The J-Notes
Fansided

The Damian Lillard trade looks awful next to the Utah Jazz’s trades of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell

By Chad Porto

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 14: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers interact before the start of the game at Target Center on January 14, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 14: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers interact before the start of the game at Target Center on January 14, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Portland Trail Blazers did the best they could but The Utah Jazz’s trades of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell trumped the trade of Damian Lillard.

The Utah Jazz sat back and watched as the Miami Heat and the Portland Trail Blazers ultimately failed to get what they really wanted in what will likely be the most high-profile trade of the season. Damian Lillard ended up going to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team deal where the Phoenix Suns sent Deandre Ayton to the Trail Blazers, the Bucks sent Jrue Holiday to the Blazers and Lillard went to the Bucks.

There were other parts, like some draft picks, but that was the gist of it. The Heat never got involved, despite believing they would get the player they coveted all along. The Heat look like fools for not taking the Blazers front office seriously, and now the NBA world knows to mess around when trying to land a franchise-altering star.

The Heat aren’t likely to make the playoffs this year, not after all they lost and failed to get. Their team is in shambles and the morale is at an all-time low, one would think, after so many players were rumored to be on the move. The Bucks are the truest of winners, followed closely by the Suns. And even though the Blazers traded Lillard, they didn’t get much back for him.

Not like how the Utah Jazz fleeced not one but two teams back to back when they traded away Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.

The Utah Jazz proved to the league that they are just better at making trades

The Blazers basically got back Holiday, Ayton, and some potentially good picks. They’ll flip Holiday for more picks if they can, and that will be that. The Jazz, however, landed 10 picks, including Walker Kessler. Sure, some of those are pick swaps, but we’re counting them.

The Jazz made the NBA world take heed of what it takes to do business and the team didn’t hold back in gouging bother franchises in the deals.

Sure, Mitchell and Gobert were younger, but Lillard for the most part is better. And all three trades carried with it an inherent window. With Lillard, it was aging out, but with Gobert and Mitchell, it was contracts (and age to a lesser extent for Gobert).

So even though they had similar restrictions, The Jazz were still able to get the most out of the players who wanted out.

Fans of the Jazz should be very happy that they have the front office that they do.

Next. 7 Difference-makers the Utah Jazz signed past their prime. dark

Home/Jazz News