Rival Execs Think Jazz Will Add Veteran PG at ‘Some Point This Season'
The rumor mill never stops for the Utah Jazz, a team that’s held a reputation as one of the league’s most prominent dealers across the past year plus. Whether it be the blockbusters involving Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, a trade deadline send-off of Mike Conley, or a buy-low offseason acquisition of John Collins, this franchise stays active when doing business.
And now, it looks like that trend may continue.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, opposing GMs believe the Jazz may be a prime candidate to be in the market for a veteran guard moving forward this season:
"Rival NBA executives believe the Utah Jazz will look to add a veteran point guard at some point this season to provide backcourt stability. Keyonte George is a potential point guard of the future, but he’s more of a combo guard, and Jordan Clarkson is more of a scorer."
To kick off this year, the Jazz have been a bit disorganized on the offensive end. While they rank top-10 in the association in terms of assists, they rank dead last in turnovers lost. For the Jazz to find some increased consistency, it may come from a player who can control the ball better and limit mistakes when controlling the offense.
Bringing in more veteran leadership into the backcourt may not only help the Jazz find some organization in the short-term, but it can also be a nice addition to the progression of Keyonte. We’ve seen how nicely he’s performed next to a more experienced guy like Clarkson, so adding another complimentary player who can move the ball well and make good decisions could provide similar benefits.
Scotto continues to talk about some of the names on Utah’s roster to be on the move later in the year, noting both Talen Horton-Tucker and Kelly Olynyk’s expiring contracts as potential candidates to be included in a deal:
"Talen Horton-Tucker ($11.02 million) and Kelly Olynyk ($12.2 million) have expiring contracts and are potential trade candidates, rival executives who spoke with HoopsHype said. Collin Sexton’s salary would make him a trade candidate for matching potential contracts. Olynyk’s ability to stretch the floor and pass well at either power forward or center is expected to draw the interest of playoff-caliber teams."
With Olynyk and Horton-Tucker set to hit the open market next summer, it is very possible we see Danny Ainge construct a deal to send one, if not both, of them out at the deadline to claim some value. If there i the right type of veteran facilitator up for grabs, it may be the move to act on.
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