The most underrated move of the year..

[Elizah Huge]

Utah Jazz trade Enes Kanter to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a first-round pick, a second-round pick, Grant Jerrett, and Tibor Pleiss.

Kevin Pelton (ESPN)
Because Oklahoma City traded its first-round pick (top-18 protected) to Cleveland (and then Denver, and now Philadelphia), the Jazz won't see this pick until two years after that trade is complete -- 2017 at the earliest. The Jazz also get Tibor Pleiss, who's not your typical international player thrown into a deadline deal simply to satisfy the requirements that both teams get something. Pleiss has real value; the Thunder tried to bring him to the NBA this season, per Yahoo! Sports, and planned to do so this summer when his buyout becomes less prohibitive. He projects as a possible backup center based on translated European stats.

Ben Golliver (SI)
This was nice work by Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey to make a first-round pick appear out of thin air. Utah walks away with one big asset (the first-round pick), one smaller asset (the second-round pick) and two potential assets (Pleiss and Jerrett) in exchange a marginal player who had one foot out the door and some short-term financial pain. That's a pretty solid haul for a young team that's in talent acquisition mode as it attempts to find its footing.

Along with the assets the Jazz got in return for Kanter, the biggest fruit of their labor was Gobert was inserted into the starting line-up for good.

Rudy Gobert is averaging 10.5 PPG, 14.5 RPG, 3 BPG, 60.5% from the field, and the Jazz are 10-2, since trading Kanter.

The national media is starting to take notice - https://probasketballtalk.nbcsports...ow-much-hardware-it-will-take-to-make-amends/

Interesting facts and tidbits from the article:

If the 2013 draft were re-done – with consideration to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nerlens Noel, Victor Oladipo, Michael Carter-Williams, Mason Plumlee and everyone else – Gobert makes a compelling case to go No. 1 overall.

Gobert leads the league in opponent field-goal percentage at the rim when he’s defending it (at least three shots defended at rim per game) at 39%.

He is entrenched as a starter now – and likely for years to come. But he already came off the bench in enough games, 45, to clinch his eligibility for the 6th Man of the Year award. No player currently eligible has produced more win shares than Gobert at 6.5.

All in all, no player has increased their win shares from last season more than Gobert (0.4 to 6.5).

I love me some Rudy Gobert, he's 7'2, only going to get better, this team is going to be dangerous for the next few years +. The rest of the NBA better be on lookout if they aren't already. The Jazz have a legit superstar in the making in their hands and it is so awesome because we all have been waiting for this moment. The future is bright my friends, we better get some shades on.

 

[Stifle Tower]

It was a great trade for OKC, too. They got a highly motivated player at a very cheap salary to fill-in while Adams was out. And now Ibaka is injured (knee soreness). Without Enes, OKC could have slipped out of the playoffs. Now they're still fighting with New Orleans for the last spot.

They might even have Kanter next year, too, at $7.5M - if he can't get a big deal and decides to do what Monroe did (play for the QO). Giving up a likely late first, which could even turn into a couple of seconds, and a minor talent in Pleiss is nothing.

As you said, Utah HAD to make a move to keep Gobert happy. It was clear Rudy and Derrick were going to be the starters going forward and Enes didn't want to be the 3rd big, nor could Utah afford him. OKC got a steal. Utah at least got "something" instead of having him just sign a contract they wouldn't have wanted to match.

 

[Elizah Huge]

It was a great trade for OKC, too. They got a highly motivated player at a very cheap salary to fill-in while Adams was out. And now Ibaka is injured (knee soreness). Without Enes, OKC could have slipped out of the playoffs. Now they're still fighting with New Orleans for the last spot.

They might even have Kanter next year, too, at $7.5M - if he can't get a big deal and decides to do what Monroe did (play for the QO). Giving up a likely late first, which could even turn into a couple of seconds, and a minor talent in Pleiss is nothing.

As you said, Utah HAD to make a move to keep Gobert happy. It was clear Rudy and Derrick were going to be the starters going forward and Enes didn't want to be the 3rd big, nor could Utah afford him. OKC got a steal. Utah at least got "something" instead of having him just sign a contract they wouldn't have wanted to match.

Totally agree with all of this. The Jazz did offer Kanter a 4-year 32 mil extension, but he wanted a deal close to Hayward's (4-year 60 mil) which is too much for him, imo.

 

[Stifle Tower]

Totally agree with all of this. The Jazz did offer Kanter a 4-year 32 mil extension, but he wanted a deal close to Hayward's (4-year 60 mil) which is too much for him, imo.

Someone is going to pay that kind of money - if not this summer, then next, when craziness will rule the marketplace. Boozer got a huge deal, so did Jefferson. Defense is often overlooked when you see a 20/10 player. Enes is a very good offensive player and a GREAT rebounder. Had Gobert not exploded this season, Lindsey would probably be hoping he could convince Kanter to sign for $13M or so. And we'd be hoping our bigs would be a decent duo and still counting on Exum and our 2015 pick to be the missing stars we need.

 

[The Blue Elephant]

If Gobert blew up last year instead of this year Kanter would have been gone long ago imo.

 

[TheStormofWar]

If Gobert blew up last year instead of this year Kanter would have been gone long ago imo.

All I have to say. Ty was a friggin' idiot.

 

[Coach Ellis]

If Gobert blew up last year instead of this year Kanter would have been gone long ago imo.

If Gobert and Exum had been inserted into the starting lineup with Kanter as the 3rd big (until he was traded) and Burke off the bench, the Jazz would be competing with OKC and NO for the last playoff spot in the west. They'll keep getting better as they continue to develop. So excited for the future of this franchise.

 

[My2Cents]

They might even have Kanter next year, too, at $7.5M - if he can't get a big deal and decides to do what Monroe did

Without the trade this would have been our headache.

 

[Coach Ellis]

Without the trade this would have been our headache.

Headache would have been a migraine considering that his cap hold (over $11 million) would have handcuffed the Jazz into staying with the status quo unless they could find a sign and trade deal for him. I much prefer the flexibility, and I really like Kanter.

 

[Getting Traded]

All I have to say. Ty was a friggin' idiot.

I said this three years ago, Ty's first full season, and got attacked left and right -- I think Thriller was the only one at that time who agreed with me.

 

[Elizah Huge]

Headache would have been a migraine considering that his cap hold (over $11 million) would have handcuffed the Jazz into staying with the status quo unless they could find a sign and trade deal for him. I much prefer the flexibility, and I really like Kanter.

It's one of those rare trades that benefited both teams. OKC can worry about re-signing him though, that's fine with me.

 

[franklin]

I'm getting ****in sick off the Kanter love the national media is giving him post-trade. All that stuff he did in Utah wasn't dick but now it matters. #liltownsyndrome

 

[Coach Ellis]

I'm getting ****in sick off the Kanter love the national media is giving him post-trade. All that stuff he did in Utah wasn't dick but now it matters. #liltownsyndrome

His team is winning. OKC was a good situation for him to end up in - for this year. I'm interested to see if the Thunder actually go anywhere in the playoffs. Can't count on a triple double every night to save you. Jazz should have just benched him when it became clear that Rudy was going to be the long-term starter at C and that he and Favors could play together. I'd have traded him to an Eastern Conference team, but that's me.

 

[flex633]

I have a friend who's an OKC fan who texts me every time he posts a double double. He neglects the fact that the team leaks points when he's out there.