No Move Was the Right Move for the Surging Jazz

February 9th, 2019 | by John Keeffer

The Jazz opted to keep the gang together. (Alex Lowry via utahjazz.com)

Dennis Lindsey has not been shy about making trades during his tenure as general manager of the Utah Jazz. Lindsey’s roster-retooling moves have become a reoccurring theme, whether on draft night or in-season deals. Perhaps that is why it was so surprising when the Jazz did not make any trades prior to this season’s trade deadline last Thursday. Despite being linked to several possible trade scenarios, most notably a potential deal for Mike Conley, they will be finishing the season with the same group of guys.

The reaction of fans on social media ranged from shock, surprise to even anger at the Jazz for not taking steps that they believed would make the team a more true contender for this season.

Part of the frustration for many fans is that it is hard for the Jazz to bring in high-caliber players during the offseason. That seems to be the curse of a small-market team. Many players who have not experienced what it is like to play in Utah just assume that it wouldn’t be a place they want to be. Once they get here though, they tend to fall in love. This is actually something Gail Miller talked about just the other day at Ekpe Udoh’s Book club.

“A lot of players don’t want to come here, at least we’re told that, but once they get here, they like it and they build homes here and stay, so maybe it’s a secret that needs to be discovered.”

The trouble is getting those players to give Utah a shot. When a player is acquired via the draft or a trade, he has no choice but to come and see what Utah has to offer. While free agency is a great way to fill holes, there are no assurances. Many small market teams make the mistake of overly saving money in an effort to pitch to major free agents, but the likelihood of actually getting players of that caliber are slim. Now you are overflowing with money that has to be spent. So what happens? You overpay a player who doesn’t quite deserve it, because that is the only way to get them to sign.

That is why many fans are upset over the Jazz standing pat. While the Jazz are clearly going to be a consistent playoff team for years to come, they don’t have the pieces to truly compete, and if they can’t get top-tier players in the off-season, then that means they’ll likely be running this same team back next season. As Salt City Hoops writer Dan Clayton put it, “The Jazz know they’re a key move or two away from having a very interesting and dynamic roster, one capable of challenging even the star-driven hegemonies that currently stand a tier above them.”

While the Jazz not making any moves may have ruffled a few feathers, that does not mean it was the wrong move. The Jazz were one of four teams who did not make a trade deadline deal, but change for change’s sake is not a good enough reason. So let’s evaluate the most popular options that were mentioned, and see if it was really worth it, or even possible for the Jazz to be involved.

The biggest name out there was Conley, and by all intents and purposes, the discussions around that were real and nearly completed. I don’t think there is much of an argument that Conley would not have been an upgrade over Ricky Rubio. However, there are more factors to consider than just the talent of Conley and Rubio. First is what the Grizzlies were asking of the Jazz in order to make the trade happen. It was reported that the Utah Jazz offered Ricky Rubio, (possibly) Derrick Favors and a future first round pick. Talks stalled because of Memphis being unwilling to make the trade without Dante Exum or additional firsts being included. That seems like a lot to ask for a point guard on the wrong side of 30.

Speaking of Conley being on the wrong side of 30, the second factor to consider is his contract and health over the last few seasons. In 2016, he signed a 5-year, $153 million contract. The remaining two years of that contract are worth a combined $67,015,755 million. That is a lot of money to have invested in a soon-to-be 32 year old point guard. Especially when you consider the fact that he has not played 70 or more games since the 2014-15 season He has played 191 games over the past four seasons, out of a potential 302 games. 

If there were a guarantee that Conley would remain healthy, you could talk me into offering what the Grizzlies wanted to make it work, but without that, I believe the right call was made.

The other point guards that the Jazz reportedly expressed interest in were Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic (although it’s hard to tell how much validity was behind those reports). There may have been a phone call made, but neither of these ideas seemed to gain much traction. The issues would be the same with both however. Both are even older than Conley, and have greatly struggled with injuries over the past two seasons.  Not only has Lowry been struggling to stay on the court, but he is making even more money than Conley over the next two seasons. I’ve always been a fan of Dragic, and paying him $19.2 million for just next season isn’t terrible, but he had knee surgery just a few months ago.

With all that in mind, the Jazz are clearly comfortable rolling forward with Rubio at the helm while Exum continues to progress. There are not a lot of point guard options who will be available this summer in free agency, so it will be interesting to see what the Jazz do moving forward. One option: re-sign Rubio to a deal similar to Favors’ offseason agreement. 

Speaking of Favors, he was the other player continually linked to Jazz trade rumors. The Jazz reportedly discussed a swap of Favors for Nikola Mirotic last season before he latter wound up in New Orleans, and the Ringer reported that Utah was again interested in in the Pelicans forward. The Jazz have long been enamored with the idea of pairing a more modern stretch four like Mirotic with Rudy Gobert. The same thing that stopped the Jazz from getting him last season stopped them this season: his incumbent team demanding a first round pick in return1. As good of a fit that he might be with the Jazz, the asking price is too high for a player who will be available via free agency in just a few months. 

The Jazz were also linked to Otto Porter, but it is clear that the Wizards were looking to dump salary in an effort to get beneath the luxary tax, while also obtaining young potential assets. The Jazz would have likely needed to trade Favors and Rubio, which was probably not as appealing to the Wizards. They were able to get a couple of players with potential, while saving money and dropping the team $232,000 below the luxury tax.

When it was all said and done, the Jazz did their due diligence by exploring multiple potential trade offers to get better. Due to the current situation that the team is in (good financial flexibility, soft second half schedule), they decided that the price to making a trade was too high and not necessary. Definitely not the sexy thing to do, but that doesn’t mean it’s not the right decision.

You can’t underestimate the importance of relationships and continuity on a team. In an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune, Rubio expressed his happiness to be staying with the Jazz, while also focusing on the importance of team chemistry.

“We have a great group of guys, and I’ve never been on a team like this where we have each other’s back. We love each other here. Yesterday, we showed it to [Favors] too,” Rubio said. “The team, sometimes, upstairs don’t feel like chemistry matters, and sometimes it matters more than anything.”

The Jazz are going to be entering a stretch after the All-Star break where they will play roughly 17 games against non-playoff teams. With that in mind, perhaps keeping a group together that has already built continuity and genuinely seems to like each other is the right move to make. Only time shall tell.

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