4 Jazz Trade Possibilities Ahead of NBA Deadline

The NBA trade deadline is less than two months away, and the Utah Jazz are getting a clearer picture of the best path to take moving forward. That being said, it still feels like Jazz executive Danny Ainge is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Does Ainge trade players that aren’t going to be a part of Utah’s long-term plan but are still helping with its playoff push in the present?

Let’s take a look at who might be staying and what players might be on their way out as we get closer to the NBA trade deadline.

Mike Conley

Conley has increased his trade value by showing the league he still has gas left in the tank at age 36. But with the Jazz on the fringe of making the playoffs, it’s very possible that Utah could hold onto its veteran leader as they continue to play for keeps in 2022-23.

Unless the Jazz receive an offer they can’t refuse, it makes more sense to keep Conley this year because his contract doesn’t expire until after the 2023-24 season. Ainge could have his cake and eat it too by keeping Conley for a playoff run and getting an asset back by moving Utah's floor general in the summer of 2023.

Jarred Vanderbilt

It looked like Vanderbilt was a lock to be a part of Utah’s future when he came onto the scene in the Rudy Gobert trade. However, his situation has flipped since the emergence of 2022 first-round pick Walker Kessler.

Because of Jazz head coach Will Hardy’s reluctance to have the pair on the court at the same time, keeping Vanderbilt rostered limits Kessler to part-time duty. This is going to be a problem as Kessler develops into a player that Utah needs on the court 30+ minutes a game.

Vanderbilt will be in high demand in the trade market, and Jazz fans should be on the lookout for an exchange to happen at some point.

Jordan Clarkson

Clarkson is showing the league that he’s much more than a scorer off the bench. The former Sixth Man of the Year is averaging 20.2 points per game, but also facilitating at a high rate with a career-best of 4.9 assists per contest.

The Jazz could certainly get a quality asset back in a Clarkson deal, but trading a popular player in the community that’s producing on the court won’t go over well with Jazz Nation. Here’s the conundrum that Ainge faces: Would giving Clarkson a multi-year contract that starts at age 31 make sense to Utah in the long term?

The emergence of Malik Beasley, who is only 26 years old and has a team-friendlier contract, makes this decision even harder. It’s tough to make this call without knowing exactly what the next contract would look like, but his stellar play might have priced himself out of what makes sense to the Jazz, given how deep they are at the shooting guard position.

The rumors have been consistent that the Jazz front office wants to retain Clarkson, and the Jazz will need to pony up if they want to keep him in Salt Lake City.

Malik Beasley

Beasley’s name had been mentioned in the rumor mill this season, but consistent play on the court paired with a favorable-to-the-team contract should cement his place in Utah’s future plans. Beasley is on record stating he hopes the Jazz pick up his $15 million option for 2023, which they could do.

But the smarter play would be to lock Beasley up on a multi-year contract before the price for his services goes up as an unrestricted free agent in 2024. His numbers would be tough to replace as he ranks fourth in the NBA in three-pointers (103) while shooting at an efficient 39% clip. Also, when you consider Beasley is just entering his prime, it makes it an easy decision not to answer the phone when other teams come calling.

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