The one luxury of going through a rebuild is that with little expectations in the present, there isn't much for said rebuilding team to screw up. The Utah Jazz have definitely made some questionable choices since blowing up their squad in 2022, but they're still on the right track.
Among their questionable choices has been when they traded Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji for what basically turned out to be Isaiah Collier. No, this is nothing against Collier because he's a rookie with plenty of time to show his worth.
However, Agbaji has found his footing in Toronto, which the Jazz hoped he would find in Utah. It's fair to say that he is turning into the 3&D player the Jazz had in mind.
For that reason, Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes explained why he believes that trade was the Jazz's "biggest regret."
"A healthy Olynyk is either a walking trade chip or a helpful part of any frontcourt rotation, and Agbaji is really popping as an all-purpose wing defender with athleticism and a soft touch from three.
"He appears, in other words, as an under-25 three-and-D wing. You might have a better chance of spotting Bigfoot than you would finding that archetype at that age on the trade market," Hughes wrote.
This is only in hindsight because the Jazz gave Agbaji a fair shot when they traded for him in 2022, and he did not play nearly this well in Utah. It's not like this is a franchise-altering mistake, but it is a move that would make any team facepalm after the season the Jazz alum has had.
This puts more spotlight on Isaiah Collier
Collier is a late first-round pick, so it's not like he came to the Jazz with the surliest expectations. However, Agabji's breakout should set the bar how well Collier has to play to justify the Jazz making such a move.
The Jazz have featured Collier in the rotation more often than not. He hasn't dominated in his minutes, and he hasn't looked like the best of the Jazz's rookie class - that's Kyle Filipowski by a decent margin - but he hasn't looked in over his head in the slightest.
What's also gotten in the way is the veteran guards ahead of him in the rotation, like Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson. A Sexton trade is still uncertain, but Clarkson's reported price tag makes it sound like a trade could be on the horizon for him.
If one or both gets traded, that opens the door for Collier to get the same opportunity Agabji did when he played for Utah. Collier doesn't have to be a star to prove the Jazz right for trading Agbaji. He only has to play on or close to his level.