Utah Jazz Revealed as Best Landing Spot for Former Top 5 Pick

There's one team that continues to appear in trade talks with the Utah Jazz.

Dec 19, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) drives against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) in the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Most of the big movements during this NBA offseason have largely come to a close as we sit close to three weeks from the start of free agency in the middle of July. However, there remain several solid players left over on the market that could still be some impact additions late in the summer cycle.

When it comes to the Utah Jazz, there remains ample room to bring in another piece to the roster. They hold the most cap space available in the NBA and have yet to make any significant adjustments to their squad outside of swapping out Kris Dunn for Drew Eubanks. The stage is set for Danny Ainge to make something else happen in free agency before entering next season.

Bleacher Report sees a potential fit between Utah and four-year Cleveland Cavaliers wing Isaac Okoro, who still remains in restricted free agency without a deal in place for next season. Andy Bailey proposes that the Jazz try their hand at the former 5th-overall pick in an effort to bring a necessary three-and-D body into the rotation.

"The Jazz don't have many pure wings under contract, and Okoro is only 23 years old. He fits the timeline of Utah's mostly young and developing roster. If he proves to be too good for a team that should be tanking and angling for lottery odds in 2025, a three-and-D wing on a reasonable contract could have trade value in February."

- Andy Bailey, Bleacher Report

Okoro finished last season in Cleveland averaging 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 49.0% shooting from the field and much-improved 39.1% clip from three-point range. Yet, where he really stands out is his defensive ability on the perimeter, making him one of the most impactful wing lockdowns in the league.

That's a skill set that the Jazz could utilize heavily heading into next season. Utah ranked dead last in the NBA for defensive rating for their 2023-24 campaign and lost out on some solid wing pieces at last year's trade deadline when shipping off Simone Fontecchio and Ochai Agbaji.

Forward strides have to be made on the defense for the Jazz to be a competent team next year, and while bringing in Okoro doesn't solve every hole on that end of the floor, it's a step in the right direction.

Utah can offer up a low-risk, high-reward contract to bring him in, and can even establish himself as a long-time rotational piece as the Jazz keep building up this team. At just 23 years old, a long career can still lie ahead of the Auburn product, and it may just end up continuing in Salt Lake City.

---

Follow Inside The Jazz on Facebook and Twitter/X, and subscribe to YouTube for breaking Jazz news videos and live streams!