With the Utah Jazz struggling to keep things together in the paint and giving up points at a high rate, they need to make a change if they hope to turn this season around.
Jusuf Nurkic, for all his efforts, is miscast as a starting center on this Jazz team. He's not fleet of foot enough to keep up with modern frontcourt players, and if he's out of the paint, he's giving up points.
The loss of Walker Kessler for the season has made it evident - the Jazz need a replacement big man for him, and they need it now. If they are serious about staying in the play-in hunt, Nurkic won't be the guy that gets them there, he's better suited as a reserve.
To this end, the Jazz need to make a move and acquire a center to shore up the rotation, improve the defense, and keep the team moving in the right direction in this rebuild. Here are four possible options the Jazz should look at to upgrade the center rotation:
Option 4: Mo Bamba (Salt Lake City Stars)
Mo Bamba was actually on the Utah Jazz roster during training camp, but didn't make the roster. He's familiar with the system, which gives him a leg up over anyone else the Jazz could look to add.
Bamba is currently with the Jazz's G-League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars. He has averaged 16.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3 blocks a night, including a dominant game on Tuesday where he scored 29 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked five shots.
With a seven-foot-10 wingspan to go with his seven feet of height, Bamba has shown the ability to impact a game defensively. Having him in the Jazz rotation would help to slow down the parade of opponents driving to the basket and be a low-cost option, with whom the other players are already familiar.
Option 3: Bol Bol (free agent)
Similar to adding a player like Mo Bamba, adding Bol Bol could give the Jazz a short-term member of the rotation that could give them 12-15 minutes a night.
While Bol isn't a starting-caliber option, he would help the Jazz on defense and be a mobile change-of-pace at the center spot, and he has length and athleticism to bother shots in a way that the other Jazz centers don't have.
And his range - he can hit threes and in bunches, could open up some dimensions for the Jazz offense.
Option 2: Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers (via trade)
Allen is a solid rebounder and defender who would slot in as a starter for the Jazz. He's currently averaging 14.8 points and 7.6 boards a night, and 0.9 blocks.
While he is currently a starter in Cleveland, the team has been emphasizing Evan Mobley and playing him at center in small lineups over the past two seasons, and trade rumors about Allen have persisted, meaning he is likely available for the right price.
The Jazz could offer the Cavaliers picks in drafts where they are lacking. The Lakers' 2027 pick, their own 2029 (Top five protected, then unprotected in 2030), Kyle Anderson, and Kyle Filipowski might be enough to get the deal done.
Option 1: Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings (via trade)
Sabonis would be the best available option on the market. For all of his talents, he is stuck on a sinking ship as the Kings are 3-13 on the year. The Kings attempted to build around him and DeAaron Fox, only to deal Fox last year when things went south, and Sabonis appears to be next on the block.
Sabonis would represent a major upgrade at center for the Jazz, and give them a viable option in the paint who would replace everything they lost when Kessler went down, plus give them additional versatility as he can play forward as well.
He has a nasty streak and is very physical, something the Jazz are lacking.
The Jazz could center a Sabonis package around future first-round picks (the 2027 Lakers pick and the Jazz's 2029 pick), expiring salary (Jusuf Nurkic, $19.3 million), Kyle Anderson ($9.2 million), and their choice of Kevin Love, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang, or Cody Williams.
Another option, though less appealing to Jazz fans, would be to include Walker Kessler himself in the deal if the Jazz front office doesn't think they can convince him to sign an extension this summer. This option might not be as far-fetched as some would think.
With the Kings looking to offload players as their season goes awry, now might be the time to go all in on a move like this for the Jazz.
Do you think the Jazz should make a move? Who would you go after? Let us know in the comments.