Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz may be off to an unexpectedly strong start to the 2022-23 NBA season. However, the franchise's offseason suggests that Utah is looking to build for the future.

Over the summer, the Jazz traded star center Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves and dealt standout guard Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Royce O'Neale was sent to the Brooklyn Nets. The message those moves sent was clear. Utah is focused on winning in the long term, not this season.

Yet when it comes to one remaining player, guard Jordan Clarkson, the Jazz appear unwilling to deal.

"I’ve heard the same stuff that other people have reported, that they are just super reluctant to move Clarkson," ESPN's Zach Lowe said on his Lowe Post podcast. ”They’re really fond of him for whatever reason so I would peg him as the least likely of all these Jazz guys to get traded."

This is a stance that Utah must change as it looks to build a perennial contender beyond 2022. As Tony Jones of The Athletic noted, Utah's plan is to take as many swings at the draft as possible.

"What the Jazz have done for themselves better than the last rebuild is give themselves more bites at the apple," Jones wrote. "It can't be stated enough how important it is to essentially control the draft of two teams for five consecutive years."

While trades to the Timberwolves, Nets and Cavaliers might not yield lottery picks—Utah's selection alone will give the Jazz a shot at Victor Wembanyama, if they don't keep winning—but it can bring in long-term pieces of the franchise.

The 30-year-old Clarkson is not that. He's been valuable early this year—he averaged 18.8 points while shooting over 40 percent from three-point range heading into Friday's game—but he may not be long for the franchise.

Clarkson has a player option for the 2023-24 season and may not want any part of the rebuilding process. If the Jazz don't want to risk losing Clarkson for nothing, they must move him before February's trade deadline.

And the Jazz can likely get something of value for the Missouri product. Earlier this month, Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported that the Phoenix Suns have eyed Clarkson in a potential Jae Crowder deal.

"Clarkson, one of the many veterans thought to be available in Utah, is one dynamic guard the Suns have inquired about landing in exchange for Crowder, sources said," Fischer wrote.

Fischer believes that a Crowder trade could result in him receiving a buyout from the Jazz. In that scenario, the Suns would almost certainly include some enticing draft compensation to facilitate the deal.

Clarkson could also be a centerpiece in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers. According to The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, L.A. was close to offloading Russell Westbrook to the Jazz before Utah sent Bojan Bogdanović to the Detroit Pistons.

Per O'Connor, the Lakers and Jazz could re-engage in trade talks this season:

"Utah has been connected to the Lakers for months, too. League sources say that before the Jazz sent Bojan Bogdanovic to the Pistons, the Lakers offered Westbrook, a future first-round pick, and second-rounders for Bogdanovic and others. Sources expect the Lakers and Jazz to resume talks later in the season with some combination of other players discussed. (Utah has Jordan Clarkson, Mike Conley, and Rudy Gay—three veterans who can all shoot.)"

Would the Jazz take on Westbrook for a partial season in order to obtain more future draft capital? Given the team's rebuilding plan, it would make sense. Given the fact that Clarkson could walk next spring anyway, making him available would also be logical.

And perhaps Utah is open to dealing Clarkson, only privately. Perhaps the Jazz are feigning reluctance in an effort to maximize his trade value. Theoretically, they'll get a bigger return by showcasing Clarkson in a prominent role early than by representing him as a trade chip.

When it comes time to actually flip the switch on a deal, however, Clarkson shouldn't be off-limits. The Jazz may be stringing together some wins now, but their success is highly unlikely to last all season. Their future success may depend on their ability to turn aging role players like Clarkson into young cornerstones of the franchise.

The Utah Jazz are one of the NBA's most surprising teams at 4-1 and are reportedly determined to hold onto at least one veteran member of their core.

ESPN's Zach Lowe said the Jazz are currently "super reluctant" to part ways with guard Jordan Clarkson.

“I’ve heard the same stuff that other people have reported that they are just super reluctant to move Clarkson," Lowe said on his Lowe Post podcast. ”They’re really fond of him for whatever reason so I would peg him as the least likely of all these Jazz guys to get traded.”

Clarkson is off to a stellar start to the 2022-23 season, averaging 18.8 points, 5.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game while appearing as a regular starter for the first time in seven years. He's currently shooting a career-high 42.9 percent from three-point range.

While Clarkson is playing the best basketball of his career, it's hard to find a logical reason behind the front office's reluctance to trade him. Utah started a full-scale rebuild this offseason, jettisoning stars Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland) and Rudy Gobert (Minnesota) in exchange for hauls that included mismatched veterans and future first-round picks.

Clarkson is a 30-year-old sixth man who can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He's old enough to be out of his playing prime by the time the Jazz are capable of competing again and enough of an immediate-impact player that contenders would likely give up a protected first-round pick in trade talks.

In other words, Clarkson is the exact type of player rebuilding franchises seek to move.

It's possible, if not likely, the Jazz's front office softens on their stance as the season progresses. Utah isn't going to keep winning games at this rate, and Clarkson's performance will eventually regress back to his career mean.

When that happens, there will be any number of scoring-hungry teams looking to make a deal.

The Utah Jazz announced guard Collin Sexton was ruled out for the remainder of Wednesday's game against the Houston Rockets with a left oblique contusion.

Sexton is in his first season with the Jazz after they acquired him from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a deal that most notably sent three-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland as Utah continues its rebuild and roster overhaul. The former Alabama star, who was a restricted free agent, inked a four-year, $72 million deal as part of the sign-and-trade.

The 23-year-old has averaged 12.3 points on 40.0 percent shooting, 2.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 2022-23.

The Cavs selected Sexton with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft. He had his best season in 2020-21, when he averaged a career-high 24.3 points on 47.5 percent shooting and 4.4 assists.

Unfortunately, the Alabama product's 2021-22 season ended after 11 games when he suffered a torn left meniscus in a Nov. 7 game against the New York Knicks.

Thankfully, Sexton "made a complete recovery" and was cleared for full basketball activities, according to a June 20 report from Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Without Sexton, look for the Jazz to call more on backcourt options Jordan Clarkson, Malik Beasley and Talen Horton-Tucker.

The Los Angeles Lakers are off to an 0-3 start and may need to make a trade before a second straight season slips away.

That could reportedly lead to more phone calls with the Utah Jazz.

According to Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer, the Purple and Gold offered Utah a package that included Russell Westbrook, a future first-round pick and second-rounders in a potential trade that could have landed them Bojan Bogdanović, but the Jazz ultimately traded the forward to the Detroit Pistons.

Yet O'Connor reported the two teams could "resume talks later in the season with some combination of other players discussed" and pointed to Jordan Clarkson, Mike Conley and Rudy Gay as three possible options.

To say there should be concern in Los Angeles would be an understatement.

After all, this team is loaded with future Hall of Famers and didn't even qualify for the play-in tournament last season. While the Lakers fired head coach Frank Vogel, they didn't make many significant changes to the roster even after a summer of Westbrook trade rumors.

Westbrook struggled to adjust to a new role in his first season and isn't the type of outside shooter who can consistently take advantage of the spacing created by playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

After shooting 29.8 percent from deep in 2021-22, he is shooting 28.9 percent from the field and 8.3 percent from three-point range through three games this season. He was even benched at the end of Sunday's loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Lakers as a team are shooting a league-worst 21.2 percent from beyond the arc in the early going in 2022-23, and James even recognized during a press conference that "we're not a team constructed of great shooting."

Bogdanović could have helped that considering he is a career 39.3 percent shooter from deep who connected on 50.0 percent of his looks in Detroit's first three games this season.

Conley, Clarkson and Gay are all capable shooters who are better suited to playing next to a ball-dominant player like James. And the Jazz may be 3-0 in a surprise start, but they are also building toward the future after trading Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Bogdanović this offseason.

A quick start to the season likely won't stop them from adding future draft picks in a deal with the Lakers if the right one presents itself.

The Milwaukee Bucks reportedly expressed interest in trading for Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson this offseason but were unable to reach a trade agreement.

"Milwaukee showed a lot of interest in him," Tony Jones of The Athletic said on The Bill Riley Show. "But the Jazz would have had to take back George Hill in a potential trade, and they weren’t going to do that. That was kind of a non-starter for them. But other than Milwaukee, I don’t think there’s really been a serious suitor for Jordan."

Clarkson is one of several Jazz veterans who could likely be had via trade for the right price as the team embarks on a rebuild. Utah already traded Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanović and Patrick Beverley earlier this offseason.

Clarkson, 30, will make $13.3 million this season and has a player option at $14.3 million for 2023-24. He averaged 16.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 41.9 percent from the floor last season, continuing to stand out as one of the league's premier bench scorers.

The Bucks have quietly been aggressive on the trade market looking to fill out their roster. ESPN's Zach Lowe reported Milwaukee expressed interest in Jerami Grant before he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, and they're expected to be in the race for disgruntled Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder.

From a Jazz perspective, it seems a little odd that taking back the contract of George Hill was a "nonstarter" in Clarkson trade talks. Hill will make just $4 million this season, a pittance in NBA salary circles. While he does not fit in the team's window, Hill could take a buyout for $1.3 million and then sign elsewhere for his veteran's minimum ($2.7 million) and still make the same salary. That's a small cost of business at the NBA level, particularly if there were draft picks involved in Milwaukee's offer.

The Suns could use Hill as part of their rotation, so Milwaukee may find a more natural trade fit in Crowder.

The Utah Jazz reportedly continued their offseason fire sale Thursday by trading forward Bojan Bogdanović to the Detroit Pistons.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Jazz will receive center Kelly Olynyk and guard Saben Lee in return.

Tony Jones of The Athletic reported in June that Bogdanović was one of the players on Utah's roster who was expected to draw "significant interest" on the trade market this summer.

The 33-year-old was a key rotation player for the Jazz since he signed a four-year deal with the team in 2019. In 69 games in 2021-22, he was Utah's second-leading scorer with 18.1 points per game, which trailed only Donovan Mitchell.

Bogdanović added 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from three-point range.

After beginning his professional career in Europe, the Croatian joined the NBA in 2014 and signed a three-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets. He was traded to the Washington Wizards in 2017 and signed with the Indiana Pacers later that year. He spent two seasons in Indiana before joining Utah.

The Jazz are a team in transition following the surprising resignation of head coach Quin Snyder on June 5. He guided the team to a 49-33 record last season, but Utah was ousted in the first round of the postseason by the Dallas Mavericks in six games. He was replaced by former Boston Celtics assistant Will Hardy.

Bogdanović wasn't the only player on the move this offseason. Utah traded three-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Jazz also parted ways with center Rudy Gobert, sending the three-time Defensive Player of the Year to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Both deals were in exchange for a haul of players and draft picks, setting up Utah to build for the future.

By acquiring Bogdanović, Detroit is getting a sharpshooter who can stretch the floor on offense. While the seven-year NBA veteran isn't a game-changer by any means, he will be able to provide consistent scoring alongside the likes of Cade Cunningham for a Pistons team that is perhaps trying to accelerate its rebuild.

As for the Jazz, trading Bogdanović brings them even deeper into a rebuild, plus it gives them another potential trade piece in Olynyk, who could be coveted by contenders during the season as a rotational big.

Even if the Jazz are unable to trade the veteran, his salary is only partially guaranteed for the 2023-24 season, meaning they could move on without much issue.

Bojan Bogdanovic is reportedly the next Utah Jazz veteran lined up for a trade.

Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune reported Wednesday that Bogdanovic expects to be dealt "soon" as teams prepare to report to training camp.

The Jazz are in the midst of a full-scale rebuild after trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert this offseason.

Bogdanovic is heading into the final season of his contract and will make $19.3 million in 2022-23. He's been oft-rumored as a potential target for the Los Angeles Lakers, who are still exploring their Russell Westbrook trade options.

Utah would be a natural trade partner given the influx of quality veterans to the roster and its desire to jettison those players for future draft assets. The Lakers can trade their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks along with Westbrook in any deal, and those picks are considered desirable.

LeBron James could be retired by the 2027-28 season, and Anthony Davis has not proved capable of staying healthy long enough to be a franchise cornerstone. With the New Orleans Pelicans owning the Lakers' draft fate for up to the next three seasons—the Pels have pick-swap rights in 2023 and their choice of the Lakers' 2024 or 2025 first-round pick—there also is not much avenue for the front office to fortify the roster with elite young talent.

That said, the Lakers seem to have some level of self-awareness about their bleak long-term prospects. They have been hesitant to attach two first-round picks in Westbrook trade talks, which may be a non-starter for the Jazz.

Utah would almost certainly land a first-round pick by trading Bogdanovic by himself, let alone the other veterans that would be necessary to match salaries. The Jazz may be able to land more draft picks by trading their veterans individually rather than as part of a package.

The Utah Jazz no longer have Rudy Gobert to anchor their frontcourt, but they reportedly added some depth Tuesday.

According to Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic, the Western Conference team agreed to a deal with free-agent center Cody Zeller.

Zeller is probably still best known for his collegiate career at Indiana that lasted two seasons (2011-13). His collegiate resume includes a consensus All-American selection, Big Ten Rookie of the Year and an All-Big Ten selection as he led the Hoosiers to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances.

That was enough for the Charlotte Bobcats to select him with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2013 NBA draft.

While he was an All-Rookie Second Team selection, he never fully lived up to the expectations that came with such a draft designation. He spent eight seasons with the Bobcats/Hornets and averaged 8.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game.

Zeller spent the 2021-22 season on the Portland Trail Blazers after they signed him to a one-year deal, but he appeared in just 27 games and underwent surgery on his knee in January. His health concerns were part of a disappointing season for Portland, as it finished 27-55 and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign.

The Indiana product averaged 5.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game when he was on the floor for the Trail Blazers.

While this figures to be a rebuilding season for a Utah franchise that traded Gobert and Donovan Mitchell this offseason, it still needs frontcourt depth heading into training camp.

Zeller will provide just that and figures to compete for playing time alongside Lauri Markkanen, Udoka Azubuike and Jarred Vanderbilt as a rotational piece.

Don't be surprised if Bojan Bogdanovic is the next Utah Jazz veteran to be moved this offseason after Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell were traded.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype: "A lot of executives around the league are expecting Bogdanovic to be the next guy for the Jazz to get moved. They [rival executives] are keeping tabs on guys like Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley, but Bogdanovic is the next domino that most people think is going to fall for Utah."

Don't be shocked if the Los Angeles Lakers come calling. By most accounts, those talks have already been happening.

Last week, Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that the team has "targeted Bogdanovic, Clarkson and Beasley" in trade talks, which would in theory send back Russell Westbrook and draft capital to the Jazz.

Surely the Jazz would target the two future first-round picks the Lakers could part with in a trade in such a deal.

While Westbrook has proven to be a poor fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis—given his ball-dominant play style clashing with James' playmaking abilities, his lack of perimeter shooting that shrinks the floor and his inconsistent on-ball defense—the Jazz trio would make far more sense in complementary roles.

Bogdanovic in particular would provide a bit of perimeter scoring and floor spacing. The 33-year-old averaged 18.1 points and 4.3 rebounds for the Jazz last season, shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from three.

For his career, he's shot 39.2 percent from beyond the arc, making him the sort of role player that James has traditionally played well alongside.

Bogdanovic has his weaknesses. His lack of athleticism makes him a suspect defender out on the perimeter, for one. But his catch-and-shoot game would open up a lot in the Lakers' offense after the team had major floor-spacing and shooting issues in last year's disastrous 33-49 campaign.

Of course, that will make him attractive to other contenders around the league looking to improve their roster as well. But while those teams may have trouble matching his $19.5 million salary in deals without giving away valuable players, the Lakers have a $47 million black hole on their roster they could part with in a potential deal.

The Los Angeles Lakers were in talks about a four-team deal involving the New York Knicks, Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets earlier this summer before the Jazz sent Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Per The Athletic's Sam Amick and Jovan Buha, one preliminary iteration of the talks between the four teams would have seen the Lakers get Bojan Bogdanovic and Terry Rozier.

Amick and Buha noted the Lakers and Jazz are still talking, with Los Angeles pursuing Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley.

The Cavs acquired Mitchell from the Jazz for Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, three draft picks and two pick swaps on Sept. 1.

The rumor mill continues to churn with talk about what the Lakers might look to do before the start of the regular season. They did add help on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.64 million deal with Dennis Schröder, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Buddy Hield and Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers have been linked to the Lakers throughout the offseason, but there's no indication anything is getting close between the two sides.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier this week on SportsCenter (h/t Arthur Hill of Hoops Rumors) that Los Angeles has shown a willingness to use its 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks for the right player(s).

According to Wojnarowski, Hield and Turner wouldn't be enough to get the Lakers to use both of those picks to facilitate a deal.

The Jazz might be the best potential partner for the Lakers in their quest to find players who can help them compete for a playoff spot this season. Utah is clearly in sell mode after moving Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

Los Angeles has already taken advantage of the Jazz's fire sale by acquiring Patrick Beverley for Stanley Johnson and Talen Horton-Tucker. Clarkson is very familiar with the Lakers, having spent the first three-and-a-half years of his career with the team.

Bogdanovic is probably the best trade candidate still on Utah's roster. The 33-year-old is owed $19.3 million in 2022-23, the final season of his current deal. He's averaged 18.3 points per game with a 40.3 three-point percentage over the past four seasons.

The Lakers are coming off an 11th-place finish in the Western Conference with a 33-49 record in 2021-22.