It's beating a dead horse at this point to say that the Utah Jazz will flip the switch next season. All the pieces are there, but it's not like they will be the perfect team. Among their flaws will be their lack of ball-handling, but if there's one move they should not make, it's going after D'Angelo Russell.
Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey floated a trade between the Jazz and Washington Wizards in which the Jazz would swap Svi Mykhailiuk for the former No. 2 pick. He explained why he thinks Utah should look into it.
"Instead, Utah could be looking to shore up its backcourt rotation (it already has plenty of size and talent inside) with an experienced guard who can show the NBA ropes to younger playmakers like Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier.
"Of course, D'Angelo Russell's career doesn't exactly scream 'positive veteran presence,' but he's now in his 30s, has averaged 17.0 points and 5.6 assists for his career and has more playoff minutes than most of Utah's young core combined," Hughes wrote.
D-Lo was a throw-in in the Anthony Davis trade, was out of Dallas' rotation despite Kyrie Irving's absence, and it looks like he's not going to play in Washington.
Acquiring Russell would be a terrible idea
Russell is not only past his prime, but his history as a player is simply not good. His negative influence played a key role in the Jazz securing Keyonte George in the Rudy Gobert trade, but his departure also helped the Minnesota Timberwolves turn the corner once they got rid of him.
While he was a fun story in Brooklyn once upon a time, that was back in 2019, and since then, he's never really turned his talent into anything worthwhile. He was part of the Lakers' surprise 2023 WCF run, but he wasn't an integral part of it, as he was badly outshone by Austin Reaves and Dennis Schroder.
The rationale is valid here. Utah could definitely use another playmaker to properly utilize their size advantage next season. However, Russell is absolutely the wrong target. He wasn't really a winner when he was putting up numbers, and the fact that he's even doing that not anymore only further demonstrates that the Jazz should stay away from him.
And why get rid of Svi Mykhaiuliuk?
When the Jazz first signed Mykhailiuk back in 2024, the collective response from the fanbase was, "Yeah, whatever." But it's clear that, two years later, he's a solid contributor on a very team-friendly deal.
It would be plausible to potentially trade him for an upgrade or a playmaker who fits the Jazz's needs better than he does, but that doesn't mean they should get rid of him. He's been a more than adequate addition to the point that many should be excited for what his role will be for next season.
Again, adding a playmaker would make sense for Utah because it could further fortify themselves once they start competing for real next season. But adding D'Angelo Russell, no matter what, is not the answer for that.