The Jazz have continued to search for a “dynamic” third piece to add to their star duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who hears from sources that Utah has expressed interest in both Mike Conley of the Grizzlies and Otto Porter of the Wizards. Shams Charania of The Athletic wrote on Wednesday about the Jazz’s interest in Porter.
As Jones explains, Utah’s interest doesn’t mean the club will necessarily make an offer for either player. Conley’s and Porter’s contracts will also complicate matters, as both players are owed massive salaries through the 2020/21 season. Still, both players intrigue the Jazz, who may throw their hat into the ring if “circumstances align” and if they feel comfortable with forfeiting future cap room to lock in a productive veteran like Conley or Porter.
Here’s more from Jones on the Jazz:
- While Conley or Porter would be expensive, their contracts are set to end around the same time Gobert’s deal expires and Mitchell’s second contract will begin, Jones observes. That timeline matches up well with what the Jazz would be looking for — there’s a sense that if they’re going to be aggressive trying to land a pricey impact player, it should happen while Mitchell is still on his rookie contract, says Jones.
- Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey will continue to monitor the trade market over the next couple weeks in search of opportunities, according to Jones, who points to last year’s acquisition of Jae Crowder and this season’s trade for Kyle Korver as the sort of smaller-scale deals that have really helped the club.
- Utah’s front office has “dreams” of being active and aggressive on the 2019 free agent market, sources tell Jones. So if they don’t make any major moves that cut into their future cap room before the trade deadline, the Jazz figure to be a team to watch this summer.
- The Jazz weren’t caught off guard by Mitchell’s shooting struggles during the first couple months of the season, sources tell Jones. The team knew that a toe injury prevented the second-year guard from working out in the offseason and figured he might be a little slow to get going in his sophomore season. Mitchell has been an efficient scorer so far in 2019, shooting 48.1% from the floor in his last 11 games, including 44.3% on three-pointers, after shooting 40.7% (29.1% on threes) in his first 34.
Rubio and/or Favors would have to be moved in any trade due to needing to match salaries. Grayson Allen, Dante Exum, Raul Neto, and Royce O’Neale would also make sense in a package as players/prospects of interest.
Conley really would look great on the Jazz. Seems to me that he fits their system and preferred player profile too.
I don’t see it.
Brooklyn: Favors, Casspi
Memphis: Exum, Carroll, Dudley
Utah: Conley
Utah’s 2020 1st rounder would also go to Memphis
Utah is giving up too much for Conley in this deal imo
How is favors expiring contract and hurt-all-the-time-exum’s dumb contract too much lol
Rubio, Exum, Allen for Conley works.
There isnt a trade for Porter that makes sense for the Wiz. Makes less sense for Utah bc then there is no starting caliber PG on the team.
Stanley Johnson would make more sense.
Well, it just depends on how committed Utah is to Dante Exum. They spent a top 5 pick on him and re-signed him, so maybe they are willing to go with him as starting point.
Jazz get
Otto Porter
Jeff Green
Wizards get
Ricky Rubio
Thabo Sefolosha
Grayson Allen
The Jazz get what they want and the Wizards owners gets the type of veterans to not tank.
If they are not that committed to Exum, it could still happen.
Jazz get
Mike Conley
Ivan Rabb
Grizzlies get
Derrick Favors
Dante Exum
a 1st round pick
Conley, Porter, Mitchell, Gobert is an excellent foursome and could really compete.
Obviously it would be a miracle for the Jazz if this actually happened, but it COULD happen.
Wiz turn that down instantly.
porter for mediocre player…??? no way wiz accept it.
Wiz don’t want to trade Porter, and, even if they were willing, cap space wouldn’t be their goal, so the Wiz would have little interest in Rubio (who, for them, would be a pure rental) as part of the compensation, and they’ve never valued draft picks all that much.
Jazz should deal with the Grizz. They should consider the Grizz’s J.Green in a package with Conley. Not the combo F that Porter is, but he’ll come at a lower price point, and might fill out the rotation just as well. Not sure Grizz would want to move him, but they should consider it. He’s unsigned and at an awkward age to re-up with a rebuilding team, but likely would with the Jazz if all goes well.
Jazz: Conley, Green, Caspi and Mack
Grizz: Rubio, Favors, Neto, Allen and O’Neal, plus a 1st (protection that burns off)
Grizz might look at Rubio as having value this year and as a possible returnee. He’ll have the position, some his Utah running mates, and (maybe) Gasol, who he plays (played) with on the Spanish national team. Worst case, they net, going forward, a placeholder at PG, and two young wing players. Favors contract gives them some flexibility next year too.
The interest the Wiz would have in Rubio would be twofold. First, he would be an adequate replacement for Wall the rest of the year if it is the Wizards’ goal to try and make the playoffs. Second, and more importantly, would be his expiring contract. When Wall’s contract balloons next season, all the rest of the contracts on the Wizards payroll will put them into luxury tax territory.
They’re in the tax this year. More importantly, they’ve been pretty clear that they’re not going to trade guys like Porter for cap purposes (which, for them, means tax purposes). The rental for this year is of some value, but minor. An expiring deal like Ariza has value, because they can resign him. With Rubio, because of his position and Wall, that would never happen. Rubio would have more value to a team that might resign him; so, the way the Jazz maximize Rubio’s trade value is to trade him to one of those teams.
All the more reason to dump his salary. Wall’s contract doesn’t just go up a few million. It goes up around $20 million. Add the tax on top of that and you are looking at a large chunk of change. Leonsis might not say so publicly, but I think even he doesn’t want to simply throw away that much money on this team.
Wizards will want something of tangible value beyond this season if they deal Wall or Porter. I think Beal is the least likely they would deal, Wall least likely they could deal. I am semi surprised on the Porter stance, he has not looked good for almost a full season now. Certainly not max contract worthy.
Young piece with some proven upside and an expiring contract is what they are most likely looking for otherwise they keep him.
Short run, for Memphis, Casspi is their only healthy 3. Anderson will be back by the trade deadline but may not be confidence-inspiring yet.
Long term, they’re not getting enough, unless they think Conley is a burden.
As for Utah, they are doing very well with Mitchell at the 1 and that is no coincidence. They should be looking for a 2, not a 1. IDK if Porter can play that but I doubt ‘Zrds are dealing regardless.
Try Joe Harris BRK, Brogdon MIL, Jaylen Brown if he’s not getting ovverrated by BOS, McGruden MIA, Beverly LAC, Bogdan SAC, enuf says my brain. Forget Brown, let BOS worry about him.