When teams like the Utah Jazz have entered a rebuild, it comes as no surprise that they trade for players who are only acquired for contact purposes and nothing else. The Jazz either ship them off elsewhere or release them. In some rare cases, the trade is called off.
This has been a recurring pattern since they embraced the rebuild in 2023, but acquiring players only to get rid of them is something that's happened to the Jazz for decades. In no specific order, here are some of the most notable names associated with the Jazz, but only from a technical standpoint.
1. Russell Westbrook (twice)
This type of move may as well be named after Westbrook since it has happened twice, and there is no telling if it will or won't happen a third time (and possibly more) before he retires.
Everyone assumed Westbrook wouldn't play a single second in Utah when they first got him in 2023. Still, perhaps the biggest twist is that, from the horse's mouth, he considered joining the team anyway, even though it hadn't been too long since he had gotten into it with a Jazz fan just a few years prior.
That speaks volumes for Westbrook's character that not only was he considering playing for a bad team that had no use for him, but he was also willing to let bygones be bygones to play for Utah despite what had happened previously.
2. Dominique Wilkins
That's right, the Jazz once had "The Human Highlight Film" on the team, and unlike Westbrook and some of the other players that will be mentioned, this wasn't right when his career started winding down. In fact, Wilkins was originally drafted by the Jazz in 1982 as the No. 3 pick.
Unfortunately, the Jazz and Wilkins didn't start well when they told him they would use him as a power forward. While the two sides could have worked it out, the Jazz were desperate to save money, so they traded Wilkins to Atlanta to do just that, and the rest was history.
While many will wonder what could have been had Wilkins stuck around - imagine him, Karl Malone, and John Stockton playing in their primes together by some miracle - this move ultimately kept the Jazz in Utah because of how much they saved financially. They may have had to sell the team had it never happened.
3. Derrick Rose
Before Russell Westbrook, there was Derrick Rose. The 2011 MVP was a Jazzman, but not for long. Utah acquired him in a mid-season blockbuster that sent them Jae Crowder, who left quite the impression on the team in the year-and-a-half he played there.
However, Rose was acquired only to match salaries, and he was promptly bought out moments afterward. Rose's career was fading at that point, though he turned out to have more gas left in the tank than anyone anticipated.
Still, even though the Jazz were the surprise playoff contenders of 2018, it didn't seem like Rose would have fit with the team.
That's it for the most accomplished players who were once technically Jazzmen. However, other current and former NBA players were also once traded to Utah, though they never once took the floor in a Jazz uniform.
4. Derek Harper
This was brought up earlier this season when someone said that NBA prospect Dylan Harper wouldn't play for the Jazz because his dad didn't when he had the chance. Note: they had the wrong Harper because Dylan's father is former NBA guard Ron, who helped the Bulls beat the Jazz and was never traded to Utah.
So that brings us to the right Harper they were talking about: Derek. He was never an All-Star, but he was an excellent basketball player who was acquired in the hopes of being the Jazz's backup point guard for their playoff run in 1997.
However, Harper nixed the trade when he put it on public record that he didn't want to live in Utah. Instead of being a back-up on a title contender, Harper preferred being one of the core members of an average Dallas Mavericks team.
However, it's been speculated that Harper didn't want to play for the Jazz primarily because he wanted to remain a starter instead of a backup. Fair enough, but it's such a shame that he passed on the chance to be part of something historic.
5. Kendrick Perkins
Here's a blast from the not-so-distant past: the Jazz once acquired NBA Champion Kendrick Perkins from Oklahoma City in exchange for Enes Freedom (then-Kanter) ten whole years ago. Perkins was already pretty much cooked as an NBA player, so the Jazz didn't have much use for him.
It worked out for all sides because Perkins basically got a free ride back to the NBA Finals in Cleveland, while Utah got to see just how good sophomore sensation Rudy Gobert truly was.
6. Otto Porter Jr.
Many were dumbfounded when the Jazz didn't waive Porter immediately upon acquiring the NBA Champion. However, it all made sense once he announced that he fully intended to retire once he was bought out.
Outside of the one year he was healthy with Golden State the last year they won the title, Porter was constantly on the injury report for years. Luckily, he went out of the NBA virtually on top, having basically been set for life while getting a ring out of it.
7. Dennis Schroder
Everyone knew right away that the Jazz had no intention of keeping Schroder once they acquired him. Plus, they already had enough talented guards on the roster, whether they were win-now or win-later players.
So he was either getting traded or bought out. The Jazz found Schroder a new home in Motown when it was all said and done. Schroder has been boom or bust this year, and the Jazz didn't want to be the ones that rolled that dice. Ergo, he's a Piston, and both sides are better off for it.
8. Patrick Beverley
Beverley was a throw-in from Minnesota when they acquired Rudy Gobert from the Jazz. While it would have been interesting to see the impact Beverley could have had on the Jazz's youngsters, it may not have been worth the risk, seeing as his volatile personality got him out of the NBA two years later.
This led to the well-known Talen Horton-Tucker trade. Horton-Tucker was a sensible flyer for the Jazz given his youth and technically championship experience, but he didn't fit with Utah. It likely wouldn't have been much different with Beverley, but it is a shame that THT got in the way more than anything.