Former Coach Reveals Player Jazz Could Target in Offseason
Despite the NBA trade deadline being in the Utah Jazz’s rearview mirror, the chatter of upgrading the roster won’t stop. Before the deadline, two frequently mentioned names in the rumor mill were Atlanta Hawks Dejuante Murray and Washington Wizards' Kyle Kuzma.
Which player would be a better fit in Salt Lake City if an exchange were to occur this summer? The question was raised when former Jazz assistant coach Gordie Chiesa joined The Bill Riley Show on ESPN 700.
"Now I lean definitely towards Dejuante Murray,” Chiesa told Riley. “Again, he’s a major talent that can score the ball. He could be out there via trade. So if I'm the Jazz, I'm staring right at him. Kuzma, I like his talent, Bill. I know it’s blasphemy. I don’t like his game. I would lean toward Dejounte Murray. I do like him a lot. They shopped around him at the trading deadline, which probably tells me that his agent told the Atlanta Hawks that our guy when his contract is up, we’re not going to resign with you.”
This was an interesting conversation, but the way Utah’s season has been unfolding, one has to wonder if it’s worth the draft capital it would take to acquire either player in an exchange. The Jazz certainly have weaknesses that need to be addressed, but neither Murray nor Kuzma fit the bill.
Murray is a fringe All-Star who's just entering his prime; however, with the emergence of Keynonte George, the Jazz should be looking to upgrade to another position and skill set.
Also, I'm not sure if Murray is that much of an upgrade over current starting shooting guard Collin Sexton. Sexton is younger and the most durable player on Utah’s roster. Where it stands today, Sexton is the only Jazz player who hasn't missed a game this season.
Kuzma is another player that would require a “mini-ransom” in an exchange. But if the Jazz are going to start dipping into their stockpile of first-round draft picks to make a trade, they need a player who will upgrade their defense. I'm not so sure Kuzma would help in that area.
Utah is fourth from the bottom this season in defensive rating and could use a player who can guard an elite wing and spread the floor with the ability to make three-pointers. It's a player that Utah wanted to develop Ochai Agbaji into, but that ship has sailed with him now playing for the Toronto Raptors.
Next up to possibly develop in that role is rookie forward Taylor Hendricks. Jazz head coach Will Hardy has assigned Hendricks to guard the opponent's best offensive player. He's already an above-average weak-side defender, and we’ll see how he improves over the last 20 games of the season as an on-ball defender.
Although it's unclear what changes are coming this summer, Utah has the assets to make something happen when an opportunity presents itself.
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