3 Collin Sexton Trades the Jazz Could Make Happen This NBA Offseason
At this point in the Utah Jazz’s extensive rebuild, the team currently holds an immense collection of draft capital and young talent. On the other hand, they tend to lack some truly coveted player assets that don’t forecast to be building blocks of the team moving forward. Players such as Jordan Clarkson and Talen Horton-Tucker that would fit this mold are currently faced with impeding player options, making their contractual status unclear at the moment.
Despite this, there is one rostered player does tend to stand out with some value: Collin Sexton. Last offseason, he found himself a part of a sign-in-trade that ended in sending himself to Salt Lake City, and Donovan Mitchell sent to Cleveland, along with a few other moving pieces. Now, with three years remaining on his deal, and showing productive strides in his first year with the team, the opportunity to trade Sexton could be as good as ever.
Nothing against Sexton, he really did prove his worth, even meriting himself a roster spot on the team next season if the team decides to stay put on trades. Still, the opportunity at hand may force Danny Ainge’s hand to trade the 24-year old guard.
Let’s look at three trades that could bring in some new faces to Utah this offseason:
1. The Nets send off some valuable rotational pieces
Jazz receive: Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Thomas, Patty Mills
Nets receive: Collin Sexton, Simone Fontecchio, 28th-overall pick
The Brooklyn Nets are in one of the more interesting positions in the league. Not only do they lack a significant chunk of control over their draft capital, but they also lack any true superstar talent to lead them to true contention anytime soon. Their roster has an intriguing pool of both veterans and younger players that could inevitably be dealt as a result of their unorthodox position as a franchise.
Enter the Jazz, who can capitalize on both. In this case, additions of Finney-Smith, Thomas, and Mills all add to the Utah roster in unique ways. Finney-Smith is able to potentially plug-in as the much-needed defensive forward, essentially as a Jarred Vanderbilt replacement. Thomas can be another young piece to establish a role in next year’s offense, and Patty Mills can be the next Aussie veteran for the Jazz, considering Joe Ingles’ role is up for grabs. Instead of positioning for another losing season next year, a trade like such would be an underrated, yet impactful move.
Parting ways with Collin is tough, but when it becomes a one player in return for two, potentially three impactful rotational pieces, the move is a simple one to make. The Nets manage to snag a starting-caliber guard, a second-year sharpshooter, and a first-round pick, positioning them better than before.
2. The Jazz revisit a John Collins trade with Atlanta
Jazz receive: John Collins, Garrison Matthews
Hawks receive: Collin Sexton, Kelly Olynyk
We already saw prior interest from the Jazz trying to trade for the Atlanta Hawks’ big man at the deadline, and it’s very well something we could see happen again. While Collins’ value doesn’t match what it was about three seasons ago, a continuously diminishing role for Collins doesn’t bode well for his production. The additions of players such as Dejounte Murray, Clint Capela and Bodgan Bogdanovic have effectively stripped a hefty part of his offensive workload.
This would be an enticing low-risk, high reward for Utah, considering they likely wouldn’t be expected to give up much draft capital at all. Collins has a hefty contract ($78m/3y), so Atlanta may be ready to part ways with that money. Thankfully, Utah has the ample cap to bring him on, and with the sub-par free agency class we’re in for, maybe the space is better used within a trade?
This gives the Hawks some much needed guard depth in Sexton, something they’ve struggled to find for years. By also acquiring Olynyk, who’s a better shooter, can potentially fit better on their roster than a slashing, streakier shooter like Collins. There’s even a world where Olynyk continues to be a starter in Atlanta for increased floor spacing, creating even more incentive for a potential deal to take place.
3. The Jazz take a chance on Jordan Poole
Jazz receive: G Jordan Poole
Warriors receive: G Collin Sexton, F/C Kelly Olynyk, 28th overall pick
Poole’s struggles in the Golden State Warriors’ second round series might just be enough for their front office to start taking calls on him. Golden State is still in win-now mode, and sitting through Poole’s growing pains and inefficiencies we still see him battle with is something the team simply doesn’t have time for. Steph Curry’s gonna be 36 next season. Maximizing the final best years of his career has to be the biggest priority.
A team that does have the time for Poole to fully develop? The Jazz. And, with Poole’s value being at an all-time low, the Jazz can buy low on a player who has high upside to potentially become the team’s scoring leader. Yes, he’s far from a perfect player, and at this point, his name tends carries more of a negative connotation than a positive one around NBA fans. However, it’s a gamble Utah has positioned themselves to seamlessly take.
The return the Warriors can get for Poole becomes a bit interesting, since his value is up in the air at this moment. In this case, they’re able to plug two holes in the process: inefficiency and size. Both Sexton and Olynyk were among some of the more efficient options for the Jazz in their 2022-23 campaign. With this, the Los Angeles Lakers simply outmatched this team at times due to their lack of ability to match up with their large lineup. Olynyk helps the Warriors out, while also giving them a bit of a three ball.
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