The Utah Jazz decided to prioritize their future over their present at the trade deadline, giving up Simone Fontecchio, Kelly Olynyk, and Ochai Agbaji for two 2024 draft picks; one in the first round, and one in the second. The moves are mostly being done just to amass draft capital, not with a specific prospect in mind. Yet, what if there was a prospect in mind, one that would bring the biggest name in the NBA to the Utah Jazz?
What if the Jazz are trying to land Bronny James? The son of NBA icon LeBron James is currently at USC and before his medical emergency, there were a lot of people speculating that he would not only be a first-round pick but would be the key to where his father, LeBron ends up for the 2024-2025 season.
And it looks like teams are starting to prepare for possibly going after LeBron. Marc Stein reports that a few teams believe the oldest James' could be had a staggering discount if they draft Bronny, saying;
“I know of at least two teams on the NBA map that believe LeBron James would consider signing with them at far less than $51.4 million if Bronny James is on the roster. There might be more.”
That's prompted us to wonder if the Jazz should be one of those teams. If James can be had for a massive discount, why wouldn't the Jazz consider landing James? He's not a long-term option, but if he does sign with the Jazz, that would instantly make them a contender. Not just because of James coming to the Jazz, as he's no longer *that* type of player, but if James comes to Utah, the number of players who would want to as well would be sure.
That influx of talent, plus the core the Jazz already have in place, would likely turn Salt Lake City into a hot spot for a season or two; not to mention that James' best friend, Dwyane Wade, owns a minority stake in the franchise. If they can add two pieces like LeBron and Bronny James for just a second-round pick and some cap space, why not try and get the James'?
Now, this is all predicated on Bronny coming out this summer, which seems unlikely since he has basically done nothing with USC as a freshman, as he's still coming back from that medical episode he suffered before the season. So all of this may be a moot point.