Austin Ainge didn't mince words shortly after the Utah Jazz hired him as their President of Basketball Operations: they're not tanking next season. However, just because the Jazz are changing course doesn't mean guys like Jordan Clarkson are sticking around, as the Jazz could seek out talent upgrades through buy-low candidates. One player who could fit that description is Kristaps Porzingis.
The Jazz had interest in Porzingis two years ago, but the Boston Celtics swooped in and traded for him before they had the chance to sign him in free agency. With the Celtics aiming to get under the NBA's second tax apron, Porzingis is reportedly available again. With both Austin and Danny Ainge's connections to Boston, the two sides could agree to a deal.
MassLive's Brian Robb outlined a trade that would help the Celtics' efforts to get under the NBA's second tax apron while the Jazz get a target they wanted two years ago. He outlined the following deal.
Celtics get: Clarkson, KJ Martin, Svi Mykhailiuk
Jazz get: Porzingis, second-round pick
Robb explained why the trade appeals to both teams.
"If the team elects to move on from John Collins ($26.5 million), Porzingis would be an intriguing replacement, especially if they want to lock him up beyond this year. Boston would then be able to potentially flip Clarkson elsewhere during the year or have him serve as (Jrue) Holiday’s replacement if he’s dealt elsewhere."
More reasons for why the Jazz would do this
It opens up playing time for the young guards
The Jazz have one too many guards on their roster right now, and that problem could get even worse if they draft a guard like Jeremiah Fears, V.J. Edgecombe, or Tre Johnson with the No. 5 pick. Trading Clarkson can undo the "too many cooks" conundrum in their guard rotation.
With Clarkson out, no matter what the Jazz do on Draft Night, his absence opens up more time for Isaiah Collier and Keyonte George. They'd still be competing with Collin Sexton, but with more shots and playmaking opportunities at their disposal, that could help them take the next step in their careers.
Porzingis and Markkanen could be dangerous together
Porzingis and Markkanen are two of the NBA's premier stretch bigs. The difference between the two is that Porzingis is a rim protector while Markkanen is a better shot creator. Nonetheless, having two of the most unique bigs playing in the same frontcourt could make the Jazz tougher.
It's a big enough advantage when a team has one stretch big on the team, but two of them can make them dangerous. The Jazz clearly saw that kind of potential back in 2023, so it's worth trying that out when the chance presents itself again.
The Jazz don't have much to lose if Porzingis doesn't pan out
Porzingis is injury-prone and is coming off an all-around terrible playoff performance, but when he was on the floor and healthy, the Celtics basically went supernova. The Jazz want to see better results, and Porzingis can give them that.
And even if he can't stay on the floor or play at a high level anymore, he's on an expiring contract. If he works out, they keep him, and if he doesn't, it's not the end of the world.
The one contingency would be figuring out what to do with Collins because the Jazz don't need a frontcourt of Porzingis, Collins, Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Kyle Filipowski, and Taylor Hendricks. This would be a solid deal if they can figure that situation out separately.
Grade: A-