Grade the Trade: Jazz Send Cody Williams to Timberwolves for Josh Green

In the middle of Friday night late in the NBA offseason, the Utah Jazz decided to get busy on the trade market by shipping out Cody Williams to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In exchange for Williams and John Konchar, the Jazz are landing Josh Green and cash from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are trading Josh Green and cash to the Utah Jazz for Cody Williams and John Konchar, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/9mZTm4amkH
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 29, 2026

It effectively ends Williams' two year tenure with the Jazz, where he started his pro career as the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and has played over 115 games with Utah.

Now, the Jazz turn in a different direction from Williams, package him with veteran wing John Konchar, and get a new wing player in Green in the process.

Let's break down a bit about why the Jazz might've made this deal, and lay out an initial grade for the move:

Why the Jazz Did This Trade With the Timberwolves

This is a move for the Jazz that was done with a few goals in mind: decide one way or another on William's future, free up a roster spot, and fill a need on the wing within Utah's rotation.

The Jazz have been working with and developing Williams for the past two years. And while there has been progress, it's not like the 21-year-old had found his place as a nightly rotation-level player.

Last year in Utah, Williams averaged 8.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on a little over 24 minutes a night. He improved his shooting from the field to a solid 46.8%, but saw his three-point percentage dip to 21.4%.

Mar 15, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) reacts towards his bench after making a three-point basket against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He hadn't navigated into becoming a reliable or consistent shooter, hadn’t found his groove as the wing defender he was drafted to be, still has to develop physically, and based on initial projections heading into the year, was slated to be the ninth or 10th man in the rotation.

So the Jazz wanted to approach things differently for Williams. They now pivot off of him heading into the third year of his rookie deal, avoid having to decide on his $7.6 million team option next summer, and get a quality rotational piece in Green.

And Green, being the player the Jazz got in exchange for him and Konchar, provides some of the qualities that this Jazz bench could use: three-point shooting, perimeter defense, and lineup versatility.

Green spent last season with the Charlotte Hornets, playing in 58 games, averaging 4.3 points and 1.8 rebounds while shooting a career-best 42.0% from three.

He was set to take on this next season in Minnesota after his trade from the Hornets earlier this offseason. But now following his second trade in the same summer, Green is off to Utah, and should have a solid role on the bench in the final year of his contract, worth $14.6 million.

Overall, this deal from the Jazz gets a pass. As much as many would love to see Williams take that next step in his development as the 3&D wing Utah brought him in to be, it became clear that this team didn't exactly see him as a core part of their future following this season.

So rather than the Jazz just punting on him in free agency for nothing, they plug a need on their wing for this upcoming season, free up a roster spot in the meantime, and can shed Green's salary from the books this coming offseason.

There's also an argument that the Jazz could've–– and should've–– just kept Williams for the year if this was going to be his return. And it's a fair point. Williams was a known project coming into the NBA, and Utah gave him just two years to prove himself before deciding to pivot.

But the Jazz were never going to get a stellar package for Williams if they were ever going to trade him. They also felt increasingly unlikely to accept his offseason option to keep him on for another season if he had a lackluster year. So getting a rotation player in return is better than losing him in free agency for nothing if that were bound to be the end result otherwise.

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