[https://www.slcdunk.com/2024/2/18/24068881/utah-jazz-nba-draft-cooper-flagg-danny-ainge-lauri-markkanen-offseason](https://www.slcdunk.com/2024/2/18/24068881/utah-jazz-nba-draft-cooper-flagg-danny-ainge-lauri-markkanen-offseason)
Agree with the majority of the article and I can definitely see us target Cooper Flagg next year. The Clarkson extension was a contract specifically designed to be traded so I think it is quite likely he is traded in the offseason, to me Sexton is also a likely trade candidate since the question the front office would be asking is can a back court of Sexton and George ever be a legitimate playoff threat ? Given their size and lack of defense, I doubt it.
Then if you look at the western conference standings we are currently 11th and a have a worse team now than the one that got us into this position pre trade deadline. Then the teams that are below us in the Rockets, Grizzlies, even the Spurs with Wemby and cap space project to be better than us next season leaving us as effectively 14th placed team in the west only ahead of Portland. The only way I can see us not being there would be if the older teams (GSW, Lakers, Clippers) fall off a cliff, or we make a win now move in the offseason which I honestly can’t see happening as we’d end up as a first round play off team at best, in a no mans spot similar to the Kings.
In the offseason I predict we take another gamble on a distressed asset someone like DeAndre Hunter who the Hawks probably want to get off their books due to his long term money, injury history and slight logjam at the position, trade veterans for draft assets, continue to bide time and hope the lottery delivers Cooper Flagg to the Utah Jazz. The elephant in the room though is that Markkanen will be in the last year of his deal, will he share the same vision as the front office?
by LevelMeaning8260
3 Comments
I like James a lot but I just can’t find myself agreeing with him and there’s a few reasons
1, he claims Utah won’t want to trade Lauri which implies lots of sitting for him next year, and he has said “well lots of PTO for Lauri” which I just can’t see happening either. (Edit: to clarify he claims this on his streams, separate from the article)
2, unless everyone is on board Utah would need to trim a lot of the guys off the squad to get to being bad enough to being in contention for him because as bad as they are now they aren’t wizards/pistons/spurs/blazers bad
3, Key is going to get better next year, Taylor is going to gain weight but will need some more time, Kessler will continue to develop, they will help a lot.
4, Utah’s movement trajectory has implied that they want to collect a ton of these assets to trade for an already established star. That star situation doesn’t exist yet and you continue churning assets out to make sure you’re ready for it
Bonus: Flagg might not even be the best player in this draft if I’m being honest, Ace Bailey is legit and the following year AJ Dybansta looks like an extremely high upside piece comparable to that of KD which is a huge stretch but still not out of the question, if we are going to eye in on one prospect I just don’t think Flagg is the guy Utah will completely throw the towel in for.
If he’s right though, I am interested to see what management’s long term idea is with guys like Dunn who could be legit pieces to this but are aging
Edit: also on the DeAndre Hunter part, Utah adding him would really just make the team better imo, tough to land a top 3 pick when you’re really just ranked 17-23 in the league
That’s what they said about Wembanyama. They’d have to piss Jazz fans off even more this offseason and trade away Markkannen (and probably other core players would go too) for the Jazz to suck enough to bot 3 next year, and hitting Flagg wouldn’t even be close to a guarantee.
Oh, what a master plan. Getting rid of all the good players for multiple years just to get a CHANCE to draft one specific player in 2025. 14% chance to be exact.
The Jazz are 2 decent players away from being a play off team assuming our rookies keep their growth trajectory.
The Jazz are one star player and one great role player away from being a top 8 team in the NBA with a good shot at a very deep play off run.
Add two years for rookies to get better and one very successful draft pick (remember we don’t only own our own picks) and Utah can really be in the competition.
Or alternatively risk all that for 14% lottery pick. Yeah, sure bud. That must be what the franchise is planning. s/