will hold out for a certain bearded superstar before dealing Ben Simmons. If that domino doesn’t fall, NBA fans may be in for a quiet trade deadline.
Grant will probably be on the move regardless. At 27, he doesn’t fit the Detroit Pistons timeline. Whether he’d care to admit it or not, he’s also probably overburdened as their first option.
At the same time, the 20.1 points per game he’s averaging this season absolutely tell us that Grant packs an offensive punch for a guy whose best quality likely remains his multi-positional defense.
That sounds like a player the Jazz don’t have the assets to acquire. If Danny Ainge can produce this miracle, someone need to get started on his statue outside of the Vivint Arena post-haste.
Utah Jazz Trade Target #2: Robert Covington
With Grant’s candidacy out of the way, we can come back to planet earth to discuss target the Jazz could actually acquire.
Robert Covington absolutely qualifies. He typifies the 3-and-D model that many observers feel the Jazz are missing. His Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM) of 1.4 this season is characteristically stout. His 35.6% accuracy on 4.8 threes per game is sub-elite, but it’s entirely acceptable.
Especially when you consider everything else that Covington brings to the table. He’s one of the most versatile defenders in the NBA. Quin Snyder can formulate lineups using him at any frontcourt position, allowing the Jazz to upsize or downsize at will.
Covington may not be a fringe All-Star like Jerami Grant, but he is probably the best realistic trade target for the Utah Jazz.
Utah Jazz Trade Target #3: Torrey Craig
If the Jazz miss out on Covington, consider Torrey Craig the budget version: the “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Covington!”, if you will.
Please don’t interpret that as a slight on Craig and his abilities. He’s been a solid pro since his arrival in the NBA four seasons ago. His -0.2 DBPM throughout 2021-22 so far is merely solid, but it’s worth noting that he’s only a season removed from posting a 1.6 in that same statistic as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021-22.
His 32.7% accuracy from deep isn’t inspiring either. It also isn’t far off his career mark of 33.0%. He may not be an assassin from long range, but Craig’s smart and cautious shot selection minimizes that issue. He’s also never played in a system that generates as much space as Quin Snyder’s.
Craig wouldn’t be the most exciting acquisition the Utah Jazz could make this season, but he’d still be a positive contributor. If someone makes the Blazers an offer for Covington that the Jazz can’t match, Craig would be a perfect consolation prize.
Utah Jazz Trade Target #4: Marcus Smart
Marcus Smart isn’t quite a 3-and-D wing. At the same time: isn’t he?
The NBA has become a positionless league, and few players have the defensive versatility of Smart. He’s only 6’3, but at 220 pounds and with a relentless mentality, Smart can guard 1s, 2s and some 3s. Accordingly, he could lineup at the small forward position for spells with Conley and Mitchell starting in the backcourt.
However you slice it, a trio of Smart, Royce O’Neale and Rudy Gobert should be highly effective on defense. They may not be matchup proof, but the combined IQ and intensity of Smart and O’Neale on the perimeter with Gobert on the backend would give all but a few teams in this league fits.
Of course, Smart would still spend the bulk of his time in the backcourt. That’s fine too. An undersized guard duo of Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell is offensively potent, but have left a lot to be desired on the less glamorous end. Smart would be a significant upgrade as a point of attack defender.
In all likelihood, he’d pilot the second unit, and potentially join the starters in certain matchups. No matter how Snyder used him, it’s safe to assume he’d be highly effective.
Utah Jazz Trade Target #5: Eric Gordon
If you’ve noticed a trend here, pat yourself on the back. With each target, we’ve moved gradually further away from the 3-and-D archetype that many believe the Jazz should covet.
It’s the latter half of that equation that Gordon doesn’t necessarily account for. While he generally enjoys a reputation as a solid defender, the metrics don’t necessarily agree. His -2.3 DBPM is concerning, and his -1.4 career mark doesn’t do him any favors. He doesn’t grade out well in D-LEBRON either, landing at -1.92 this season.
The Utah Jazz should still inquire with the Rockets about his availability. He makes up that much ground in 3-point shooting.
Gordon is shooting 45.2% on 5.2 three-point attempts per game this season. That is stunning. While Gordon has been a streaky shooter throughout his career, he’s also been generally solid. A 37.2% accuracy rate on 6.3 attempts per night is nothing to sneeze at.
He could replace Jordan Clarkson (the presumptive contract matcher) as the team’s sixth man. The benefit would be that while Gordon is capable of carrying second units while Donovan Mitchell rests, he can also space the floor for Spida when they share it.
That could be enough for the Jazz’s front office to ignore Gordon’s defensive metrics.
Acquiring any one of these targets would likely improve the outlook of the Utah Jazz. Fans of the team will certainly anticipate this year’s February 10 trade deadline.