Insider Reveals Utah Jazz's Most Pressing Need

There's a lot of work to be done on the Utah Jazz.

Nov 23, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) dribbles the ball against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) after a screen by Utah forward/center John Collins (20) during the second half at the Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images / Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

It's largely been a season to forget for the Utah Jazz across the 2024-25 NBA regular season, as the team has gotten off to their worst start to the year in over a decade, collecting a 5-17 record through the first quarter of their turbulent campaign.

The Jazz are deep within their extensive rebuild process, and it shows when looking at the team's bottom five placement in the league for both offensive and defensive ratings. The roster is many steps away from becoming a serious contender, and this front office has a few moves to make to get to that level.

The current team state of the Jazz is what makes the trade deadline frenzy such a valuable time, and it's why Tony Jones of The Athletic dubbed the trade deadline as the biggest need for Utah heading into the remaining 3/4 of the regular season:

"The annual deadline should be interesting for this Jazz team, considering they have multiple veterans who are playing really good basketball, Jones said. "John Collins has been a revelation this season. Has he been good enough that the Jazz can find a premium asset for him? We are going to find out in the next couple of months."

The upcoming February 6th date could be one where the Jazz get active, especially when it concerns the team's productive veterans on the roster.

John Collins and Collin Sexton have both been bright spots in an otherwise brutal season, both being productive pieces when on the floor for Utah, and could each be coveted assets on the trade market in the coming months. Jordan Clarkson, another veteran on the Jazz, may not have as steep as value as the latter two, but still may be a candidate to watch as a potential mover when dangled on the market.

Especially when circling Jones's mentioned Collins, the value could be at his highest since joining aboard in Salt Lake City. He's averaging 18.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals on 53.5/43.5/92.2 splits. He comes at a steeper cost financially, but any team looking for frontcourt help could utilize the 27-year-old currently on one of the best statistical runs of his career.

All three names have been mentioned in their respective trade rumors in the first few weeks of the year, and those talks should be expected to ramp up as the season transpires. If the Jazz continue to spiral within the depths of the league standings, this front office could truly begin the selling spree to bring in additional young talent or draft assets to help better fit a lengthy timeline.

Needless to be said, keep an eye on the Jazz in the coming weeks of the season as rumors likely see an uptick for each of their three notable veterans. Especially once trade restrictions lift around the league on December 15th, the flexibility for opposing GMs increases, and movement really starts to gain traction.

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