Utah Jazz

Green did not hold back and named Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert's tearful reaction to not being selected to the All-Star Game in 2019.

Draymond trolls Gobert 💀 https://t.co/jNZBRQIDWK

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 4, 2022

"It has to be Rudy, I mean the man cried on national television when he didn't make the All-Star team. Thank God he's made the next three," Green said.

Charles Barkley tried to defend Gobert's reaction, but Green was adamant.

"You can't cry Chuck, I said it then, I'm gonna say it now," Green said. "I got killed on Twitter then, I'll probably get killed today, but you can't cry."

The Utah Jazz are looking to beef up their roster ahead of the Feb. 10 trade deadline, and it appears the franchise is interested in two players that could help take their game to the next level.

Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant and Sacramento Kings veteran Harrison Barnes are reportedly drawing interest from the Jazz, per The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor. Utah has had trade talks for both players, O'Connor adds, as it is targeting "wings that can defend."

This update should come as no surprise following the news Joe Ingles suffered a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign and into the 2022-23 season. 

Ingles has been a key piece for the Jazz across eight seasons, averaging 7.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season in 25 minutes per game. He's not necessarily thought of as much of a defensive stalwart, but he has been a pretty solid defender overall.

In addition, the Jazz could use some better defensive players as they continue to falter in the postseason, failing to make it past the second round since the 2006-07 campaign. 

That said, Grant is a difference-making defensive player that can help the Jazz's defense alongside big man Rudy Gobert. Grant is a good matchup to most players because of his size, athleticism and willingness to not back down from challenging matchups.

The 27-year-old is also in the midst of one his better offensive seasons, averaging 20 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 41.5 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from deep. 

However, it could be difficult for the Jazz to acquire Grant. NBA insider Marc Stein reported Utah's interest in the veteran late last month but also suggested the team would need to boost its trade package for him. 

According to B/R's Jake Fischer, the Pistons are asking for two first-round picks or one first-round pick plus a high-upside young player in exchange for Grant. 

As for Barnes, the Jazz have reportedly been interested in the veteran since late last month. On The Athletic NBA Show podcast on Jan. 26, Sam Amick reported Barnes had been "tied" to Utah. 

Barnes would present head coach Quin Snyder a better option off the bench than Rudy Gay or Eric Paschall. He's averaging 16.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 40.8 percent from deep this season.

The 29-year-old is in the third year of his four-year, $85 million contract and is drawing interest from teams because the salary for his final season is only $18.35 million. 

The Jazz have slipped to 28-23, fourth in the Western Conference. If they want to compete with the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors, they'll need some more depth, and Grant and/or Barnes can provide that.  

ESPN announced Thursday that the Golden State Warriors-Utah Jazz game next Wednesday will be the first NBA game in the network's history to feature an all-woman crew.

The broadcast team will be comprised of play-by-play announcer Beth Mowins, analyst Doris Burke and sideline reporter Lisa Salters. Additionally, 33 women will be in charge of production on-site in Salt Lake City and at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut.

The historic game will air at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Mowins remarked on being part of a landmark moment for ESPN and the NBA:

I think it's exciting to kind of celebrate. There are a lot of the women that have been around the league for a while, and then others like me that are kind of new to it. ...

I think it's important to still celebrate some of these big milestones, but I really do believe we're getting closer to the day where it won't be such a big deal and it will be very natural and very comfortable.

Mowins, 54, has worked in sports broadcasting since 1991, and she has been with ESPN since 1994.

She has covered a multitude of sports and became the first woman to call a nationally televised NFL game when she did play-by-play for a Monday Night Football matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos in 2017.

Burke is also a longtime employee of ESPN, having worked with the company since 1991. Her area of expertise has always been basketball after she played collegiately at Providence.

She has been among ESPN's top analysts and sideline reporters for the NBA and college basketball for many years and replaced Doug Collins as a regular NBA analyst in 2017.

Salters has been with ESPN since 2000, serving primarily as an NBA and NFL sideline reporter. She is the regular sideline reporter for Monday Night Football.

Mowins, Burke and Salters will call a game between two of the top teams in the Western Conference. The Stephen Curry-led Warriors are second in the conference at 39-13, while the Jazz are fourth at 31-21 behind the play of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

The Utah Jazz announced that shooting guard Jordan Clarkson will miss his team's home game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday with right knee soreness.

He's posted 15.5 points on 40.0 percent shooting (32.3 percent from three-point range) in 2021-22.

Clarkson averaged a career-high 18.4 points during the 2020-21 regular season en route to winning the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award. He also knocked down an NBA-high 89.6 percent of his free throws.

The seven-year veteran has played an integral role in Utah's stellar season as its sixth man. Thanks in part to his efforts, the 52-20 Jazz finished with the NBA's best record in 2020-21. The Los Angeles Clippers eliminated them in the second round of the playoffs.

The Jazz are already short-handed, with Donovan Mitchell (concussion protocol) and Rudy Gobert (left calf strain) out Wednesday. In addition, Joe Ingles is out for the season with a torn left ACL.

Now Clarkson is out. Sans that quartet, expect Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic to help carry the offense. Also, rookie wing Jared Butler could get more minutes, and the same goes for guard Trent Forrest, who will return after suffering a right ankle sprain.

Utah Jazz star guard Donovan Mitchell reportedly saw a specialist about his ongoing concussion symptoms that have kept him off the court for the past two weeks, per Tony Jones of The Athletic. 

Mitchell has been in the concussion protocol after suffering it in a Jan. 17 game against the Los Angeles Lakers. 

This is the play where Donovan Mitchell was hurt last night, leading to him being in the concussion protocol and out for the Jazz's game against the Rockets tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/Eb2Fd3niyi

— Sarah Todd (@NBASarah) January 19, 2022

Neither Mitchell or Rudy Gobert (calf strain) practiced on Tuesday. Gobert last played on Jan. 23. 

January in general was a brutal month for the Jazz. The team went 4-12, has lost five in a row, is dealing with injuries to Mitchell and Gobert and will be without Joe Ingles for the rest of the season after he tore his ACL this week. 

Head coach Quin Snyder and Danuel House Jr. are also in the league's health and safety protocols. 

"It's like we can’t catch a break," Rudy Gay told reporters after Sunday's 126-106 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. "We've had a lot of things going on. We're just trying to survive."

Suddenly, the Jazz (30-21) went from competing for the top seed in the Western Conference to dropping to fourth, a whopping 11 games behind the Phoenix Suns (40-9). 

"I told the guys, we can feel sorry for ourselves and there are plenty of excuses that we can point to," acting head coach Alex Jensen told reporters. "But we can also use this to come together and to get better."

Being without Mitchell is tough for the Jazz to overcome, however.

The 25-year-old is yet again putting up elite numbers, averaging 25.5 points and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 33.9 percent from three. The Jazz outscore opponents by 7.9 points per 100 possessions with Mitchell on the court, per NBA.com, but that number drops to 3.0 points per 100 possessions when he sits. 

The Jazz are a different team without both Mitchell and Gobert. They have an excellent net rating of 14.6 when the pair are on the court together. Neither player is replaceable in Utah. 

And until they are both healthy, the Jazz's slide will likely continue. 

Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles has been diagnosed with a torn left ACL and will miss the remainder of the season, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Ingles suffered the non-contact injury during the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was going in for a layup as his knee buckled before he hit the court in pain.

Joe Ingles has gone down with what appears to be a serious knee injury.

Scans in Salt Lake City tomorrow will confirm the extent of the damage.

Fingers crossed, Joe 🙏 pic.twitter.com/86wim8cUVL

— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) January 31, 2022

Ingles entered Sunday's game averaging 7.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 40.8 percent from the floor and 35.1 percent from deep.

Ingles has been durable through his eight-year career. He has appeared in 82 games three times and in at least 67 games in each season entering the 2021-22 campaign.

Though he plays off the bench behind Royce O'Neale, losing Ingles hurts Utah's depth. Behind O'Neale and Ingles, the Jazz rotate Danuel House Jr. and Elijah Hughes.

The Jazz hold a 30-21 record, fourth-best in the Western Conference and 11 games behind the Phoenix Suns for first place. With Ingles out, Utah's depth players will need to fill the void.

The Utah Jazz will be without head coach Quin Snyder for the foreseeable future.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Snyder has entered the NBA's health and safety protocols Sunday. In his absence, assistant Alex Jensen reportedly will serve as acting head coach for Sunday night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Snyder is the 18th head coach to enter the league's COVID-19 protocols this season. His absence comes at a time when Utah is struggling mightily.

The Jazz have lost each of their last four games and 10 of their last 12, most recently falling to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday to drop to 30-20 this season.

Utah has been dealing with injuries to its two best players, as Donovan Mitchell has been out since Jan. 17 with a concussion and Rudy Gobert hasn't played since Jan. 23 because of a calf strain. Mitchell leads the team with an average of 25.5 points to go along with 5.2 assists. Gobert is one of the best centers in the NBA with 16 points, 15.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game.

Despite ranking second in the NBA in scoring offense (113.7 ppg), the Jazz haven't been able to keep up with their opponents during this recent stretch. Utah has fell by double figures in six of their last 10 losses.

The Jazz are in fourth place in the Western Conference entering Sunday but lead the Dallas Mavericks (29-21) by just one game. Utah will have to find a way to end its recent skid if it hopes to avoid falling behind in the playoff race.

They had the best record in the NBA last season, only to flame out in the second round of the playoffs by losing four straight to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Despite having the fourth-best winning percentage among NBA franchises all-time with at least 1,000 games played, they have never won an NBA title. They haven't been to the Western Conference Finals since 2007. 

This season, the Utah Jazz have again been an enigma when it comes to figuring out how far they can go. But now they have a secret weapon in the front office whom executives have long viewed as a tough, shrewd negotiator and the architect of some of the most lopsided deals in recent memory.

This past offseason, former Boston Celtics boss Danny Ainge was hired as CEO of basketball operations for the Jazz. He is expected to have a voice in the decisions made by Utah's brain trust, at the very least. 

Utah is having yet another solid season in which its record (30-19) ranks among the best in the Western Conference, but the usual postseason slump seems to have come a bit earlier than usual. The Jazz have now dropped nine of their last 11 games, including losses to Detroit, Houston and the Los Angeles Lakers—all teams with losing records at the time.

And the timing, just weeks before the Feb. 10 trade deadline, puts even more pressure on Utah to either figure out how to get more from its current roster or change things up via trade. 

If the Jazz are to get back on track prior to the trade deadline and reverse their fast-start-but-feeble-finishing ways, the newest addition to the Utah front office is going to have something to do with it. 

Ainge is quick to say that his input and role with the Jazz are very different from what he did as an executive with the Boston Celtics.

"I'm a sounding board to what everyone else is doing," Ainge told Bleacher Report. "I'm not driving the research, watching every single player on video. I'm a piece of the puzzle here, not the leader of the group."

Considering his experience as an NBA player, head coach and a longtime league executive responsible for building multiple title contenders during his time in Boston, Ainge's insights on potential deals should hold significant weight.

That voice will be critical for the Jazz, who came into this season on the short list of potential title contenders.

Because this is a new role for Ainge in a position created by the Jazz, the feeling-out process for all involved is ongoing. 

"We haven't done anything, any big decisions yet," Ainge said. "I'm involved in the organization. I have an owner [Jazz governor Ryan Smith] I have a great relationship with. He listens to me. There are a lot of people here he listens to that are very qualified and competent. I'm just another one. I like that; I like my relationship with him, and we get along well. I'm not spending 20 hours a day this time of year. I'm working, but it's different. I like it."

Ainge remains committed to winning every trade, just as he was in Boston when he had the final say on basketball-related matters. 

And it is that part of the Ainge resume that the Jazz should want to tap into. 

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In 2013, when the Celtics' window to compete for a championship was all but closed, Ainge began the process of shedding core players and future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.

Ainge received a treasure's trove of future first-round picks in a blockbuster deal with Brooklyn that sent Garnett, Pierce, Jason Terry and D.J. White to Brooklyn in exchange for Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph and Keith Bogans. The players Boston got in return were just roster fillers. Boston was more excited about acquiring unprotected first-rounders from Brooklyn in 2014, 2016 and 2018 plus the right to swap picks (which the Celtics did) in 2017. 

Those picks landed Boston the following players:

• 2014: James Young (17th overall selection)
• 2016: Jaylen Brown (3rd overall)
• 2017 (swap): Jayson Tatum (3rd overall)
• 2018: Traded to Cleveland as part of Kyrie Irving trade; wound up being Collin Sexton

In 2017, Ainge was able to flip the No. 1 overall pick to Philadelphia in exchange for the No. 3 pick in that draft and a future first-rounder. 

Along with adding Tatum with the No. 3 overall pick, a two-time All-Star who has arguably been the best player in that draft class, Boston also received a future first-rounder that wound up being Romeo Langford in 2019.

Meanwhile, the Sixers selected Markelle Fultz, who was traded to the Orlando Magic in February 2019, less than two years into an NBA career marred by injuries. 

Ainge's best trade deadline deal while in Boston was in 2015, a move that was literally minutes away from not happening at all. 

Recognizing the team's need for another scorer off the bench, Ainge had expressed interest in acquiring Isaiah Thomas from the Phoenix Suns in the days and weeks leading up to the trade deadline. Less than an hour before the deadline, Ainge got a call from then-Suns general manager Ryan McDonough (a former assistant GM in Boston) that he was willing to trade Thomas, who would become a two-time All-Star in Boston as well as finish fifth in the league's MVP voting in 2017.

In exchange for Thomas, Phoenix received Marcus Thornton and a 2016 first-round pick that Boston had acquired from Cleveland.

While Ainge had a number of draft-day misses in Boston, he tends to be at his best making trades that pay off in both the short and long term for his respective teams. 

The Jazz have not made a significant move at the trade deadline since 2018 when they were involved in a three-team deal with Cleveland and Sacramento that ultimately landed them Jae Crowder and Derrick Rose.

Both were good players, but neither moved the needle enough to catapult the Jazz from their current state of being a solid team that can't get over the hump. 

But by bringing Ainge into the fold, the Jazz have hope that this trade-deadline season will be a more active one—the kind that can elevate this franchise to heights it has not seen in quite some time. 

"Like I said, I'm another set of eyes and ears that the owner of the Utah Jazz can trust," Ainge said. "That's why he brought me in. And so, I honestly don't know how this is going to work out. I don't know how this is going to transpire at the trade deadline and drafting and stuff."

The Phoenix Suns notched their eighth straight win Wednesday with a 105-97 road victory over the Utah Jazz. Devin Booker led the way with 43 points and 12 rebounds as the Suns improved to 38-9, which remains the best record in the NBA.

It was Booker's 16th career 40-point game, setting a new franchise record.

The Biyombo block leads to the Booker slam on the @Suns fast break!

Phoenix and Utah NOW on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/gzaZbEnSmL

— NBA (@NBA) January 27, 2022

https://twitter.com/BALLYSPORTSAZ/status/1486572778803412994

Chris Paul added 21 points with 15 coming in the fourth quarter. It was the second meeting in three days between the two teams, as the Suns also defeated the Jazz on Monday at home. Phoenix is now 19-4 in away games, the best in the league.

Utah fell to 30-19 after its third consecutive loss and has lost five of its last six games. Jordan Clarkson led the team with 26 points off the bench. Mike Conley added 16 points and 10 assists, and Hassan Whiteside had 16 points and 11 rebounds.

The Jazz were playing without two of their top three players as Donovan Mitchell (concussion) and Rudy Gobert (calf) sat out.

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Notable Stats

G Devin Booker, PHX: 43 points (16-of-28 FG), 12 rebounds

G Chris Paul, PHX: 21 points (15 in fourth quarter)

G Jordan Clarkson, UTAH: 26 points (off bench)

G Mike Conley, UTAH: 16 points, 10 assists

C Hassan Whiteside, UTAH: 16 points, 11 rebounds

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Booker's Big Night Powers Suns to Victory

It was the Devin Booker Show on Wednesday. Phoenix put the ball in the hands of its best player early and often, and he delivered.

Booker was in attack mode from the jump, pouring in 21 points in the first quarter on 8-of-11 shooting. He had no issues slicing his way through Utah's defense and getting to his spots.

The pump and the make. pic.twitter.com/DqPNqjOPIQ

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 27, 2022

17 PTS for Devin Booker in the first 👀

He's cooking early on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/iV6jUNH0Gt

— NBA (@NBA) January 27, 2022

HELLO THERE! pic.twitter.com/cmy5PyA617

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 27, 2022

Devin Booker dropped 21 points in just the first quarter on ESPN 🍿 pic.twitter.com/CkppbxDW6R

— ESPN (@espn) January 27, 2022

Devin Booker with 21-6-4 through the first quarter. Jazz are right there alongside him with 18-10-6.

Suns up 21.

— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) January 27, 2022

With Booker leading the charge, the Suns jumped out to a 39-18 lead. But things got quiet in the second when Booker went to the bench, and the Jazz clawed their way back to make it a two-point game at halftime.

Devin Booker checks out and the Jazz go on a 12-4 run to start the 2Q

— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) January 27, 2022

Devin Booker: 26 points, 4 assists, 10-15 FG

Rest of Suns: 24 points, 5 assists, 11-26 FG

— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) January 27, 2022

Booker was aggressive coming out of the break with seven early points. He continued to carry the Suns on his back as no other player had over 10 points through three quarters.

Book on the attack. pic.twitter.com/4d7GdwyQ01

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 27, 2022

In case the math didn't stand out, Devin Booker has half of the Suns points and 14 of their 31 made FGs

— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) January 27, 2022

Booker finally got some help in the fourth quarter as Paul woke up. The veteran point guard had 15 of his 21 points in the final frame. The Suns showed why they are the most clutch team in the league with their play down the stretch.

CLUTCH TIME.

BOOK IT! pic.twitter.com/n4PbHMFrIk

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 27, 2022

The Suns won Wednesday's game because they had the best player on the floor. Booker's performance made up for a mostly quiet performance from a Phoenix supporting cast that is usually pretty balanced on the offensive end.

Thanks to Booker's ability to carry the team, combined with Paul taking over late, the Suns will remain a difficult team to take down. Phoenix looks poised to make a second consecutive trip to the NBA Finals.

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Short-Handed Jazz Show Fight in Defeat

Utah knew it would be a struggle against the team with the best record in the NBA without its two best players. And things looked bleak after the Jazz fell behind by 21 after the first quarter.

But Utah refused to go down easily on its home floor and fought its way back with a strong second quarter. The Jazz played strong defense and ran the Suns off the three-point line. The team's offense woke up with Clarkson leading the way, scoring 10 points in the period. Utah outscored Phoenix 30-11 in the second quarter.

JC getting it LOUD in here 🗣🗣🗣#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/MdR1CPpZEz

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 27, 2022

Impressive comeback by the Jazz. Terrific second quarter for them. They trail the Suns 50-48…..and they got back into the game defensively. Stop after stop

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) January 27, 2022

Two big signs the offense is struggling:

-- Only 1 assist for someone outside of Booker and Paul

-- Only 9 3PAs

— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) January 27, 2022

The Jazz tried to keep up in the second half, but they had no answer for Booker. Utah also struggled against Phoenix's defense and shot 29.4 percent from the field in the third quarter. The team's 64 points through three quarters was its lowest total of the season.

But once again, the Jazz didn't go down without a fight. Clarkson ignited the crowd in the fourth quarter with three early triples to cut the lead to single digits.

Jordan Clarkson drops 9 straight points for the @utahjazz 🔥

It's a 4-point game in the fourth on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/m1YULAXbef

— NBA (@NBA) January 27, 2022

Jordan Clarkson's giving the Jazz a chance in this game through sheer tough shotmaking.

— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) January 27, 2022

Ultimately, the Suns were able to put the game away, but the Jazz made them work for it.

Despite the loss, Utah should be satisfied with its effort Wednesday. The team could've folded early but kept its composure and managed to make it a competitive game. Once the Jazz get back to full strength, they will have a better chance of keeping up with the elite teams in the Western Conference.

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What's Next?

The Suns will try to make it nine straight wins on Friday at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Jazz will look to end their skid in a road matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies that same day.

The Utah Jazz are reportedly hopeful that star guard Donovan Mitchell can return from a concussion over the weekend, per The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears.

Mitchell suffered the injury in the first quarter of a 101-95 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 17. He's missed the team's last four games, with the Jazz going 1-3 in that stretch.

This is the play where Donovan Mitchell was hurt last night, leading to him being in the concussion protocol and out for the Jazz's game against the Rockets tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/Eb2Fd3niyi

— Sarah Todd (@NBASarah) January 19, 2022

As for upcoming games, the Jazz host the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday and have road games against the Memphis Grizzlies (8 p.m. ET on Friday) and Minnesota Timberwolves (8 p.m. ET on Sunday) coming up this weekend.

On Tuesday, the Jazz ruled out both Mitchell and Rudy Gobert for Wednesday's matchup with the Suns. Gobert is dealing with a calf strain.

Mitchell, 25, is having another excellent year for the Jazz, averaging 25.5 points, 5.2 assists, four rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 45 percent from the field, though he's also shooting a career-low 33.9 percent from three.

The Jazz, meanwhile, are 30-18 and currently fourth in the Western Conference, already eight games behind the Suns (37-9) for the top seed.

Being without the two-time All-Star is obviously hardly ideal for the Jazz, especially against tough opponents like the to pick up the slack in his absence.