Two games into the Jaren Jackson Jr. era, the Utah Jazz's long-term vision is pretty clear. For everything that is bound to go right from here on out, the one hidden detail about the trade itself is that the Jazz made the most out of a situation that was looking kind of grim: trading Georges Niang.
No one took issue with Niang's reunion with the Jazz, but it was starting to put many off when he suffered an injury with no solid timetable for a return. Niang returning to the floor wasn't exactly Utah's most pressing issue, but it just seemed odd that the Jazz did the Celtics a pretty big favor by taking him off their hands.
They weren't getting any production out of Niang, which made the $8-plus million they were spending to keep him on the roster feel pretty much wasted, but hey, using him to help match salaries to complete the JJJ deal more or less made the most of this situation that didn't feel like it would be resolved any time soon.
It helped that Svi Mykhailiuk has actually looked pretty good in Year 2 with the Jazz, and that Brice Sensabaugh has started to pick it up a bit as the season has progressed. Those two made Niang a tad expendable, so once Jackson hit the market, Utah became all the more comfortable with the idea of trading him.
The 1 shame about pulling the plug on Niang
No Jazz fans were exactly losing sleep over trading Niang, and any who were likely got over it after Jackson showed out in first game with the team. However, what's a real shame is that it really felt like Niang was happy to be back with the team that more or less put him on the map as an NBA player.
Not too long ago, he sounded off on Ace Bailey's potential while also singling out the Jazz's ownership for how different the vibes of the team feel (in a good way).
"Vibes are high with the Jazz. ... Name an owner that knows every single one of his players' first names and introduces himself to parents."
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 13, 2026
Georges Niang has high praise for Utah and its owner, @RyanQualtrics 🤝 @GeorgesNiang | @MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/y4Nf2z1ohc
At least the Jazz alum will get the chance to resume his NBA career somewhere else. Because he's still recognized as one of the NBA's best three-point snipers, he should be better than your average buyout guy.
Although this also harkens back to his injury. While it seemed clear when it was first announced he had gotten hurt that it wouldn't be too big of a problem, he still never played a game with the season more than halfway over.
By all accounts, Niang has been a rotation player on multiple playoff contenders, so the fact that he hasn't been picked up is telling that this was a serious issue. Let's just hope that it only extends to this season and won't impact him long-term.
He could turn into an intriguing buy-low candidate for Utah, but unfortunately, they won't be permitted to sign him for a year.