The Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz are on two complete opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to current aspirations. The Jazz want to tank and the Warriors want a title. There could be a way in which the two sides could help each other out, especially following the news that the Warriors plan to rest Horford for a good chunk of the season.
It's been confirmed by Steve Kerr that the Warriors plan to rest Horford on back-to-backs, much like the Celtics have for the past three years.
Kerr: Al Horford won't play both games of a back-to-back this season.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) October 20, 2025
Horford last played both games of a back-to-back on March 21, 2022.
This is a smart strategy given how old Horford is, but the problem is that outside of him, Golden State doesn't have a whole lot of proven big man options outside of him. Their best options are youngsters like Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis, who aren't exactly proven players. That is where the Jazz can come in.
The Jazz have multiple expendable bigs to offer
Utah has three bigs that everyone knows, for now, they plan to keep: Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, and Kyle Filipowski. Then, there's Jusuf Nurkic and Kevin Love. Nurkic showed out in the preseason, and Love didn't look too shabby either. Both are veterans who would at least give Golden State good placeholders while Horford is out.
Neither are exactly what anyone would call rim protectors, but they are better than what the Warriors have now. They are offensively sound bigs who know how to make the right play, even if neither are the players they once were.
Golden State may not have to worry about this right now, but if their season is in trouble because of their lack of frontcourt depth, they can't ignore this elephant in the room. If that turns out to be the case, the Jazz could take advantage of this by dangling Nurkic and/or Love to the Warriors for the right price.
While it's not like Utah would get top dollar for tiehter of them at this stage, they could take advantage of Golden State's potential desperation to have all of its bases covered before the playoffs. If it gets bad enough, Jonathan Kuminga could be on the table.
The Jazz turned down acquiring Kuminga in the past, but to be fair, they turned him down in a Lauri Markkanen trade. But for Nurkic and Love? That could be getting exponential value for two players that Utah likely won't keep past this season. Maybe the Jazz still wouldn't want him, but they could re-route him elsewhere for trade assets.
No matter how it happens, the Jazz have the players to solve one of the Warriors' biggest problems. Considering they are very much on the clock with the sun setting on Stephen Curry, don't be surprised if they reach this hypothetical point of desperation. Plus, who wouldn't love the irony of pairing Nurkic with Draymond Green?