When people bring up the Utah Jazz trading Mike Conley, the name that typically gets brought up is, well, Conley. Conley brought some stability to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who weren't exactly living up to expectation after acquiring Rudy Gobert.
However, while the Timberwolves hit it big with Conley, they also got a diamond in the rough with Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Alexander-Walker's tenure with the Jazz was pretty forgettable. What Jazz fans likely remember him most for is being the guy who they acquired for Joe Ingles in 2022.
He was seen as a throw-in when the Jazz dealt Conley to Minnesota in 2023, and two years later, he could be in for a massive payday. Alexander-Walker has popped with the Timberwolves, as he's morphed into a dependable 3&D prospect. Jake Fischer reported on The Stein Line that a lot more money could Alexander-Walker's way this coming offseason.
"Some league executives project (it) could reach as high as $20 million in average annual value now that Alexander-Walker has established himself as a true 3-and-D swingman by shooting in the vicinity of 40% on 3s in each of the past three seasons," Fischer wrote.
Okay, well, whoopty doo. Good for him, some Jazz fans may say. Again, he didn't leave much of a mark in Utah. However, while talking with Fischer, it was revealed that the turning point for Alexander-Walker's career was in fact, his brief time with the Jazz.
Alexander-Walker started taking his career more seriously in Utah
Fischer wrote that "Alexander-Walker's short stint with the Jazz crucially brought him back to NBA relevance" and "he was on the cusp of exiting the NBA" when he arrived in Utah. He also revealed how things changed when "NAW" became a Jazzman.
"While still in Salt Lake City, Alexander-Walker began burning through film work, studying scouting reports, and memorizing matchup tendencies until he had played his way into regular on-court action for the Jazz.
"He also routinely badgered Conley to siphon as much of the veteran’s sage wisdom as possible about navigating pick-and-rolls with the ball. Alexander-Walker observed how Conley almost never dribbles immediately downhill off a ball screen," Fischer wrote.
The Jazz acquired NAW at the trade deadline in 2022, then shipped him off a year later around that exact time. Now, he could be one of the hottest commodities entering free agency. There are two conclusions to draw from this.
1. It's more evidence that the Jazz can turn a player's career around
For decades now, the Jazz have had a bad reputation as a players' destination because of Utah itself. Players are more than entitled to feel that way about Utah, but NAW's rise shows that Jazz truly can help players who have not lived up to expectations get their careers back on track while also reaching their potential.
Lauri Markkanen is the premier example of precisely this, and Alexander-Walker's story shows that it wasn't a fluke. The Jazz really can get the best out of their players even when the bar wasn't set too high for them to begin with.
The Jazz will never beat the Knicks or Lakers in terms of high-market appeal, but they have a reputation for getting the best out of their players. Look at where Markkanen and Alexander-Walker are now, thanks to the Jazz. These stories get players to look past Utah's turnoffs, as they should.
2. The timing was just awful in this instance
It's great to see that Alexander-Walker turned his career around thanks to his short time with the Jazz, but what makes it frustrating is that he came to Utah just as the Donovan Mitchell-Rudy Gobert era was on its last legs.
If only his 3&D ascension came from when he was first acquired, that could have made a huge difference. One of the biggest pitfalls of that era was that the Jazz lacked players of Alexander-Walker's archetype in their rotation. They had players who helped offensively or defensively, but not both.
There's no telling what current NAW would have looked like on that team, but it's a shame to know that the team blew themselves up just before Alexander-Walker figured his place out in the NBA.