Evaluating the Utah Jazz trade assets

It’s that time of year again. When every NBA team is closely evaluating their roster and how to improve their current squad or future prospects. The trade deadline of February 7th is fast approaching and fans are hoping for their teams to make some moves. With that in mind, I wanted to review the Utah Jazz and how I see their players and assets being evaluated. We’ll start from the supposed bottom and work our way up.

Not enough value for a trade. Maybe included as filler.

Tony Bradley

When he was drafted, it was known he might be a year away from being a year away. Sure enough, in his second year with the Jazz he still has some developing to do before he’s prepared for consistent NBA minutes. I can’t see him garnering much trade attention with only 38 total minutes played. He might be ready to get some rotational minutes come next season. As such, I doubt he moves the needle in a trade.

Georges Niang

In his second year with the Jazz, but first on a full-time contract, Niang flashed some great potential during summer league and preseason. Buried on a the bench behind a bunch of better bigs, he hasn’t gotten to showcase his talents much this season. I think that Dennis Lindsey likely values him more than anyone else would at this point. As a 40 percent 3 point shooting power forward, I could see him carving out a role on an NBA team eventually. For now, I don’t think many teams would be enticed to trade for him.

Raul Neto

Neto has been a solid 3rd string point guard for the Utah Jazz. He’s probably one of the best 3rd stingers in the league. That being said, he’s a 3rd string point guard. With the Jazz in point guard injury trouble, I doubt Dennis Lindsey is looking to trade Neto away right now. I also don’t think his return would be enough to justify moving Rudy Gobert’s best friend on the team.

Grayson Allen

Allen is a more interesting case. Being a rookie seems to automatically inflate your value just a little bit. He’s split his minutes between the G League and NBA so far, with much more success in the former vs. the latter. When negotiating a trade, he could potentially serve as that last sweetener to get a deal done. I don’t think he’ll have a ton of value beyond that. I also have a hard time seeing the Jazz move a rookie they were fairly excited about on draft night.

Most likely to be moved

Ekpe Udoh

Expiring contracts will always have value in the trade market. While he only makes about $3.4 million, that could be the difference between getting a deal done and not. He’s also provided great minutes off the bench when the Jazz have had injuries or foul trouble. If a team is looking for a defensive specialist to come in and protect the rim for a few minutes a night, he’d be an ideal candidate. Depending on what the Jazz do elsewhere with the roster, his role might become too important to include him in a deal.

Thabo Sefolosha

You might see a theme in this tier. Sefolosha also has an expiring contract, to the tune of 5.25 million. If that’s not enough, he can also still be a pretty effective 3 and D wing at 34 years old. If he was made available, I could see a contender wanting more wing depth and defense swooping in to get him. The return on just Thabo may not be significant, but as a package deal he could provide good value.

Derrick Favors

Every deadline it feels like Favors is the most likely to be traded. His ideal position in today’s NBA is at center, but Rudy Gobert isn’t going anywhere. Quietly having another fantastic season, Derrick Favors could be that last piece a contender is looking for. I think he’s better than the 23 minutes a night he’s getting and I’d love to see him in an increased role in the right situation. At this point, I almost hope a trade happens for his sake more than Utah’s. I doubt the Jazz would get a player of his quality in return, but they might get someone that fits the roster better. With a non-guaranteed 2nd year on his contract, that only makes him more valuable on the trade market.

Draft Picks

The Jazz currently owe a 2020 2nd rounder to Cleveland, and have incoming 2nd rounders in 2022 and 2024. Small market teams, Utah included, have to be careful trading away 1st round picks. The Jazz have been careful to rarely trade their own 1st rounder away. With Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell currently on the roster, it might be time to reconsider. If a 3rd star becomes available, Utah is going to have to be willing to include a future 1st or two.

For the Right Price

Royce O’Neale

Royce O’Neale didn’t start the season off very well, but he’s had a turnaround along the same timeframe as Donovan Mitchell. At $1.3 million this year and a non-guaranteed $1.6 million next year, you’ll be hard pressed to find a wing that can produce at the level O’Neale can. He’s shooting nearly 40 percent from three and can really lockdown on defense when he’s zoned in. He’s such a bargain, and Quin Snyder seems to really appreciate what he brings, that I see a trade as unlikely at this time. However, if there are enough buyers that his value in a bigger deal gets inflated, I could see him being included.

Kyle Korver

The Utah Jazz needed shooting in a bad way. Bringing in the veteran Korver has alleviated that issue to some extent so far. Utah’s offense can have a completely different look when he, Joe Ingles, and Jae Crowder share the floor. Add in his extensive experience and great locker room presence and a trade appears unlikely. GM Dennis Lindsey covered his bases, however, by trading for Korver in time that he could be traded again before the February 7th deadline. Korver’s contract is also very useful, as next year is only partially guaranteed.

Ricky Rubio

Ups and downs nonetheless, Ricky Rubio has been a good player for the Utah Jazz. He went on quite the tear last season, culminating in a playoff triple double to help lead the Jazz out of the first round. He’s making $14.8 million on the last year of his deal, so someone desperate to shed salary yet remain competitive could see him as an attractive trade option. I can’t help but wonder what Quin Snyder and Dennis Lindsey think of Donovan Mitchell’s recent play at point guard with Rubio currently out with a hamstring injury. I don’t think I would take much convincing to place Ricky in the “most likely to be traded tier”. That will depend largely on who the true buyer’s at the deadline are.

Jae Crowder

Crowder fits Quin Snyder’s system extremely well. While he still hasn’t returned to that Boston-level Crowder, he’s a consistent figure in Utah’s best lineups. He has become the PF closer for the Jazz and I doubt they have any intentions of moving him. Jae is still on one of the NBA’s better contracts, with one year left at only $7.8 million. If Crowder is included in a trade before the deadline or next summer, I think that’s because the Jazz made a pretty major move.

No Way. Well… Maybe

Dante Exum

Once again, Dante Exum was playing the best basketball we’d seen from him and he finds himself on the injury report. The worst part is that his injuries are more freak accidents than truly injury prone. I believe Utah’s front office still believes firmly in Exum’s future and they aren’t about to trade him while his value is perceived as low. He’s due to make $9-11 million for another 2 years, with that extra $2 million in incentives. The 3rd year of his deal is also non-guaranteed. Dennis Lindsey paid him on potential and I think he wants to see this contract through to reap the benefits of years 2 and 3.

Joe Ingles

Ingles has become a Utah Jazz fan favorite and he’s a locker room leader. As one of the league’s better 3 point shooters, he has been vital to Utah’s playoff runs the last two years. I think it would take a lot to convince anyone running the Jazz to trade a player like Joe. But I still wouldn’t put him in the untradeable category. In the quest for a 3rd star, you have to be willing to make sacrifices and Joe could end up being (the most painful) one.

The Untouchables

Donovan Mitchell

A potential superstar on their rookie deal and under team control for at least 5-6 more years? I’d say there is a negative 100% chance that Donovan Mitchell is traded this year. It would be nearly impossible to get equivalent value in return. Considering what Jazz fans think of Spida, I’d say it is in fact impossible to get equivalent value in return. Donovan Mitchell is going no where for at least as long as his 2nd contract goes.

Rudy Gobert

The one who started it all. Rudy Gobert has been the single most important player in the long term rebuild of the Utah Jazz. The winning percentage when he starts vs. when he hasn’t is significantly different. As the anchor for the league’s best defense, and the reigning defensive player of the year, Rudy is locked in as a Jazzman until at least 2021. I can’t foresee any circumstance in which a trade inquiry isn’t met with Dennis Lindsey hanging up the phone.

Stats according to basketball-reference.com and nba.com. Credit to Aidan Lising for the image.

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