After being bounced by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs, the Utah Jazz must look into trades to upgrade their roster. The majority of the rumors will be swirling around the futures of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. With that being said, both players rank at the top of their respective positions. Perhaps the Jazz are better suited to keeping their star duo and strengthening the rest of the roster.
Utah Jazz: Two Trades to Consider
Giving Gobert More Help
Utah Jazz receive Al Horford, Aaron Nesmith, and a second-round pick.
Boston Celtics receive Mike Conley and Royce O’Neale.
The Utah defense is flat-out bad when Gobert is off the floor. Hassan Whiteside didn’t quite change the dynamic there this offseason. Utah gets Horford here, who remains a very solid defender as well as one of the most experienced big men in the game. Utah often gets flustered come playoff time, and Horford’s leadership should help here as well. Sure, he’s paid a hefty amount, but that contract is ending soon. This gives the Jazz a great center rotation and a defensive boost. Minutes have been hard to come by for Nesmith in Boston, but perhaps opportunity opens up in Utah. He’s a terrific shooter, and the Jazz love their three-point shots.
Boston isn’t moving away from Marcus Smart any time soon, of course, as he’s the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year. They can, however, use a more traditional point guard. Conley did not perform well in the first round of the playoffs, so Utah may be ready to move on from his contract. In Boston, Conley brings veteran leadership and a steady hand off the bench. He’ll form a very solid backcourt alongside Derrick White in the second unit. O’Neale is another solid wing to add to Boston’s core. He’ll bring defense, hustle play, and the ability to knock down open threes.
Three-Team Trade
Utah Jazz receive Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Gary Payton II (via sign-and-trade), and two Wizards’ second-round picks.
Washington Wizards receive Mike Conley.
Golden State Warriors receive Thomas Bryant (via sign-and-trade).
Conley’s value is slipping. He remains a viable starting point guard, but he’s not the solution in Utah. First off, Utah gets Caldwell-Pope here. He’ll provide solid three-and-d play. He’s also quite experienced. This season he averaged roughly 13 points, three rebounds, and two assists per game. Additionally, the Jazz receives Payton II. He brings in elite defense and still has a knack for scoring. A less crowded backcourt in Utah compared to Golden State can help Payton II. This gives Utah two very viable backcourt partners for Mitchell and allows Mitchell to be more of a primary ball-handler.
Washington can use an upgrade at the point guard position. Assuming Bradley Beal re-signs, the team has other weapons such as Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma. This forms a formidable offense.
Finally, the Warriors get another center option in Bryant. Kevon Looney is an impending free agent while James Wiseman has struggled with injury early on in his career.
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