The Utah Jazz have been at the center of the NBA offseason after a massive trade sent Rudy Gobert to Minnestoa for sole players and picks. Since then, the Jazz and league as a whole have calmed down a bit, but the offseason is still very much underway.
Reports: Conley, Bogdanovic on the chopping block
The Jazz have allegedly been using Bojan Bogdanovic and Mike Conley in other trade talks, although it is still unclear what they are asking for.
The Jazz have been dangling Mike Conley and Boban Bogdanovic in trade talks the last few days, per sources.
— Hoop Vines (@HoopVines) July 9, 2022
The Jazz are willing to attach first round pick(s) to help facilitate a potential deal.
Getting both Conley and Bogdanovic’s contracts off the books would help open up some cap space, as both have multiple years left on their deals that add up to roughly $106 million over five total seasons. If Utah is serious about attaching first-round picks to these contracts, then they are either looking for a massive return of win-now players, maybe who can help overload the frontcourt, or maybe they want to nab a few future pieces, although if that’s the case why would they be willing to part with picks?
It’s no secret that there is a Rudy Gobert-sized hole at the center position and with a lot of uncertainty surrounding who will play there, packing picks and players in a deal makes a lot of sense for an immediate move. Without adding current talent, Donovan Mitchell might be next on the chopping block.
We’ve explored some trades Utah could make to find the missing piece, and all of them were fairly similar to what the rumors suggest, so it would not be a shock if Utah decided to win now. With Phoneix seemingly on the decline, Denver still without a solid identity as their best players come back, and both Los Angeles teams are fledgling, the West still belongs to Golden State, and Utah could throw their hat in the ring.