Childs, Merrill, Games In Arenas, Could Jazz Inquire On Paul George?
Oct 2, 2020, 5:00 PM
Bojan Bogdanovic #44 and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz defend Paul George #13 of the Los Angeles Clippers as he drives to the basket in the first half of the game at Staples Center on December 28, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – In the latest episode of the Jazz Notes Podcast, Ben Anderson of KSL Sports looks at his pre-draft breakdowns of BYU forward Yoeli Childs, and Utah State guard Sam Merrill, and how they fit in with the Jazz recent draft reputation.
Anderson also explores Adam Silver’s comments that the NBA hopes to begin next season in January with games being played in local arenas. And finishes the podcast by answering listeners’ mailbag questions, including whether the Jazz could get involved in trade talks for Paul George.
You can listen to the full podcast in the player below.
NBA Hoping to Play in Local Arenas
Commissioner Silver said he hopes to have the 2021 NBA season opened by January and playing in local arenas. After asking 22 teams to travel to the NBA beginning in July, with two teams remaining to finish the finals, asking players to once again leave their families for an extended period of time is likely a non-starter for next season. Silver said the solution to the problem might be rapid testing.
“It’s certainly our goal,” Silver said, referring to playing in arenas. “But it’s dependent on some additional advancements. Rapid testing may be the key here.”
Before the league can return, the league’s players and owners must agree on a new CBA that accounts for the loss in revenue from this season.
“I don’t have expectations of labor issues … there’s no doubt there are issues on the table that have to be negotiated,” Silver said. “I think while no doubt there will be issues and difficult negotiations ahead, I think we’ll work them out as we always have.”
Adam Silver: NBA Still Hoping To Open Next Season In Arenashttps://t.co/HhDOuLuHx6
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 1, 2020
Childs and Merrill
The Jazz have a recent trend of drafting longer players from blueblood schools. Since Dennis Lindsey took over the team, the Jazz have landed Trey Burke (Michigan), Rodney Hood (Duke), Trey Lyles (Kentucky), Donovan Mitchell (Louisville), Tony Bradley (North Carolina), and Grayson Allen (Duke) from traditional blueblood programs on draft night.
BYU’s Childs likely has the length the Jazz covet, even though he isn’t a target with the 23rd pick. Merrill’s measurements have yet to be released, but a long wingspan would be surprising based on his film.
In our latest NBA draft prospect breakdown, we look at @BYUbasketball senior Yoeli Childs. https://t.co/i2GdcoimlF
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 28, 2020
You can read full breakdowns of Childs and Merrill as draft prospects in the links below. Additionally, find which local player Anderson thinks has the best odds of sticking in the NBA in the podcast.
Utah State's Sam Merrill might be the best shooter in the #NBAdraft.
Can he be this year's Duncan Robinson?https://t.co/m2CL71fFGN
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 29, 2020
Could Jazz Explore Paul George Trade?
One of our mailbag questions in this week’s episode came from Mr. Monsta on twitter who asked if the Jazz could get involved in a trade for Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George.
Will the Jazz be in the Paul George trade talks?
— Mr. Monsta (@MrMonsta913) October 2, 2020
The answer is likely no, but only because it would be surprising if the Clippers were to move on from George this early in his tenure in Los Angeles. By all reports, George was Kawhi Leonard’s preferred running mate, so making such a major change so quickly might be too aggressive.
Furthermore, after moving on from coach Doc Rivers, another shakeup might be premature. But while George might be off the table, don’t rule out the Jazz looking at other high-priced options that may be available this offseason or early on next year. The Jazz like Mike Conley and would be happy to retain him, but $34 million expiring contracts are rare in the NBA, and teams looking to unload enormous contracts (Houston and Russell Westbrook and Washington and John Wall) would likely enquire on Conley’s availability.
Neither of those two players should be considered options for the Jazz, but the team is likely monitoring the market to see if a surprise name becomes available.
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