The Utah Jazz need to be active this offseason after the disaster that was the draft lottery. After watching the Denver Nuggets fall short in Game 7 to OKC, the Jazz may have an opportunity to mutually benefit both the Nuggets and themselves.
The Jazz and the Nuggets would be ideal trade partners this offseason because of the Nuggets need to capitalize on Nikola Jokic’s prime, and the Jazz knowing their championship window likely won’t be open for a couple more years.
In this trade idea, the Jazz could pick up a highly valuable future first round pick in exchange for their best player, and help assist in their tank for next year too.
Jazz Receive: Michael Porter Jr, Zeke Nnaji, Nuggets 2031 top-five protected first-round pick
Nuggets Receive: Lauri Markkanen, 2025 Dallas second-round pick, 2025 Clippers second-round pick
Why the Nuggets would do it
Michael Porter Jr. has been paid like a high-upside wing who has evolved into a three-level scorer night in and night out, able to fill in when Jokic and Jamal Murray are struggling.
Michael Porter Jr. looks like that player about 10-12 times a season. Of the Nuggets' core, he is the most obvious candidate for trade this offseason.
The Nuggets need two things: more consistent scoring threats and depth. This trade addresses both of these. Markkanen can thrive as a third or fourth option on a contender, and the Nuggets get two selections they can use as capital to move up for a higher-quality player or use them to address the bench with quantity.
Why the Jazz would do it
This may not be the most popular trade amongst fans, offloading the best player on the team for an overpaid wing who just had a rough playoffs. But if the Jazz are looking out for their long-term, this could be an incredible trade for them. Lauri is good, but doesn’t fit the Jazz’s rebuilding timeline. Now is probably the highest his value may ever be, so it would be a good time to move on.
The Jazz’s ultimate prize is that 2031 first-round pick. The Jazz likely wouldn’t get it unprotected, but a top-three or top-five protection should be enough for the Nuggets. Denver is a smaller market team, and once Jokic is gone, Denver will likely enter a rebuilding period much like the Jazz are in now.
Guess when that window is? The early 2030s.
The best part is that the Jazz don’t have to wait to use that pick. A pick like that may be enough to be able to lure the second overall pick this year from the Spurs, and the Jazz end up trading a few first-rounders for the rights to Dylan Harper.
This may not be the first trade the Jazz explore this offseason, but if their initial trades fall through, this could be a great option that aligns the team closer to the organization’s vision, and could even allow the team to make a push for Harper.