With their most recent stretch as losers of their last five games, it'd be odd to think the Utah Jazz would be buyers at the trade deadline. However, it's definitely possible as long as it won't interfere with their tank, nor should it interfere with their intentions of having cap space this summer. Luckily, trading for Kevon Looney wouldn't get in the way of that.
ESPN's Bobby Marks proposed a three-way trade between the Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, and Golden State Warriors in which the following would happen.
Warriors get: Trey Murphy III, Jordan Hawkins
Pelicans get: Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, three Warriors first-round picks
Jazz get: Looney, Raptors 2031 second-round pick, 2032 Pelicans second-round pick, cash considerations
This deal is more about the Warriors and Pelicans than the Jazz, but Marks made note of the Jazz's participation in the deal.
"The Jazz jump in to facilitate by taking on Looney using a trade exception. He'd likely be a rotation player for Utah at center the rest of the season," Marks wrote.
Needless to say, the Jazz's role in this deal wouldn't be too far off from the role they had in the Luka Doncic trade last year.
Acquiring Looney wouldn't be much a problem
Some may be concerned about how acquiring Looney would impact the Jazz's cap space. Well, despite his current contract being in the first year of a two-year, $16 million deal, the second year has a team option, so he wouldn't get in the way of their intentions.
Plus, if Looney plays well enough, the Jazz could potentially salary dump him the following offseason to a team looking for a big man on an inexpensive deal. As for what he could do for the team, should he be acquired mid-season, Utah doesn't have much to lose by adding a three-time NBA champion to a young team.
The Jazz have done that before, between trading for Kevin Love and signing Patty Mills in the past two years, and as long as Looney doesn't interfere too much with their lottery odds, what kind of downside would there be to have yet another veteran who has been in the trenches before?
Looney is inexpensive, would be a good veteran influence, and gives the Jazz another veteran in their frontcourt when they start trying to win for real next year *if* they plan to pick up his option for next season. It's not like he would change the team's entire direction, but this would be an addition in which Utah has very little, if not nothing, to lose by getting him on the team.
Grade: B+