Three Outside-Of-The-Box Trade Ideas For The Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY – The NBA trade window closes on Thursday at 1 pm MT and the Utah Jazz have been one of the teams most frequently mentioned among buyers at the deadline.

There are a slew of common names affiliated with the Jazz, including Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes, Boston Celtics wing Josh Richardson, and Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant.

Truthfully, all three pieces would take a significant investment from the Jazz at the deadline, which makes a deal for a player of their caliber less likely.

With that in mind, here’s a look at three outside-of-the-box options for the Jazz ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.

1: Kemba Walker

One of the latest rumors to pop up around the league is that the Jazz are one of a handful of teams that have inquired about the cost for former guard Alec Burks.

Burks career has been rejuvenated in recent seasons, and after Joe Ingles went down with a season-ending knee injury last week, the Jazz need additional depth in the backcourt ahead of the playoffs.

This past summer the Knicks signed Burks to a three-year, $30 million extension, though the final year of the deal is a team option. However, with New York underachieving, the Knicks are looking to move Burks to clear cap space and free up playing space for the recently acquired Cam Reddish.

However, if the Jazz have discussed a potential move with the Knicks regarding Burks, why not check on the availability of veteran guard Kemba Walker.

Kemba goin' coast-to-coast 🏃🏾‍♂️💨 pic.twitter.com/RkiSjOmpgc

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 29, 2022

Walker gave up a significant amount of money in a buyout with the Oklahoma City Thunder last season in order to sign with a team that was expected to be a playoff contender in New York, only to find himself operating as a square peg in a round hole.

The former All-Star has found himself in and out of the Knicks rotation, and when he’s on the floor, he struggled to find himself as the fourth option on a roster that has plenty of talent, but very little cohesion.

Walker has struggled to fit in with the Knicks largely because of his reduction in role after being a go-to option through the first 10 years of his career in Charlotte and Boston.

In Utah, not only would Walker continue to serve in a reduced role, he’d be pushed back to the bench for the first time since his rookie season.

Would filling the 25 minutes left vacant by Ingles be a viable option for the guard at this point in his career?

Those are significant hurdles Walker would have to get over if he decided he would be willing to make it work in Utah. But, it might be worth a shot.

Walker’s value isn’t improving with the Knicks, and with Derrick Rose set to return after the All-Star break, the point guard’s role could be even further diminished on a team that may not end up in the playoffs.

Joe Ingles discussed the upcoming trade deadline, and how his injury may change his future with the @utahjazz. #TakeNote https://t.co/Bqw9uv77kI

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 4, 2022

That will make it difficult for Walker to rebuild his reputation as the Knicks slowly sink into depths of NBA obscurity.

Throughout his time in Utah, Quin Snyder has proven to be a bit of a point guard whisperer, helping to build Ingles into one of the most valuable bench players in the NBA, turning castoff Jordan Clarkson into the Sixth Man of the Year, and overseeing Mike Conley’s first All-Star appearance after 12 relatively fruitless seasons in Memphis.

If Walker wanted to rebuild his image as a productive guard, there may not be a better coach in the NBA than Snyder to help him do it.

What value does it bring the Jazz?

The Jazz lost a significant piece when Ingles went down with a torn ACL in late January, and though the veteran guard was having his difficult season in Utah, he’s proven to be a valuable contributor in the postseason throughout his career.

Though second-year guard Trent Forrest has shown promise for the roster, would the Jazz feel comfortable turning the ball over to him for any significant stretch in the postseason when Conley and Donovan Mitchell are off the floor?

Or, if in another stroke of bad lack the Jazz lose either All-Star guard for a significant period of time like they did last season, how would they fare without Ingles on the bench to fill those minutes.

It’s a significant question the Jazz will have to answer before Thursday.

Kemba Walker on his play of late, including 2 straight scoreless outings:

"I'm in a completely different role than what I've been in…it's still an adjustment period for me personally" pic.twitter.com/VZfpXz2vk8

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) February 5, 2022

Additionally, while the Jazz could save more money by moving Ingles for a team better suited to simply take on his contract into salary cap space, they’d still be able to cut their luxury tax bill by flipping Ingles for Walker.

Walker makes roughly $4.3 million less than Ingles this season and would reduce the Jazz luxury tax bill by more than $10 million this season, not an insignificant amount of money on an otherwise empty return on Ingles current deal.

Next season Walker is owed $9.1 million, a number the Jazz would have to be comfortable taking on in a trade, but would be another expiring contract the team could float as an asset before next year’s trade deadline. It’s also less money than the team would have to take on in a trade for Burks.

At this point in his career, trade for Walker would be a bit of a flyer for the Jazz, but he fills a need at point guard after Ingles injury, would shed significant money off the team’s luxury tax bill, and still has some home run potential in his game.

As the Jazz have learned the hard way in recent seasons, you can never have too many playoff-worth players in the rotation, and Walker would fit the bill.

2. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

I’ll admit Kentavious Caldwell-Pope isn’t the most outside-of-the-box option for the Jazz as his name has been thrown around with the team in recent years, though it’s been a surprisingly quiet option this year ahead of the trade deadline.

What Value Does KCP Offer The Jazz?

With the Jazz rumored to be interested in Boston’s Josh Richardson, Caldwell-Pope offers some of the same skills as a talented defender and floor spacer that doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be successful.

Caldwell-Pope is a more prolific three-point shooter, though he’s not as efficiently a scorer as Richardson.

He is however an adept defender, especially on the perimeter, and would give the Jazz another option on the wing to team with Royce O’Neale to throw at an opposing team’s best scoring option.

Out and running 🏃‍♂️#DCAboveAll pic.twitter.com/fYQx9Dj9TJ

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) February 3, 2022

The forward proved to be a valuable piece in the Lakers championship run in the bubble and would give the Jazz a proven playoff contributor, something Danuel House Jr. has never shown.

What Could The Jazz Send Washington?

Any deal involving the Jazz would likely include Ingles to make salaries match which would allow Washington to get out from under Caldwell-Pope’s contract a season early, and to be players on the free agency market in their continued hopes of building a contender around Bradley Beal.

However, Washington would probably want more compensation in return for their 3-and-D veteran and would likely target one of the Jazz’s young pieces in Jared Butler, Udoka Azubuike, or Elijah Hughes.

D🚫K pic.twitter.com/YsoBZYHQLq

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 8, 2022

Butler may be too steep of an asking price for the Jazz who are in need of young talent on the perimeter with an aging Conley, though Caldwell-Pope certainly fills a bigger need while the team’s championship window is open.

The Jazz could also explore a trade for Caldwell-Pope by including Jordan Clarkson who would add a scoring punch to the Wizards 22nd ranked offense.

If the Jazz were willing to part with Clarkson for an off-the-ball scorer like Caldwell-Pople, the aforementioned Walker trade could have even more value.

With news that Bradley Beal is undergoing season-ending wrist surgery, the move to unload future salaries may have value for Washington.

3. Hamidou Diallo And/Or Cory Joseph

The Jazz have left roster spots open in case they needed to make a two-for-one deal at the deadline, and a trade involving Hamidou Diallo and Cory Joseph is the type of move that could do just that.

Joseph is the type of veteran backup the Jazz would likely target to replace Ingles production off the bench, while Diallo would help the Jazz solve their defensive deficiency on the perimeter.

The Pistons have a young star in Cade Cunningham and are likely to move Jerami Grant at the trade deadline for draft capital, something they’re devoid of at the moment.

☁️ Hami collecting more air miles ☁️@BallySportsDET | @hamidoudiallo pic.twitter.com/0LUWvLhuKj

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) February 2, 2022

Detroit already has the least committed salary of any team in the league for the 2022-23 season, so taking on Ingles expiring contract just to get out of Joseph’s $5.1 player option next season may not be enough to convince them to throw in a young player of Diallo’s caliber, even if he is a bit repetitive on the current roster.

So, the Jazz could add what future (albeit limited) draft capital they have to offer to Detroit in hopes of convincing the Pistons to make the trade.

The Jazz could also replace Ingles with Clarkson in the deal, buying Detroit another year with a salary in the low teens to make a trade should Joseph opt out of his player option this offseason.

Alternatively, the Jazz could operate as the third team in a deal that sends Grant elsewhere (Portland and Chicago are rumored destinations) while taking either Diallo’s and/or Joseph’s contract in return for Ingles.

That way the Jazz could add valuable pieces to their roster while shedding luxury tax dollars and facilitating a bigger deal for two teams elsewhere.

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