SLC Dunk - NBA Trade Rumor: Utah Jazz expected to be aggressive in trades this summer

[James Hansen]

Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/NBAE via Getty Images

The Utah Jazz are going to be aggressive in trades according to Kevin O’Connor

According to Kevin O’Connor, the Utah Jazz are expected to be aggressive in trades this summer.

The Jazz and Pelicans are two teams expected to be aggressive on the trade market this offseason utilizing their rich supply of draft capital, per @KevinOConnorNBA (https://t.co/E7NHhkhrbi).

Utah owns 15 first-round picks over the next five years.

New Orleans could potentially… pic.twitter.com/VM52Su5wos

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) April 30, 2024​

While talking about the Lakers and their offseason, they will likely look for another star, and O’Connor mentions the Jazz. Here’s what he said:

The Lakers front office has instead maintained flexibility for the future. Entering this offseason, the Lakers can trade three future firsts (2024 or 2025, 2029, and 2031), three first-round swaps (2026, 2028, and 2030), and five second-round picks. Austin Reaves has value as a young player on an incredibly team-friendly contract. And Jalen Hood-Schifino is a young point guard who could be attractive to teams. But the Lakers aren’t the only team with a stash of picks. Even if a star demanded a trade this summer and preferred the Lakers, there are other teams that could easily exceed their offer. Remember in 2017 when Paul George wanted to go to the Lakers but the Thunder made a better offer to the Pacers? History could repeat. League sources expect the Jazz and Pelicans to be aggressive in pursuing trades this summer with their mountains of picks. And the Thunder have more assets than anyone else, giving them the ability to trump just about any offer for any player.

It’s a rumor that matches what we heard from Danny Ainge when he said the Jazz would be “big game hunting” this offseason. But as O’Connor mentions, there is competition for players that will come from more teams than just the Jazz. If a star becomes available, the Jazz can outbid the Lakers but have to contend with the Pelicans and the Thunder if they want to throw their hat in the ring, too.

The other thing to consider is this is also dependent on a star demanding a trade from another team. Maybe that can happen if Giannis wants out of Milwaukee after a disappointing playoff run. Or if Luka wants out of Dallas if they somehow fizzle out against the Clippers, maybe he demands a trade. There are a lot of things to consider, but a lot of these are based on unknown contingencies. Utah, no doubt, is going to make calls and see if they can get a superstar; if that doesn’t happen, they have to adjust the plan.

In Danny Ainge’s end-of-season presser, he talked about a range of possibilities this offseason. If the Jazz strike out on a trade for a star, they may be going to place B, C, or D. And one of those moves was bottoming out for a star in the upcoming draft. It’s interesting to note what’s available from the Lakers, with their 2025, 2029, and 2031 picks being tradeable. Could Utah look at a trade for those picks unprotected with swaps for Lauri Markkanen? To go after someone like Cooper Flagg, they might have to consider it.

Get ready for the offseason, Jazz fans. Things are going to be interesting!

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