Rival GM Issues Bold Claim on Jazz's Trade Deadline Plans

The Utah Jazz could be getting active ahead of this year's trade deadline.

Oct 27, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge before a game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Utah Jazz have clearly positioned themselves among the frontrunners for a top-three spot in this coming offseason's NBA draft lottery, which puts them in an interesting spot when looking ahead to February's trade deadline.

The Jazz are currently 5-17, rank 14th in the Western Conference standings, and have a good bit of veteran talent lying on the roster who could be hot commodities around the league the farther we navigate into the 2024-25 season.

And per some of the latest insider reporting, Utah and its front office are interested in doing business on the trade market sooner than some may expect.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein on his Substack, the Jazz are among a group of three "primary" teams who have been dubbed as "clear-cut sellers," with interest in making the right move happen right now:

"Washington, Utah and Brooklyn, league sources say, are the primary teams that have been established league-wide as clear-cut sellers. When you call them, they’re willing to make a deal right now,” said one rival executive."

- Marc Stein, NBA insider

Utah has made their intentions clear from the jump this season. This group was looking to embark on a year highly emphasizing their young talent and prioritizing development, rather than pushing to be competitive early in the year as they've done the previous two seasons.

With that in mind, it makes for an intriguing case surrounding some of their veterans on the roster and their availability-- including John Collins, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson. All are likely to have some form of interest around the NBA in the coming weeks, and if an offer comes across the desk of Danny Ainge that he likes, the Jazz likely won't hesitate to pull the trigger.

It's a similar approach the Jazz have had across the past two deadlines. Two years ago, they traded Mike Conley and a few other pieces away, and just last year, we saw Kelly Olynyk, Ochai Agbaji, and Simone Fontecchio find their way out as well, considering the right package came Ainge's way.

If the Utah veterans of this year continue their current level of play, it's easy to see things going in the same direction this year, possibly with additional urgency. The Jazz could still benefit from a few more components to their rebuild, like young prospects and draft picks, and opposing GMs might have some to offer in the coming weeks of the season.

The Jazz will have no shortage of callers from around the league leading up to the NBA trade deadline, which approaches on February 6th, 2025.

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