Jazz Listed as Top Landing Spot for Luka Doncic
There are rumblings out of Dallas that the Mavericks — inexplicably — might consider trading Luka Doncic this offseason. After Dallas failed to meet expectations this season, finishing with a 38-44 record in the wake of some questionable roster moves, there is speculation that Doncic himself could pressure the Mavericks to trade him.
While I have serious doubts about the veracity of this rumor, Jake Rodgers of NBA Analysis Network listed the Utah Jazz as one of three prime landing spots for Doncic, if he is to be traded.
There are a few NBA teams that have made it a major emphasis to stack up on draft assets, but none have achieved it as quickly as the Utah Jazz. It was a clear goal to achieve based on the trade returns they received in exchange for Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, along with other veteran players. If Doncic was to ask out, they could construct a major trade package.
Ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft, the Jazz have 15 first-round picks outright, which could reach 16 depending on how the protection plays out with their pick between 2024 and 2026. That would be enough trade ammunition to make a draft-based offer for Doncic.
Indeed, if the prospect of a Doncic trade were to leap from the realm of the fantastical to that of the possible, a team like Utah would have to be ready to relinquish its draft future. After Jazz CEO Danny Ainge and GM Justin Zanik went through all the trouble of dealing away a superstar like Mitchell and a defensive maven like Gobert, it would be hard to see the brain trust parlay much of what was obtained to acquire a single player, even one as superb as Doncic.
Then again, the 24-year-old Doncic is coming off a season where he averaged 32 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists — joining the great Michael Jordan as the only player to achieve that in NBA history. Such a player is truly special and begs the question: what wouldn't a team be willing to give up to acquire him?
Although the Jazz have the draft capital to make such a deal, the prospect of Doncic forcing his way out of Dallas, only to land in Utah, seems slim. It's worth noting that a Utah-Dallas connection could be cultivated, with the news that former Jazz executive Dennis Lindsey is joining the Mavs' front office.
Jazz Nation will likely be monitoring the Doncic situation as we inch deeper into the NBA offseason.
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