Forget Kyle Kuzma, the Utah Jazz should trade for Deni Avdija

There were rumors that the Utah Jazz were interested in the Washington Wizard's Kyle Kuzma, thinking he'd be an upgrade over John Collins. While we're no superfan of Collins, we do see that he's better than Kuzma and so any trade for Kuzma would be pointless and harmful to the future of the Utah Jazz.

But after watching the Jazz play the Wizards, there's one player the Wizard has that makes total sense for the team to go after; Deni Avdija. Just 23 years old, Avdija has finally come into his own in the NBA and has shown the skillsets needed to succeed on a better team. The 6'9, 210lbs forward is quick, nimble, has good hands, even better vision, and a solid shot.

He's having a breakout season, averaging 12.5 points, 4.0 assists, and 6.2 rebounds while putting up a shooting split of .501/.373/.772. All of which but his rebounds are career highs. He averaged 6.4 rebounds in 2022-2023.

What makes Avdija an even better option for the Jazz as a starting small forward is his impact defensively. Right now his defensive box plus-minus is -0.2 but historically he's been a plus defender (+0.3f or his career).

If you put him in the starting lineup with Kris Dunn, Walker Kessler, and/or Simone Fontecchio, then his defensive impact would leap up tenfold. Not only that but if you pair him with Collin Sexton and Lauri Markkanen, then his ability to create and shoot would be better used, as he's the perfect fit for their play styles. He's an all-around solid player and doesn't have any noticeable weaknesses in his game.

The Jazz need a hard-nosed wing like Avdija, and it's likely he could probably be had for a small price, so if that's the case, the Jazz should seriously pursue the Israeli forward.