Report: Utah Jazz Acquire Nickeil Alexander-Walker in 3-Team Deal

Canadian Nickeil Alexander-Walker is once again on the move.

The 23-year-old guard has reportedly been traded to the Utah Jazz along with Juancho Hernangomez as part of a three-team deal that will see the Portland Trail Blazers acquire Joe Ingles, Elijah Huges, and a second-round pick, and the San Antonio Spurs receive Thomas Satoransky and a second-round pick, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Utah Jazz are acquiring guard Portland’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker and the Spurs’ Juancho Hernangomez in a three-way deal, sources tell ESPN. The Spurs gets guard Tomas Satoransky and a second-round pick, and the Blazers get Joe Ingles, Elijah Hughes and a second-round pick.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2022

Alexander-Walker had just been traded to the Trail Blazers as part of a deal involving CJ McCollum who Portland sent to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday afternoon.

The deal is Portland's latest cost-saving move, having now traded McCollum and Norman Powell as they try to retool their team before Damian Lillard returns next season. The plan, Wojnarowski reported, is to create enough salary cap space to pursue "high-end talent" to surround Lillard with.

Portland's plan is to fully reshape roster around Damian Lillard now. Portland created a $21M trade exception today, potentially $60M in salary cap space this summer, multiple draft picks and assets via Pels and Clippers trades. Plan is to pursue high-end talent now, not retreat.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2022

Eyes will now turn to Portland's 6-foot-11 big man Jusuf Nurkic whose name has popped up in trade rumors involving the Toronto Raptors. It's unclear if the Trail Blazers are looking to move on from the 27-year-old big who is set to hit free agency this summer. Portland could look to move him to accumulate more assets ahead of this summer. The Raptors have reportedly been looking to move Goran Dragic's contract and a first-round pick for someone with long-term value and acquiring Nurkic's Bird Rights could fit that need.

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