Does anyone still like this team?

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I like a trade of Donovan for SGA + something from that OKC pick warchest.

Sending Donovan to OKC would just be rude though.

This isn’t a conversation worth having. Management would never have the stomach to move Donovan in the absence of a trade demand. That would go against the entire ethos of the franchise, which is letting fear of not being good get in the way of pursuing greatness.

Candidly, I just don’t believe the talk of “big bad things are gonna happen if we don’t win in the Playoffs.” I don’t think brass will trade Clarkson, Bogey, or Conley this offseason, let alone Rudy or Don. It’s just not how they’ve ever operated.

They will make a tiny incremental change like moving Royce and will justify keeping this roster largely together until it organically falls apart and we are left with nothing. They will sell this small change as the panacea for all problems, some Jazz fans will buy it, and we’ll wash, rinse, repeat this approach until Don demands a trade.

Just watch.

Nah, there is going to be a big change next year. At least one of Mike/Rudy/Bogey will be moved. I'm 99% sure it's going to be Gobert unless they make the Conference Finals this year.

I think Ryan Smith's main goals are: be a playoff team, don't pay the LT for years on years, and keep Mitchell in Utah. So the obvious move is trade Gobert. It will make Mitchell happier in some aspects because he won't have to deal with Gobert anymore (tho long term he and Gobert are going to look back on this time period and be sad they didn't put more effort into making their relationship more positive).

The wild card is if someone swoops in with a Godfather type offer for Mitchell and Ainge is able to convince Smith that they can be better without Mitchell if they do the trade.

I see close to zero chance that Smith/Ainge blow it up and trade everyone.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I like a trade of Donovan for SGA + something from that OKC pick warchest.

Sending Donovan to OKC would just be rude though.

This isn’t a conversation worth having. Management would never have the stomach to move Donovan in the absence of a trade demand. That would go against the entire ethos of the franchise, which is letting fear of not being good get in the way of pursuing greatness.

Candidly, I just don’t believe the talk of “big bad things are gonna happen if we don’t win in the Playoffs.” I don’t think brass will trade Clarkson, Bogey, or Conley this offseason, let alone Rudy or Don. It’s just not how they’ve ever operated.

They will make a tiny incremental change like moving Royce and will justify keeping this roster largely together until it organically falls apart and we are left with nothing. They will sell this small change as the panacea for all problems, some Jazz fans will buy it, and we’ll wash, rinse, repeat this approach until Don demands a trade and we are in an endless, assetless “rebuild,” which is a polite way of saying a multi-year free fall.

And we’ll be wearing that godawful bumblebee color scheme all the while (side note: at the Clips game a few weeks ago my wife asked me why everything in the arena was black and yellow. I explained the rebrand. She thought the new color scheme was awful).

Just watch this all unfold.

OKC a smart team. They not going to unload their treasure trove of assets and SGA for Mitchell. They are going to use those draft assets to get a player to put next to SGA (so Utah two years from now when they blow it all up post-Gobert).

 

[Elizah Huge]

The Mitchell for SGA + picks talk is extremely dumb. What incentive does OKC have doing a deal like that? None.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Nah, there is going to be a big change next year. At least one of Mike/Rudy/Bogey will be moved. I'm 99% sure it's going to be Gobert unless they make the Conference Finals this year.

I think Ryan Smith's main goals are: be a playoff team, don't pay the LT for years on years, and keep Mitchell in Utah. So the obvious move is trade Gobert. It will make Mitchell happier in some aspects because he won't have to deal with Gobert anymore (tho long term he and Gobert are going to look back on this time period and be sad they didn't put more effort into making their relationship more positive).

The wild card is if someone swoops in with a Godfather type offer for Mitchell and Ainge is able to convince Smith that they can be better without Mitchell if they do the trade.

I see close to zero chance that Smith/Ainge blow it up and trade everyone.

Pretty much this. We become Wizards west with the main goal of "win enough and do things to keep Donovan".

If we don't make the second round I think Mike is gone for sure... if the offers are good enough for Rudy then I think he's out too.

On the godfather offer... I agree as well... It would need to be like the Knicks jumping into the top 4 of the draft and then deciding they can't wait any longer... they send their top 4 pick, a couple unprotected future picks, pick swaps, one young guard, and likely Randle for salary match but might be able to sub Fournier/AB or Noel or some ****.

 

[Jingled]

The Jazz are going to trade Rudy and take a major step back, Rudy will end up on a team that's not as good as the Jazz and a coach that doesn't utilize his unique skill set the way Quin does. Both Rudy and Donovan are going to be miserable and regret not being able to make things work as teammates.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

OKC a smart team. They not going to unload their treasure trove of assets and SGA for Mitchell. They are going to use those draft assets to get a player to put next to SGA (so Utah two years from now when they blow it all up post-Gobert).

If OKC trades for Donovan its because they got a top 3 pick and decide to flip the switch... which means they'd keep SGA. Core of the team becomes SGA, Giddey (if he isn't traded), Donovan, whatever top 3 guy they get, Dort...

We'd get some future picks or something... I don't see it as a great match. I could see NOLA doing something before OKC. If I am Ainge I don't do a Donovan deal unless it has a top 4 pick in this year's draft plus some extra stuff... OKC wouldn't trade that pick.

I could see the Kings thinking maybe they should flip Fox and their pick for Donovan before I could see OKC doing something.

 

[homeytennis]

No one has mentioned moving Clarkson, He seems to rehabbed himself from the many poor showings he had earlier. He might command a playable piece or draft pick.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

The Jazz are going to trade Rudy and take a major step back, Rudy will end up on a team that's not as good as the Jazz and a coach that doesn't utilize his unique skill set the way Quin does. Both Rudy and Donovan are going to be miserable and regret not being able to make things work as teammates.

I've wondered on Rudy's trade value in part because of how we use him. I think it will either be a surprise - either a team giving way more than we thought or way less. I don't think Ainge will do a horrible deal unless things get really bad in the locker room.

I also wonder if we could organize a one year stealth tank next year. We own our pick next year... so do like Portland did this year. Obviously wouldn't be the plan going into the season but get a new coach, get guys who are younger but rising for Rudy, move Mike and if Donovan needs some rest or the season goes sideways you can sneak into the bottom of the west fairly easily.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

No one has mentioned moving Clarkson, He seems to rehabbed himself from the many poor showings he had earlier. He might command a playable piece or draft pick.

I think they move him if they can get off his contract completely or if they get something solid... If his trade value is still bad just keep him. Our most important pieces are Rudy, Donovan, Bogey, Mike... JC and Royce are both movable imo...

If you are keeping Donovan then I think you have to move him to PG as that is the next logical thing to throw against the wall... which is why I think Mike is moved this offseason.

 

[homeytennis]

I think they move him if they can get off his contract completely or if they get something solid... If his trade value is still bad just keep him. Our most important pieces are Rudy, Donovan, Bogey, Mike... JC and Royce are both movable imo...

If you are keeping Donovan then I think you have to move him to PG as that is the next logical thing to throw against the wall... which is why I think Mike is moved this offseason.

I could see Mike and Rudy Gay being moved together. His comments about Gobert's salary didn't strike me as a team first attitude.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Only western team that will for sure be tanking next year is Houston. I don't think OKC flips the switch next year but I think they decide to stop actively hurting their chances at winning a few extra games... so long as they get a top 4 guy. They have enough extra picks to land top tier talent without creating a dog **** culture.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I could see Mike and Rudy Gay being moved together. His comments about Gobert's salary didn't strike me as a team first attitude.

Gay will likely be moved but that will be a cap move.