Ex-Jazz Coach Sounds Off on Controversial Trade Deadline Deals
The chatter on the social media front continues to be about the trades that the Utah Jazz made at the trade deadline last week. Jazz fans are a divided bunch on whether moving Kelly Olynyk, Simone Fontecchio, and Ochai Agbaji for a couple of late draft picks was the correct decision moving forward.
Utah is 0-2 since the roster reshuffle and may have traded away an opportunity to get into the play-in tournament. The topic of why the players might feel frustrated came up when former Jazz assistant coach Gordon Chiesa joined The Bill Riley Show on ESPN 700.
“Kelly Olynyk, besides being a very good player — he's popular,” Chiesa told Riley. His teammates liked him. They liked him off the court, and as a floor mate, they loved the way he played. Fontecchio, that guy played hard and made shots, and you get the feeling he has a spirit about himself. Ochai Abaji was a younger player, but I'm sure the younger players liked him as a guy they can relate to.”
Downgrading the roster while still in the playoff hunt isn’t something you see every day. The hearsay that Jazz players weren’t happy with the moves may be about the players lost and the return Utah received.
Utah received a first-round round pick that is trending to come from the Oklahoma City Thunder and a second-round selection from the Detroit Pistons. Throwing in the towel for a couple of players that most likely will be G-League projects can't be good for morale.
That said, the players are still getting paid at the end of the day, and being professional about the matter will only help their situation moving forward. Chiesa touched on the difficult job that head coach Will Hardy has for the rest of the season.
“Will Hardy has to keep talking to the team about being professional,” Chiesa said. “Being the best that you can be individually and increase the win total, but also from your own visualization, people respect you as far as the NBA if you’re a free agent type.”
Certainly, Utah’s players who are playing for a contract next season will need to walk the line. Where it stands today, Kris Dunn and Taken Horton-Tucker have the most to lose or gain. Both players' contracts expire, and how the rest of the season unfolds will go a long way in determining what opportunities they get this summer in free agency.
Horton-Tucker will likely not be back, but he still has starter potential if he can improve his three-point shooting and overall efficiency. On the other hand, Dunn has a decent shot of returning.
Utah was a better team when Dunn was on the floor this year. However, does he fit in Utah’s championship window? He’s 29 years old, and Utah still has a way to go to be considered a contender. Either way, Jazz fans can expect Dunn to sign a multi-year deal with someone this summer.
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