Jazz's 'Dream trade target' makes sense on only 1 condition

The Utah Jazz are in a position where they can take flyers on whomever they please. Since they don't have much to lose, there's no hurt in trying to find a gem. That's what happened with Kris Dunn, and look where he is now.

But the Jazz may be looking for someone who could be more than just a rental. You never know when you're going to find your next star midway in the draft, like Donovan Mitchell, or if you find someone useful in free agency, like Joe Ingles.

One player who could fit that bill is Jaden Ivey. Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes floated Jaden Ivey as the Jazz's dream trade target and explained why the Jazz should consider acquiring him.

Though he added that Ivey's start to the season might be good enough for the Pistons to hold onto him long-term.

"It's hard to find young players with upside who aren't maximally valued by their current teams, but those are the types of talents the Jazz should be pursuing. Ivey might be one such option, though his hot start to 2024-25 might result in the Detroit Pistons becoming convinced he actually is a viable long-term running mate for Cade Cunningham," Hughes wrote

There haven't been any recent reports that the Pistons plan to trade Ivey, but if he does, the Jazz could do a lot worse than trading for him, given his youth. However, while Ivey is promising enough, there's only one way in which a swap would make sense.

Ivey only fits if the Jazz plan on downsizing their guard rotation

The Jazz already have a pretty loaded guard rotation, with Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, and Patty Mills. If that's not enough, Isaiah Collier will return soon enough, meaning there will be potentially five mouths to feed.

Add Ivey to the mix, and the logjam gets a little too big. However, Hughes brings up this notion while continuing to praise Ivey while acknowledging that a trade is possible.

"Shooting has always been the main question with Ivey, but he's been striping it to start his third season. That said, the Pistons have shown a penchant for surrounding Cunningham with more established talent (especially in the shooting department) in the past. Maybe Collin Sexton or Jordan Clarkson would appeal to Detroit."

So there could be a scenario where the Jazz send the Pistons one of their guards in exchange for Ivey, though that sounds implausible since Detroit isn't in a much better place the Jazz at the moment. At the same time, who's to say such a deal couldn't benefit both teams?

Detroit could put up a more competitive team that's not necessarily good while the Jazz could rid themselves of one of their veteran guards who's not a long-term factor for one who could be. If that's what both teams want, then a deal could be struck.

The Jazz's schedule will not get any easier, and trading an established talent for someone who may not be ready for a couple of years could help them in their chances of getting a high lottery talent. It may not be a pretty sight at first, but it could pay massive dividends in the end.