Trade Deadline Report: Jazz Ship Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji to the Raptors
With the trade deadline upon us, the Utah Jazz have traded veteran Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji to the Toronto Raptors for Kira Lewis, Otto Porter, and a 2024 first-round draft pick. ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news via "X".
This deal shouldn't surprise anyone. With Olynyk's contract expiring this year and rookie Taylor Hendricks needing live reps to develop, it was only a matter of time before a move was made. Moving forward, Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh should be in the rotation for the rest of the season.
The minutes at the small forward position are now there for the taking. It will be interesting to see how head coach Will Hardy juggles the rotation, but from this point of view, it could be Hendricks starting before the season's end.
If Hardy goes in that direction, Utah would have one of the longest and most athletic frontcourts in the league, with Hendricks paired up with John Collins and Lauri Markkanen.
Another option would be to insert Walker Kessler into the starting lineup while moving Markkanen and Collins to the forward positions. Like the start of the season, expect Hardy to figure it out through trial and error.
Also, Jazz fans should be excited about what Utah got in return in the exchange. Utah is now guaranteed a pick in the 2024 draft. Their current pick is in possession of the Oklahoma City Thunder, but is top 10 protected.
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