The Utah Jazz missed out on Pascal Siakam but will they regret it?
By Chad Porto
The Utah Jazz missed out on yet another chance to upgrade their roster. Dating back to the offseason when the club was linked to names like Damian Lillard and Tyler Herro, the Jazz have been loosely associated with a variety of talent as potential landing spots. One name that was often talked about officially but was seen as a perfect fit by many in the fandom was Pascal Siakam.
The Jazz didn't appear to have much interest in him if any at all, but he was someone that would possibly help the Jazz upgrade their roster by bringing in a two way forward and thereby "upgrading" the power forward spot on the team. A spot currently inhabited by John Collins.
Collins has had an up-and-down season, and while he's been solid for the Jazz, especially of late, he still isn't seen as someone living up to the lofty expectations the Atlanta Hawks had for him when they drafted in him in the 2017 NBA lottery.
Still, he has improved a bit over the last six weeks or so. An upgrade would've been nice, but it is no longer necessary like it was not that long ago. Siakam was seen as the perfect name to bring in, but that's no longer on the table as a possibility. The Indian Pacers made a deal with the Toronto Raptors to acquire Siakam, and in exchange, they gave up a few players, mostly just to match salary, and three first-round draft picks.
It's a trade that may haunt the Jazz in time but it's hard to say. While Collins isn't the defender that Siakam is, he's a more versatile scorer when he's actually clicking. Not only that, but one of the reasons the Jazz are finding success right now is due to the chemistry this team has. If you make a major move right now, this momentum the Jazz has may go up in smoke.
For right now, the Jazz made the right call in passing up on Siakam, but that opinion may change as the season continues.