Report: Jazz Have Discussed Trading Two Key Players to Hawks
The Utah Jazz are at the center of the NBA rumor mill once again. Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported that Utah has had talks with the Atlanta Hawks in regard to a possible exchange involving Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley.
"The Jazz and Hawks have discussed a deal surrounding John Collins for Beasley and Vanderbilt, sources said, although Utah has lobbied Atlanta for a first-round pick in addition to Collins to complete that framework."
This trade makes a lot of sense for the Jazz for two reasons.
First, with the emergence of Walker Kessler, the Jazz may feel they don’t have enough room on the roster for two players who can’t stretch the floor in their half-court offensive sets. Head coach Will Hardy has been hesitant to put Vanderbilt and Kessler on the court at the same time, and trading their starting forward could open up an opportunity for Kessler to get starter minutes.
Kessler has only played 25 minutes or more in seven games this year, with the Jazz going 5-2 in those contests. Hawks forward John Collins has a skill set that would be a better match with Kessler in regards to spacing the floor.
Second, if the rumors are true about former Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson possibly being retained, the Jazz could be looking to trade one of their guards because of a crowded backcourt that currently exists. Heading into next year, the Jazz could potentially have Clarkson, Mike Conley, Collin Sexton, Ochai Agbaji, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Beasley under contract.
Trading a position that Utah is deep at should happen at some point. Although, Beasley’s future with his current team could hinge on whether Clarkson actually re-signs.
Currently, Beasley ranks fourth in the league in three-pointers made with 136 and has a team-friendly contract due to a team option of only $16.5 million for the 2023-24 season. But the Jazz could choose to hold on to their sharpshooter if the price to keep Clarkson gets too steep.
The trade deadline is February 9, and Jazz fans should expect the rumors to heat up this month.
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