NBA GM ‘Surprised’ if Jazz Don’t Move Kelly Olynyk at Trade Deadline
The trade buzz around Utah Jazz big man Kelly Olynyk continues to move forward in the days leading up to the looming NBA trade deadline. With the amount of rumors and interest around the league that has reportedly surrounded him in recent weeks, it's becoming increasingly likely this front office will decide to ship him off to a new home very soon.
During a snippet from The Lowe Post with NBA insiders Zach Lowe and Tim MacMahon, Lowe voiced that Olynyk continues to get heavy interest leading up to the trade deadline, noting that one GM told him they would be surprised if he wasn't moved in the coming days:
"Olynyk is obviously the name that's going to be really, really bandied about. An expiring contract, as we have talked about, and there was some buzz over the weekend that Utah has signaled an increased willingness to move Kelly Olynyk at the right price. I had one GM of another team say, 'at this point, I'd be surprised if they don't move Kelly Olynyk', and this is from a team that would like to get in on something with Kelly Olynyk."
Olynyk has been a critical component of the Jazz's success this year as a piece in the second unit. During his 49 games in just over 20 minutes a night, the 11-year league vet has averaged 8.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists.
While his scoring totals have seen a bit of a decrease since last season, his field goal and three-point percentages have seen vast improvements while still bringing size and being a positive facilitator. For any team looking to find an upgrade to their frontcourt unit, Olynyk would be a perfect candidate to do so.
Leading up to the deadline, teams such as the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, and Houston Rockets all generate interest in Olynyk. However, as Lowe notes, acquiring the Utah big will have to come with the right package in return.
Kelly is on the back end of the last year of his $12 million contract, set to become a free agent this summer. Any team acquiring him would be tasked with retaining him during this coming offseason, but if the Jazz had no plans of doing so themselves, getting involved in a deadline deal seems plausible.
Only time will tell what this front office ends up doing with their trade chips ahead of the highly-anticipated February 8th cutoff, but it will surely be a compelling time to watch for Jazz fans across the week.
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