Do the Jazz need to trade for a point guard?

Whether or not the Jazz need to solve their PG questions with a trade largely becomes a question about Keyonte George’s readiness, writes Zarin Ficklin. (Marco Garcia via The Salt Lake Tribune)

Perhaps the biggest topic du jour in Jazzland is the guard rotation. The six strongest candidates for minutes are Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kris Dunn, Keyonte George, and Ochai Agbaji. Thus far, coach Will Hardy has solved this squeeze by playing some guards out of position. For example, Agbaji has primarily played as a forward, even though he’s ideally a shooting guard if the Jazz want to play with positional size. We’ve even seen lineups with center Walker Kessler and four guards.

The other issue facing the Jazz roster is a deficiency in passing and strong overlap in other guard skills. Sexton, THT, and Dunn prefer to score their points on drives. While THT and Dunn have had hot scoring streaks, they don’t generate gravity on the perimeter, making them shaky fits in Kessler lineups. And while Clarkson has evolved his passing game admirably, making him the primary distributor may be asking too much.

The bottom line is that the Jazz guard rotation is both crowded and imbalanced. Are these issues severe enough to warrant a trade? After all, every NBA roster has flaws. Let’s explore a few key factors.

Who are the guards of the future?

While Horton-Tucker is only 22 years old and Sexton 24, they have significant hurdles to overcome if they hope to start on the next iteration of a contending Jazz team. In a high-stakes playoff setting, it’s difficult to start a non-shooting point guard or a 6’2” shooting guard. If either are long-term Jazz players, it seems more likely they fill a backup role.

In contrast, George and Agbaji have size and skillsets that project well for a playoff setting. Ochai fits the cliche 3-and-D mold that every contending team needs. There’s a reason Danny Green has featured on three different championship teams. While we’ve seen relatively little of Keyonte so far, flashes hint at the creation ability and “It” factor of a star guard — Jamal Murray of the most recent champs could be a good goal for Keyonte to shoot for.

And let’s be clear here: George has a lot to prove, but if he can live up to the star guard potential, the question of “should the Jazz trade for a point guard?” largely revolves around him.

That said, starting the rookie to start the season isn’t a clear cut answer. Hardy has shown that playing time must be earned. Players don’t need to start to develop, and Key has already earned significant minutes as a backup in preseason play. Point guard is a notoriously hard position for rookies to play, and throwing a nineteen-year-old right into the furnace could prove unwise. Ideally George can take more and more responsibility as he becomes ready for it, rather than being the only option.

Even during last year’s rebuild, the Jazz brought in veterans like Kelly Olynyk and Mike Conley to create a functional offense. Rewards were reaped, as players like Kessler and Lauri Markkanen blossomed in a stable environment. The same argument can be made for bringing in a table setter to ease George’s development as he grows into his role.

What do the Jazz want this season?

Last season’s team competed for a playoff spot for much of the season until trades and injuries pushed them into the lottery race. There was a constant debate of whether it was more beneficial for the team to win or lose games. While the Jazz missed out on the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, they ended the season with a blend of competitive play, solid player development, and decent draft position. It was an odd, surprising, and fun season — but always difficult to pin down exactly what they were going for.

We can expect a similar approach this season. I don’t see the team trying the crater their record, trading any piece that detracts from the best lottery odds. Nor do I see them making all-in trades that lead to hasty playoff chasing. The question is which direction will they lean toward more? Further complicating this question is the top-10 protected first-round pick they owe Oklahoma City. There are arguments for trying to keep the pick (add another top-10 talent) or letting it convey now (ensure that the debt is satisfied before it jeopardizes other picks/swaps).

So parsing out how much winning now versus building for the future could shed light into whether a point guard trade is made.

What can we infer from the rumored Jrue Holiday interest?

Intel suggests the Jazz were interested in Jrue Holiday, who ultimately landed with the Boston Celtics instead. I’d wager every GM in the league has wanted Holiday on their roster at some point. He’s the premier lockdown-defender, a high character player, and easy to plug in.

But such a trade would’ve required multiple draft picks along with matching salary. Holiday is 33 years old and making nearly $35 million this season. That a purported rebuilding team expressed interest in an aging, expensive player might hint at their competitive desires in the near term. Undoubtedly adding Holiday would be a win-now move, placing Utah firmly in the playoff race. His experience, defense, and passing ability would make things easier for all of his teammates.

And at some point the Jazz need to consolidate assets into tangible talent. But which of these factors matter most right now? Adding wins, passing, or talent? Perhaps Holiday is just a respected and unique enough player that the Jazz had to throw their hat in the ring, despite any arguments to the contrary. If anything, it shows the Jazz are not averse to trading for a star or a player in their thirties.

Who could the Jazz trade for?

It’s easy to concluce that it makes a lot of sense for the Jazz to trade for a point guard — and much more difficult to identify the right target (and cost).

There are veteran guards like Monte Morris or Delon Wright who could serve as placeholder starters and transition gracefully into a backup role. This makes some sense, but is it worth giving up assets for players who fit positional and creation needs, but may not move the win-total meter significantly? Would the Jazz rather see how THT and Sexton develop than give minutes to a steady, but older point guard? I can see both sides.

The Jazz could target a younger guard that fits their roster better. But such a trade either involves spending assets or swapping development projects. It’s hard to find such a trade that makes more sense than just gradually expanding George’s role.

Lastly, the Jazz can wait for a star guard to become available. If things go south for the Hawks (Dejounte Murray), Hornets (LaMelo Ball), or Mavericks (Luka Doncic), the Jazz have the assets and contracts to be ready.

Until the right opportunity comes along, the Jazz will have to get creative. Without the pressure to make the playoffs right away, the Jazz can afford to spend 20–30 games to monitor George’s progress, pushing Sexton, or seeing how much of THT’s/Dunn’s late-season success is sustainable.

Maybe George proves ready sooner, or maybe it becomes clear that bringing in a vet would be beneficial. No doubt this will continue to one of the team’s bigger questions as season 50 begins. If we’ve learned anything about the Justin Zanik and Danny Ainge era, it’s that they won’t make a move simply for making a move’s sake — but they’re not afraid of making a big splash when the right moment comes.