The Utah Jazz may be able to nab one of these six players if they become available.
The Utah Jazz may need to make a significant move this season if they want to make the playoffs outright. The play-in is possible with the squad the way it is currently, but the team could use some significant help, especially a point guard. If the Jazz could land an All-Star at the position, this team’s ceiling would be shattered by rising expectations.
That said, not just any player would do. They need someone who can lead the offense, play good to great defense, and be a high-end facilitator. Now, they may be able to get by with someone like Kris Dunn, but they’ll need to upgrade around Dunn if they want to make a huge run.
The folks at SLCPunk seemed to agree with the notion that the team may need a huge addition to the team and took it upon themselves to break down the major players the Jazz could trade for by the likelihood of it happening. Shockingly, names like Luka Doncic and Nikoal Jokick weren’t on the “very likely to happen tier”.
Sarcasm aside, six of the names that they did list are very intriguing, but only four make real sense. In the article, they named Zach LaVine, Pascal Siakam, DeMar DeRozan, DeJounte Murray, Tyler Herro, and Julius Randle by name. Randle and Siakam are not guys that the roster really needs at the moment, and while he could help, DeRozan isn’t someone the team should trade for. Not as a starter, that is.
So the three names that do make sense for the Jazz are LaVine, Murray, and Herro. LaVine is the kind of guy who could do some serious damage on his own, as he’s a near-elite scorer from almost every level. He’s got good court-vision and if he was the starting point guard for the Jazz, his assist numbers may double.
Herro is the best shooter of the three, and like LaVine, if given the responsibility, he could see his assist numbers leap as well. Lastly, we have Murray, who could be an elite passer if given the chance, but he hasn’t shown to be a high-end passer outside of one season.
That said, of all three, Murray is the only one that comes in with great defense. He may be too close to what rookie Keyonte George could be, but he could be a better option depending on what the rookie can do.
Of all three, Murray is the name to go after, as he fits the team’s needs better. Though the team could likely land two names, and if they land someone like Murray and then say Herro, the team would be fortified for years to come.