The Utah Jazz are still taking a victory lap around the NBA for the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade. Sure, they haven't won anything yet, but over the last four years, not a whole lot has gone their way, so getting the exact player they needed shouldn't give them infinite pats on the back. Now, they just got another reason: their offer was better than his other suitors.
Sportsnet's Michael Grange revealed that the Toronto Raptors wanted JJJ, but couldn't make it work because Memphis was not interested in taking back Jakob Poeltl's albatross contract.
"Leading up to trade deadline in February, the Raptors were working hard to try and make a deal that would land them Jaren Jackson Jr. from the Memphis Grizzlies before he was ultimately traded to the Utah Jazz in a package that included three first round picks, according to multiple league sources. The sticking point was finding someone to take on Jakob Poeltl’s four years and $104 million the 30-year-old has owed to him."
The Jazz could offer cap flexibility, young players, and draft assets to entice Memphis. It also helepd their case that the Grizzlies knew JJJ needed season-ending surgery, so he needed to go to a team that was happy to let him sit on the sidelines.
The truth is, the Jazz simply bided their time and waited for the right moment to strike and they did it. The Raptors would have benfited immensely from Jackson's presence, but because the Jazz could easily beat their offer, Jackson will be donning a Jazz uniform going forward.
The Jazz positioned themselves perfectly when you think about it
Before the JJJ trade was struck, many wondered what Utah's endgame was. Everyone knew the tank was in full effect, but even when it was done, were they really going to waste Lauri Markkanen's prime while waiting for their young talent to blossom?
Once the blockbuster trade was agreed to, Utah was allowed to have their cake and eat it. They would have plenty of young talent to develop (even after trading away some of them in the deal) while also having win-now veterans ready to go to war in the postseason.
Utah accumulated plenty of young players, plenty of good assets, and plenty of players on team-friendly deals to potentially dangle in case someone like Jackson became available. Once they did, they simply had way too much leverage compared to a team like the Raptors that it would be shocking if the Grizzlies actually pondered about taking the Raptors' offer.
This has all the makings of being one of the best trades in Jazz history, but the only way everyone will know for sure is seeing what the team will look like once they take the floor. But for the time being, the hype will only grow stronger as we get more confirmation of the home run Utah hit as time passes.
Add us as a preferred source on Google