It's no hidden secret that despite extending Lauri Markkanen, the Utah Jazz are leaning towards a rebuild. Despite having veterans who would fit better on teams trying to win, like Jordan Clarkson, John Collins, and Collin Sexton, the Jazz wants to turn to the youth.
If the Jazz want to focus on developing their youth movement more than anything else, ESPN's Bobby Marks urged them to make a rather risky decision with the trio.
"But if Utah's focus continues to be on player development, then Collins, Sexton, and Clarkson will need to embrace a lesser role this season."
On the one hand, it makes sense. The Jazz have some young talent that they need to develop, and the best way for Utah to know what exactly what they are made of is by seeing what they can do when they take the floor.
However, this is not a flawless strategy. While the Jazz have every right to see the full extent of what their youngsters can do, there is some upside to making sure that Clarkson, Sexton, and Collins have a big enough role on the team.
Lessening their roles could hurt their trade value
It makes sense that the Jazz would trade them if they are going all in on their young talent. However, lessening their roles would negatively impact their numbers, which may turn off any potential interested suitor if and when trading season comes along.
The Jazz haven't found any suitors regardless, but since their contracts won't run for much longer, there could be interest down the line, but only if they get the playing time to do that. While a Collins trade doesn't seem likely because his value is negative, things could change with Sexton and Clarkson.
There's always the possibility the Jazz go in the opposite direction, which means they could keep these three, all signs point to seeing what they have with the kids. If they do, they should first try to see if they can raise the value of their three most tradable players.
The Jazz's youth might not be ready just yet
Throwing the youth to the wolves right away will give the Jazz a better idea of who is a keeper and who should be somewhere else. However, this strategy can also be a problem because it could stunt their growth in the long run.
As many fans and analysts will say, development is not linear. Because of that, sometimes transitioning to the NBA requires more time and more patience for certain young players. The Jazz undeniably have some young talent, and while some may be ready now, others may need some time in the G-League or a small role in the rotation before they are ready for primetime.
That's where having these three is convenient for Utah. If their young players need a little bit more time, they can fall back on this trio to soak up some of the minutes. If Utah wants their young players to develop the way in which they want, keeping those three as a bar could help then become the cornerstones they want them to be.