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3 players the Jazz can trade for before the 2024-25 season starts

Are the Jazz finished making moves? Or do they have another trade in the works?

By Dan Lower

Mar 16, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) dunks the ball against Portland Trail Blazers guard Dalano Banton (5) and guard Scoot Henderson (00) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) dunks the ball against Portland Trail Blazers guard Dalano Banton (5) and guard Scoot Henderson (00) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
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With summer ending, the Utah Jazz roster appears to be mostly complete. All of their draft picks are signed. The free agents are announced and official (save for Patty Mills). And Lauri Markkanen's monster extension is done. The team has 15 players on the regular roster, and 3 on two-way deals, for a full roster at this point of the offseason.

The Jazz now have 6 weeks until camp opens on October 1st (media day will be September 30th). Then preseason will commence with 6 games from October 4-18, and the regular season tip for the Jazz is October 23rd, at home against the Memphis Grizzlies.

So the question is there - is the Jazz offseason completed?

By most measurables, yes.

And no.

Being over the NBA salary cap of around $141 million, the Jazz can use the $7.98 million room exception but would need to clear a roster spot first.

They also have several contracts that are only guaranteed for the next year, giving them more flexibility in the 2024-25 season and next summer to make trades, as trading partners like expiring deals.

At times, September and October are an unexpected gold mine for trades, whether from teams that decide to blow things up or due to stalled contract extension talks. The Jazz moved their own Donovan Mitchell several years ago in September. James Harden was moved from Oklahoma City to Houston in October of 2012, as examples of franchise-altering moves that can occur at this time of year.

Amassing rotation players on low-cost deals could indicate the Jazz are going a similar route, with a few players still rumored to be available on the market - among them Kyle Kuzma (Washington), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans), and Zach LaVine (Chicago).

Let's discuss if any of these make sense for a young, building Utah Jazz team.

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