The Utah Jazz have been one of the most intriguing teams this offseason. Given the kind of decisions they’ve made, parting ways with key players such as Jordan Clarkson and John Collins, there are some serious questions regarding the direction this franchise is headed.
Recent rumors suggested that the decision to trade Collins stemmed from his positive impact on winning games last season, indicating that many of his absences were internally motivated as well.
If this is to be considered the truth, the Jazz could be looking to tank yet again. But with a lack of direction, tanking simply appears to be an excuse for poor performance.
The Jazz have some talented players on their roster. With the development of Keyonte George and the addition of Ace Bailey, Utah could have a solid core. But they need to restart their rebuild to make the most of this.
With this in mind, we present the blueprint for the Jazz to facilitate the necessary trades to stockpile draft capital and assets in order to hit the reset button.
Trade Walker Kessler To The Celtics
Trading Walker Kessler may seem like a shocking decision, particularly because of how gifted he is. At only 24 years old, Kessler has a lot of potential to become a premier big man in the league. But it is due to this growth potential that the Jazz may be able to gain a lot more in return by trading him.
We have explored a number of trade proposal ideas that send Kessler to the Celtics. Let’s take a closer look at one of these deals:
Proposed Trade Details
Utah Jazz Receive: Xavier Tillman, 2027 first-round pick, 2031 first-round pick
Boston Celtics Receive: Walker Kessler
This deal allows the Celtics to acquire a starter-quality center, who could eventually develop into their big man for the future alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
For the Jazz, this trade is also satisfactory. Acquiring Xavier Tillman on a veteran’s minimum contract allows them to free up $2.5 million in cap space next summer. Additionally, two guaranteed first-round picks ensure that Utah expands upon its existing wealth of draft capital.
Parting with Kessler will be difficult. Considering his averages of 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game from last season, it is abundantly clear that he possesses the skills to be an impact player.
But doing so would give Utah the necessary runway to make moves in the future as well. Inadvertently, it would also give sophomore big man Kyle Filipowski an opportunity to shine.
Trade Lauri Markkanen To The Pistons
Lauri Markkanen has been another Jazz player to be featured in trade rumors this offseason. Although Utah has indicated an interest in retaining him, the Jazz could benefit from moving him to acquire expiring contracts and draft capital instead.
One of the potential trade destinations could be the Detroit Pistons. Given their war chest of draft picks, the Jazz could look to acquire a lot of value by trading with the Pistons.
Proposed Trade Details
Detroit Pistons Receive: Lauri Markkanen
Utah Jazz Receive: Tobias Harris, Caris LeVert, 2027 first-round pick
Acquiring Markkanen is in Detroit‘s interest, primarily because of the boost he brings to their overall offense. Last season, the forward recorded an average of 19.0 points and 5.9 rebounds, on shooting splits of 42.3% from the field and 34.6% from three-point range.
When considering the Pistons’ aspirations to make a deep playoff run in the upcoming season, adding the Finnish forward could be a step in the right direction.
Meanwhile, the Jazz would benefit from this trade as well. Acquiring an expiring contract like Tobias Harris‘ has a lot of merit, as it helps them free up $26.6 million in cap space next summer. Caris LeVert is also on a short-term contract, but at a cap hit of $14.1 million next season, he adds a lot of value.
The 2027 first-round pick may be the most valuable asset in this trade. There may be a case for Markkanen to command more draft capital as well. But given the drop-off in his performance last season and his injury-prone status, teams may be hesitant.
Give The Keys To Ace Bailey
After parting ways with Kessler and Markkanen, the Jazz will need a primary option on offense. This paves the way for Ace Bailey to emerge as the franchise’s star and cornerstone.
This decision may also be met with some degree of doubt. Given Bailey’s remarks before the draft and even his approach towards the Jazz early on, Utah made a questionable decision by drafting him with the No. 5 overall pick.
Regardless, Bailey is an incredibly talented player. Given his performances during his time at Rutgers, it is clear that he possesses the star power to become the face of the franchise.
At 19 years old, Bailey has a lot of room to grow, especially if the system caters to him. If the Jazz commit to his timeline for development, they would also have enough time to map out their plans for roster construction.
Cultivating and molding him as the future of the team alongside players like Keyonte George could be in Utah’s best interest.
After successfully parting ways with Kessler and Markkanen, the Jazz will have 10 first-round picks in hand along with two first-round pick swaps. With several draft picks in hand, the Jazz could look to build from the draft or acquire talented young players to rebuild their roster.
