One may think there's no such thing as too much draft capital for a rebuilding team, but there is. Just ask the Utah Jazz. They've accumulated plenty of draft capital, but they know that they can't use all of it because there's a limited number of roster spots. So
The Jazz used their glutton of first-round assets to acquire a potentially better one from the Phoenix Suns in 2031. The Suns may or may not win the title (which is very much up in the air) if it all works out for them this season, but they do not have prospects six years from now, making that draft asset quite golden.
However, deals like that aren't primarily about trying to clear out arguably superfluous first-round picks but acquiring a golden asset when the opportunity presents itself. If the Jazz ever get that chance again, they should take it.
That brings us to one of the most commonly named trade candidates they will likely try to sell this season: John Collins. Collins has been excellent this season when he's been on the floor, and upon reading the tea leaves, it sounds like he no longer has negative trade value like he did when the season started.
So if the Jazz can trade him without attaching assets, it'd be hard for them to say no. However, if they can trade Collins for a golden asset like the one they just got from the Suns, they should say yes now without hesitation. Sports Illustrated floated a trade that would do just that.
They outlined the following deal between the Jazz and the Houston Rockets.
Rockets get: John Collins
Jazz get: Steven Adams, Jock Landale, 2027 Suns first-round pick (top-four protected), 2025 Rockets second-round pick, 2027 Rockets second-round pick
They explained that the Jazz would say yes to this because they would get expiring contracts for Collins and that to trade with Danny Ainge, dangling would get a deal done.
Why the Jazz say yes to this trade
A lot of it is actually self-explanatory. For what it's worth, if the Jazz cap flexibility for Collins, they'll take it. They will likely want to give more time to some of their younger bigs like the resurgent Walker Kessler and Kyle Filipowski.
However, getting another Suns pick in the deal? Where do the Jazz sign? Granted, the Suns likely won't be as bad two years from now as they most likely will be in 2031, but that shouldn't stop them from agreeing to a trade like this.
It's not like the Rockets are getting ripped off here. They have been one of the more pleasant surprises of the season, and Collins would be an upgrade in their frontcourt. Plus, he would help their playoff push because he's helped playoff runs in the past.
This would be another home run trade for the Utah because they would basically own even more of the Suns' future when the common consensus with Phoenix is that they have one of the most uncertain future's in the entire league.
Grade: A