Will the Utah Jazz trade Kelly Olynyk?

The former Gonzaga standout is entering the final year of his contract with the Jazz

With the 2023-24 NBA season less than a month away, trade rumors are heating up across the league. For a team like the Utah Jazz, stacked with draft capital and coveted young assets on the roster, speculation about a potential deal involving some of the franchise's veterans has surfaced, mainly around former Gonzaga Bulldogs standout Kelly Olynyk.

Olynyk, 32, is in the final year of his contract and is set to make $12.19 million in 2023-24 after Utah fully guaranteed it in the offseason. The move was considered somewhat of a formality, as the 10-year NBA veteran started 68 games in his first season in Salt Lake City, averaging 12.7 points and 6.2 rebounds. The Jazz exceeded expectations in 2022-23, though a rebuild could be in the cards heading into next season.

According to NBA insider Tim MacMahon on the Lowe Post Podcast, the Jazz are expected to be very active in pursuing trades this season, which makes sense given the expiring contracts of Olynyk, Talen Horton-Tucker and Colin Sexton. The team has the draft capital to improve as well, with 11 first-round picks across the next six offseasons courtesy of previous deals involving Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland and Rudy Gobert to Minnesota. Given Olynyk's age and contract situation, he'll be a prime trade candidate for a contending team in need of a veteran forward who can stretch the floor.

In a proposed deal from Bleacher Report, the Jazz would send Olynyk to the New Orleans Pelicans for center Jonas Valanciunas and a 2030 second-round pick. Similar to Olynyk, the 31-year-old Valanciunas is also in the final year of his contract. The 7-foot Lithuanian averaged 15.9 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists last season.

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While neither side necessarily gets younger in the hypothetical trade, a deal surrounding the two veterans makes sense for both parties. Pairing Valanciunas with Zion Williamson in the frontcourt hasn't been beneficial for New Orleans, which was just plus 2.2. points per 100 possessions with both on the floor at the same time in 2022-23. When Williamson played without Valanciunas, the Pelicans were plus 12.1 per 100 possessions.

With Olynyk, who shot 39.4% from deep last season, Williamson would have more opportunities to drive to the rim without an extra defender waiting for him in the paint. Olynyk might not be a feared rim protector, but he competes on the defensive end and knows where to be at the right time.

For the Jazz, they will still be set up for the future without giving up any draft capital or salary cap space. Valanciunas could be flipped at the trade deadline if he's productive but the team isn't in contention for a playoff spot by January. The Jazz also have 21-year-old center Walker Kessler as an option to start in the frontcourt.

Olynyk's modern game can fit into just about any NBA offense, even at this stage in his career. He proved he has plenty left in the tank at the 2023 FIBA World Cup as a key piece to Team Canada's third-place finish over the Americans, securing his country a spot in next summer's Olympic Games in the process. A veteran with a high basketball IQ, Olynyk brings value to any competitive organization that's in a position to win right now.