Utah Jazz: Three win-now trades with newfound draft capital

The Utah Jazz moved one of the best players in franchise history earlier this week, sending Rudy Gobert to Minnesota for role players and four first-round picks. With these picks, the Jazz could flip some players at the trade deadline for more draft capital and look towards a rebuild, or they could use the picks to obtain a win-now player.

With a backcourt of Patrick Beverly, Donovan Mitchell, and Jordan Clarkson, the Jazz need to beef up their frontcourt if they want to compete in a loaded western conference. With Gobert out, they have some options to experiment with at center. Walker Kessler and Udoka Azubuike come to mind, but they are not tried and true NBA players. For a more instant impact, Utah will have to shop around a bit. Luckily, they have the assets to do so.

The Jazz take a Hit but get a Starting Center

At the cost of some salary space and a single first-round pick, the Utah Jazz could add the league’s second-best version of Rudy Gobert. Jakob Poeltl of San Antonio is not quite the defender Gobert is, but he plays a similar game.

Yes, Utah would have to give up Bojan Bogdanovic and Rudy Gay, but their return would be Doug McDermott and Tre Jones. McDermott and Bogdanovic are near clones of each other, but San Antonio is trying to clear cap space for next season. McDermott is under contract for two seasons, and Bogdanovic for only one, so the Spurs get what they want here.

To compensate for picking up McDermott’s contract, the Jazz get defensive stud, Tre Jones. Jones is one of the best pure defensive point guards in the league, but people are unfamiliar with him because he played behind Dejounte Murray. Jones is not a scorer, but an excellent ball-handler who does not turn the rock over.

Jones and Clarkson would pair together greatly as the second unit after Beverly and Mitchell. Two similar units, opposing offenses and defenses would never get a break.

The real hit to Utah is the loss of a 2023 first-round pick. Luckily, the Jazz own their own, Brooklyn’s, and Minnesota’s, so dropping one shouldn’t hurt the team too much. Considering the trajectory all three teams are on, there is no chance any pick ends up in the lottery, so just to simplify things I’ll say Utah sends San Antonio the Timberwolves’ pick.

The end result of this trade? A solid center to pair with All-Star Donovan Mitchell, a sharpshooting forward on a slightly worse contract than Bogdanovic, and a great backup point guard, effectively for a washed vet and a late first-round pick. I say it’s a clear win, and the Spurs are in the right situation to pull the trigger.

A Trade with Atlanta Puts Utah on Highlight Reels

Donovan Mitchell is one of the flashiest players in the league, so pairing him with an athletic forward who can get above the rim would put Utah on ESPN every night. Take note. John Collins is an athletic power forward who can step out and hit the three. He’s good for 15-20 points every night, and Atlanta wants him gone.

The Hawks gave up several picks in the Dejounte Murray deal, so they would probably love to get some picks back and build around their superstar backcourt. I’ll be honest: Collins is a better player than Poeltl, so Utah would have to give up more.

For the pick, they got from Brooklyn (the latest pick between HOU, BRK, and PHI), a distant first, and Bogdanovic again, the Jazz could acquire this fringe-All Star. After giving up Danilo Gallinari, Atlanta would surely love a one-year rental of Bogdanovic. In addition, they get two picks that they could flip for one in an upcoming draft to get the player to pair with Murray and Young.

The real upside for Utah is they not only have a solid defender to pair with Mitchell but an athletic, tall, floor spacer. With Collins on the floor, Mitchell and Clarkson can play isolation ball more effectively than they used to be able to, and they add an additional shooter. Collins has shown he can shoot 40% from deep, and with Mitchell and Clarkson on the floor, he’ll get more open looks than just when Trae Young was out there.

This trade is not for the faint of heart. It is a huge move that would show the league Utah means business and is interested in winning a stacked West. If they make this trade, there is no rebuild, no tank, until at least 2026.

The Jazz Could Experiment for a Season

Once again, Bojan Bogdanovic finds himself relocating, this time back to the Indiana Pacers. I’m sorry, Bogey, but your contract makes it so easy to trade you for young talent.

The Indiana Pacers have moved on from Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogden, so they clearly are on the rebuild. They have the means to take on two fairly large contracts, including Mike Conley. Conley leaving means Utah can play better players like Clarkson, Beverly, or perhaps a different player (Tre Jones?) at point guard alongside Mitchell, and they would have some room to sign a starting quality player next season.

In return for taking on those contracts and giving up Myles Turner, the Pacers would require at least two draft picks. Turner only has a year left on his contract anyway, so if it doesn’t work out Utah can cut ties and spend cash on a different guy.

I think Myles Turner would workout, though. He is an absurdly good shot blocker and at age 25 has led the league twice. He can step out and knock down the occasional three, and while he isn’t an elite rebounder like Rudy Gobert, he can spread the floor and play more of a combination center/forward position.

Even though he is a good center now, I think in Utah, with Mitchell and company, he could turn into a really good center, if not a great one. He has all the physical tools, but never really got a chance to play alongside a generational shooting guard in Indiana. Donovan Mitchell could be just what he needs.

At the end of the day, the Utah Jazz are fully loaded up to either build to the future or make a real run at the Western Conference. They cannot do both, so the organization is at a fork in the road. Either way, they will find some success. Do you want it now, or later, when the NBA is not so top-heavy?