It was reported the other day that Brandon Ingram ended any trade talks sending him to the Utah Jazz because he did not want to commit long-term to the team. It was unclear why, but it was his loss for turning down what could have been a golden opportunity for him.
The Jazz are not one of the best NBA teams. Far from it, in fact. However, they could have given Ingram the necessary boost he needed as a player.
Ingram came into the NBA as the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. It would be unfair to call him a bust because he has been productive when he's taken the floor. However, it hasn't translated into many accolades or playoff success.
Ingram has made one All-Star team, which coincided with the year he won Most Improved Player in 2020, but hasn't been back since. He's also been to the playoffs a grand total of three times and has never made it out of the first round.
Some of it is not his fault. Ingram has been injury-prone since entering the NBA. In fact, it hasn't been brought up enough that it's excellent to know that Ingram's blood clot issues early on proved to not be a problem for him long-term.
However, the Jazz could have not only paid him good money but also taken his career to a new level. That may sound ludicrous, but look at how some players have elevated themselves since coming to Utah.
Lauri Markkanen reached a new level in Utah
Markkanen was once in a similar place to Ingram before he joined the Jazz. He certainly showed flashes of what he could be, but never quite figured it out. A lot of it had to do with being drafted by the wrong team.
He was underwhelming given how exciting his potential was, but for the last two-plus years, he's no longer a player whose revered for what he *could be.* Instead, he's an All-Star big who has fully realized the kind of player he is with the Jazz.
Nobody saw it coming, but Markkanen has given the Jazz a lifeline that both sides want to see through for at least another year. If they could do that with someone who accomplished as little as Markkanen had earlier despite his obvious talent, who's to say they couldn't do the same with Ingram.
The worst part is, Markkanen and the idealized version of Ingram would have been a terrifying pairing.
Jordan Clarkson has too
Clarkson isn't quite the same success story that Markkanen, but he's a success story nonetheless. He came into Utah known for being a scorer, but they've helped him make his scoring become an effective asset when the knock on him was that his stats came from playing for bad teams.
That's why Clarkson has stuck around even in a rebuild. More than that, he wants to be a mentor to develop the Jazz's youth properly. Granted, Clarkson figured himself out under different management first, but it goes to show how good the Jazz development team is that they've done this for years now.
Colin Sexton has become better all-around
Okay to be fair, Sexton averaged more points back when he was with Cleveland, but that was because he was their best scorer when he got there and they stunk. Now with the Jazz, he's surrounded by other scorers, and they... stink.
Nonetheless, Sexton has progressed into a better all-around player in Utah, as he's advanced as a passer and defender. He's embraced a more team-oriented scheme, which has been fueled by how much he's enjoyed playing under Will Hardy.
Ingram may have his reasons for not wanting to play for the Jazz, but knowing how well some of their players have progressed since coming to Utah, it's fair to say that he's missing out.