To cash in on Collin Sexton and John Collins, the Utah Jazz should try to exploit the Milwaukee Bucks' desperation by trading them for Damian Lillard and some draft capital. To start this off, let's give some context.
The Jazz may try to trade Collins and Sexton again this offseason. They came close to trading Collins a few months ago, but there didn't appear to be any bites with Sexton. That could all change this summer.
That's because the game will change. Now, Sexton and Collins are on expiring contracts (if Collins opts in, which seems inevitable that he will), which gives them more appeal to teams who want quality players and also want cap flexibility.
That brings us to the Bucks, who sadly lost Damian Lillard due to an Achilles tear that will likely knock him out for the entirety of the 2025-26 season. The Bucks have Giannis Antetokounmpo, which means they can't afford to spend so much money on someone who can't play for them. That's where the Jazz come in
SLC Dunk's James Hansen floated a Jazz trade with the Bucks that could take care of not only Milwaukee's Lillard problem, but others as well.
He floated the following trade between the two teams.
Jazz receive: Lillard, 2031 unprotected first-round pick, 2032 pick swap
Bucks receive: Collins and Sexton
Hansen explained why the Jazz would do this trade, starting with the draft assets they would get in return.
"(The Jazz) bring on an incredible future pick and swap that has potential to be great. Utah also has huge incentive to tank next year because they owe their pick to OKC if they’re not in the bottom eight of the draft. This allows them to develop their youth another season without having to do strategic resting all season," Hansen wrote.
He added the positives that would come from adding Lillard, even if it wouldn't be on the court.
"Let’s not forget that having Damian Lillard, who has history in Utah with his college years in Weber State, can be a huge positive influence for the youth on the Jazz. If you’re moving veterans, what better way to fill that void than with a hall-of-fame guard who can be a coach in the locker room?" Hansen wrote.
It's not what Jazz fans would have anticipated regarding the kind of return package they could get for Collins and Sexton, but that doesn't take away from the fact that from Utah's perspective, this is an east deal to make.
The Jazz would be foolish to pass up a trade like this
Hansen nails it on the head. The Jazz could get a potentially golden asset(s) out of this, which would be impressive given that they haven't had much luck trading veterans like Sexton and Collins. It may mean having to stomach paying Lillard over $50 million for the next two seasons (he has a player option for over $58 million in 2026 that he will certainly opt into), but it'd be worth it.
While it may sound ludicrous, the Jazz could also try to market Lillard post-Achilles tear to see if anyone would bite on him.
The biggest plus of this is how much value the Jazz can get out of those two when they likely wouldn't have been able to. It demonstrates that even though teams may not pay up for players who are expiring, in this current league atmosphere, quality players who don't affect a team's long-term cap flexibility can have a huge appeal to teams trying to win.
The Bucks probably would want better players and give up less assets to get them, but with their situation, it's hard seeing how they could do better than what Utah can offer them. Not only can Collins and Sexton play and make them younger, but they help the Bucks save money in this trade.
Grade: A+