The Utah Jazz should only make trades if it improves the roster this year

The Utah Jazz have been involved in a lot of trade ideas this season, and as a team that's treading the .500 mark for the season, it completely makes sense that the team would be involved in as many rumors as they are. It's not just one way, and that's the thing. Sometimes a team is a "seller" and is looking to trade off assets for the sake of future growth. Other times they're a "buyer" and looking to acquire talent for the sake of making a deep playoff run.

The Jazz is both. They're both a team looking to make a big move to improve their roster and looking to move expiring contracts for assets. Now, we're fine with both of those scenarios. If you're looking to trade picks to land a Top 30 NBA player, sure. Cool. Go for it. If you're looking to trade expiring contracts for picks, we're not as in favor but it may work out for the team.

The only thing, regardless of the direction the team goes, is that the trade has to make the Jazz better not just in the long-term, but now.

And that mostly involves the likes of Jordan Clarkson and John Collins. The Jazz are not likely to go get deep in the playoffs relying on those two. Trading them makes all the sense in the world but only if the trade brings back immediate aid. We're talking about a new, starting front-line, power forward, and defensive depth on the bench.

If the trade of those two men doesn't bring back help, then what's the point in trading them? Yes, you could get draft capital, but the draft capital you'd get for them likely won't ever produce talent on their level or better, so what's the point in dumping them for a few late-first-round picks or a bunch of seconds?

Improving the talent roster with tangible players is the goal here. Nothing short of that.