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Sarah Todd
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Sarah Todd poses for a photo at the Deseret News in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019.
SALT LAKE CITY — This week’s episode of mailbag questions answered by yours truly comes on the heels of the Utah Jazz’s 10-game win streak being snapped in New Orleans on Thursday and the return of Mike Conley in Saturday night’s win over Sacramento.
If that wasn’t enough to start some conversation, we’re also getting closer to the trade deadline, so there’s plenty to talk about.
What moves, if any, do you see the jazz pull off before the trade deadline? #sundayjazzmailbag
— Kyle (@kyleutah) January 17, 2020
There are obviously some untouchable players on the Jazz roster and we all know who they are. Outside of that it’s important to remember that if you’re putting a player into a trade package, the return has to be worth it both in contract worth and length, as well as on the court.
The way I see it, there are few players that the Jazz would be willing to part with given that the whole reason for the Jazz to make a move would be to enhance the team for the postseason. And the chance of landing an upgrade that would be helpful in the playoffs for what they would have to give up is slim.
All that being said, there are options. With some young players relegated to the bench, a couple of second-round picks at their disposal, and with Ed Davis out of the rotation, the Jazz have some things to play with in the way of a package to offer another team. It’s very possible they look for some help at the backup center position.
This is not a complete or comprehensive list of possible trade targets, just a few ideas off the top of my head.
The Hornets’ Willy Hernangomez has been racking up DNPs in Charlotte and although he wouldn’t be a huge upgrade over Davis or Tony Bradley, as a big man who can shoot from deep he does provide spacing from the center position that the Jazz don’t currently have.
The 76ers’ Kyle O’Quinn is another guy who has had trouble getting minutes this season and while he is not as nimble and quick as Davis or Bradley, he adds a level of strength and athleticism that could make him harder to get past when the game slows down in the postseason, and his $2 million expiring contract is as friendly as they come.
The Pistons’ Markieff Morris would be an interesting target for the Jazz. If we’re looking at how things will shake out in the playoffs it’s possible that the Jazz could be in a tough position if and when teams elect to play small ball. Bringing in a power forward like Morris to be the small-ball center could pay off. He comes on a small contract at $3.2 million with a player option for next season.
We all know Mitchell likes to get the ball in his hands, Ingles is extremely solid also with the ball for Pick and roll, at one point, Conley is also a guy who need the ball in his hands... Not too much of the same type of player on first unit ? 32M from bench, realistic or no ?
— Francis Gagne (@GagneMdx) January 18, 2020
When a team has an abundance of playmakers and ball-handlers who are able to space the floor and demand attention from the defense, it’s not a bad problem to have.
The best example I can give of this going in the other direction is the problem that the Sixers have with Ben Simmons. They have plenty of people who can make plays and work well with the ball in their hands, but the biggest blight on the team is that one of those players, Simmons, does not add space or demand attention from the defense from the perimeter and it allows the defense to collapse into the paint and help out easily.
Yes, Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, and Mike Conley all work well with the ball in their hands, but they are not zeros off the ball and have proven to be perfectly capable in stints without the ball in their hands. I really do not see this as a problem for the Jazz and I don’t think they do either.
Submitted via email:
Q: Sarah, are the Jazz really going to move Royce O’Neale, who has guarded the opposing team’s best players, to the bench for Mike Conley?
A: I think that there is too much fan emphasis put on starting lineups. The more important lineup is the one that closes the game and for the Jazz, if a game needs to be closed out on the defensive end, I guarantee that you’ll see O’Neale out there.
Additionally, there is nothing stopping Quin Snyder from changing up the timing or order that he rotates in subs. NBA coaches all have ways of staggering their starters and mixing in bench players throughout the game and that’s what you’re going to see with the Jazz.
On Saturday night against the Kings, in Conley’s return, Snyder used a few different lineups, some that we haven’t seen used before, and there is probably going to be a period — especially while Conley is on a minutes restriction and slowly coming back from his injury — of experimentation with the lineups and substitution patterns.
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