Bleacher Report Suggest Jazz Blockbuster Upgrade with All-Star Point Guard

Let the in season Utah Jazz rumors begin.

Nov 9, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) passes the ball past Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Utah Jazz are approaching another season of rebuilding a franchise, searching for an All-Star talent to pair up with Lauri Markkanen. There was some chatter this summer that Utah would be going “Big Game Hunting,” but nothing came to fruition.

So, that doesn’t mean an upgrade during the season isn't on the table. According to The Bleacher Report, the Jazz should trade for Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young in an attempt to get back in the playoff conversation this season.

"The likeliest outcome for this Utah Jazz season is a couple months of pluckier-than-expected play, followed by a couple rebuilding trades that send veterans elsewhere and a subsequent late-season tank job."

"That's the script they followed in 2022-23 and 2023-24, and there may still be some value to be extracted from trades involving Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton.

"But a true tank job would probably require moving Lauri Markkanen. And with him truly unavailable (because of the timing of his extension, he's not trade-eligible until after the trade deadline), Utah could justify going the other way."

"It has plenty of salary-matching contracts to get to Young's number. The Jazz have tons of draft capital to offer, too." --

"And even if it may take a couple of years to build up a supporting cast worthy of title contention, a top two of Young and Markkanen would be one of the best offensive duos in the NBA." -- Andy Bailey

It’s valid that Utah may have too much talent to tank the 2024-25 season. The oddsmakers are projecting Utah’s win total to hover around 30 games. If that holds up, Utah will most likely be picking at the backend of the lottery for the third consecutive year. 

Utah may need to make some trades soon if it intends to truely tank the season. Jordan Clarkson, John Collins, and Collin Sexton would be the likely candidates to be moved. However, the deals would have to happen during the infant stages of the season rather than waiting until the 2025 trade deadline.

Markkanen and Young would certainly make a formidable 1-2 punch on the offensive end of the court, but I’m not sure about defensively. Pairing Young with Keyonte George would leave Utah vulnerable against backcourts with elite size and length. The Jazz drafted Taylor Hendricks and Cody Williams in back-to-back years to help with the resistance against the elite wings in the league.

Also, acquiring a player as ball-dominant as Young may not bode well for George, either. The Hawks tried it with Dejounte Murray, but that didn’t go well. Although there are some differences, Murray and George are similar in that they both excel with the ball in their hands.

From this point of view, Utah's best option is to stay the course. There are too many unknowns on the roster to make a commitment to Young at this point. The 2025 draft class is loaded with talent, and Utah should do what it can to land a top-5 pick. If the wins do start stacking up, the Jazz would need to pivot quickly and trade some of their veterans sooner rather than later.

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