Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson could all be on a different team next season, but which teams they'll be on is another question. All three could still be teammates elsewhere next season, and if there's one team that could be desperate enough to trade for all of them, it's the Miami Heat.
The Heat lost Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline, then Jazz alum Donovan Mitchell, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers, embarrassed the Heat in the next round. At this stage, Miami has enough win-now players, so their best direction is to add more win-now help. Lo and behold, the Jazz have that with the three players mentioned above.
Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz proposed a trade between the Jazz and the Heat in which the Heat would make a hail mary trade in an attempt to become relevant again while the Jazz reap the rewards. He proposed the following trade.
Heat acquire: Markkanen, Sexton, Clarkson
Jazz acquire: Nikola Jovic, Andrew Wiggins, Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson, Warrior 2025 first-round pick (No. 20), 2029 Miami top-five protected first-round pick
Swartz explained why the Jazz would do it by singling out the cap flexibility, young talent, and draft assets
"Markkanen's contract doesn't look nearly as good coming off a down season (four years, $195.8 million), while Sexton and Clarkson are both a little too old to see a rebuild through. Rozier and Robinson represent $46.4 million worth of expiring contracts, while Jović is still just 21 coming off his third professional season. The 6'10" forward could thrive in head coach Will Hardy's system in a bigger role. Utah also adds a pair of first-round picks, including the 20th overall selection in 2025," Swartz wrote.
The best asset from this trade would be that top-five protected Heat pick, as there's no telling what the Heat will look like in four years. Markkanen is coming off a down season, but if he returns to the 2023 All-Star & Most Improved Player winner, then that certainly changes a lot.
If there's a coach who could get the most out of him, along with Sexton and Clarkson, it would Erik Spoelstra. The prospect of that could also get the Jazz to ask for more
The Jazz could also sell off the veterans down the line
This trade would signal that the Jazz are not leaving anything to the imagination regarding their future. They are rebuilding, and one perk of rebuilding teams is that they don't have to worry too much about their payroll as long as they are keeping it within reason.
Hence, the Jazz could flip what they would get in this deal for potentially more draft assets. They may not need Markkanen, Sexton, or Clarkson on the team, but they sure as hell don't need Wiggins, Robinson, or Rozier, for that matter. If those three prove they can still help playoff teams, the Jazz could easily sell them off for more assets.
The Jazz have the edge in a potential trade over Miami because there's no pressure on them to win, but rather to rebuild the right way. If the Heat are desperate, Utah should milk South Beach for all it's worth knowing how good some of their players could look under Spoelstra.
The one noteworthy criticism in this trade (and this is just a personal take) is that the Jazz should inquire about Jaime Jaquez Jr., who had a brilliant rookie season but fell out of favor with Miami brass for reasons not entirely clear. Hardy could get the most out of him, and the Jazz could get him while his trade value is low.
The real question is, will Danny Ainge and Pat Riley actually come to an agreement on a trade? Their history would suggest no, but Ainge will do what's best for the Jazz no matter who he's trading with.
Grade: B+