After the Jazz reached an agreement to send Bojan Bogdanovic to the Pistons for Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee in a cost-cutting move, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports (via Twitter) that Utah had late first-round pick offers for the veteran sharpshooter, but the proposals also included longer-term salaries, so the team chose to maintain financial flexibility instead.
Once the trade is complete, the Jazz will have traded away Rudy Gobert, Royce O’Neale, Patrick Beverley (acquired as part of the Gobert deal), Donovan Mitchell and Bogdanovic this offseason, with more veterans likely to follow in the coming months as the team pivots towards a full rebuild.
Here’s more on the Jazz:
- In his video reaction to the trade, ESPN’s Bobby Marks says he likes the deal for Detroit, noting that Bogdanovic has both more on-court and trade value than Olynyk and Lee, and the 60-day trade aggregation rule doesn’t apply to Bogdanovic because the Pistons used their cap room to acquire him — they theoretically could flip him again immediately, even though there’s no indication that’s imminent. Marks says there shouldn’t be a rush to judge Utah too harshly for seemingly not getting great value for Bogdanovic because creating more breathing room below the luxury tax line might enable the Jazz to take on added salary in other trades as they look to clear a roster logjam, and they could always trade Olynyk closer to the deadline.
- Sarah Todd of The Desert News analyzes the trade, writing that Bogdanovic was “too good to keep on the roster” for a team trying to lose games. According to Todd, Bogdanovic’s age (33) and expiring deal made rival teams reluctant to part with significant assets for the veteran forward, despite his impressive production. She also points out that trading him to Detroit, a team that’s been towards the bottom in the standings the past few years, also could have been a motivating factor, since it might ensure the Pistons win more games than the Jazz, increasing Utah’s lottery odds.
- In an interview with Mike DeStefano of Complex, guard Jordan Clarkson says he’s “ready for whatever happens” as a veteran player whose name has popped up in trade rumors. “If I’m in a different jersey in a week or tomorrow I get a phone call and I have to put on whatever jersey it is, I’m just trying to win and take whatever team it is to the next level to hopefully win a championship one day,” Clarkson said as part of a larger quote.
Olynyk has a long term contract too tho. Seems like they really value Saben Lee. They basically chose him over a future 1st rd pick. I like Saben but I’d rather have a future 1st
Olynyk contract is only 3m guaranteed next season. So they can cut him and get 9m back in cap space
Ok well that def makes more sense. Utah needed a competent 5 they cold start the season with. He’s definitely competent enough to start but his lack of defense & his backups lack of experience should definitely aid in their tank efforts
Saben is only worth a 45th pick
Both Pacers and Jazz wanted two unprotected picks from Lakers
Kelly Olynyk don’t really have long term money. He’s under contract this year and only $3 million of his $12 million next year is guaranteed. The Utah Jazz just wanted to free up some money. For they can make more moves.
Bogdanovic has 1 yr deal. Olynyk has two yrs. Lee has one yr. Same bs. So makes no sense. Except to tank. Bogdanovic would have brought in a pick at TD. But they did not want to wait that long. Another move that shows Danny overplaying his hand.
Bogdanovic is a good trade asset for the TD. Pistons will move him for value. For a young team. It’s a great move.
It’s a good deal for the pistons. They were rumours of Isaiah Livers being the starting 4 cause they wanted someone that could stretch the floor there but this deal fixes that problem for them. Don’t expect them to be a playoff side but Cade Ivey Bey Bojan and Stewart make a decent starting side. Factor in a bench of Hayes Burks Knox Bagley and Noel/Duren.
I really like it, Cade will be a borderline all star, Jaden will be a contender for rookie of the year, Bey is a solid wing, Bojan does his thing and Stewart ties it all together. Hayes I don’t rate but others still do so I’m open minded there. If he fails then Corey Joseph is there. Bagley is a nice sixth man kinda dude and I hope Duren gets some minutes.
Like this lineup but Stewart is too undersized to be the board hound this team needs. Love the energy but he’s not the answer for this club.
You absolutely right my brother and hit it all on the head. Cade Cunningham is special. Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren got plenty of potential. Saddiq Bey is a nice young wing.
Perhaps the player wasn’t as in demand as thought. UTH deducts 5 mm from its payroll this year, but adds 3 mm next year. That swap likely works for both teams, but the return contracts have little value. This may be the first time I can remember a team being given credit for a trade on the basis that it makes that team worse and the other team better. I understand that lottery logic is different, but, still, I have to imagine it’s not very hard to accomplish that (making your team worse and other team better) in any deal.
I don’t really understand Danny ‘s obsession with maintaining financial flexibility. The jazz are gonna suck for like four or five years so who cares if you take on salary for the next two or three ? I mean this is a salary dump. Olynyk sucks.
Don’t ya know, the rains going to all clear up once Utah beats (?) the 7 other tankers/ then the lottery ball system
You must be new here, maybe BenBoy will come by later and explain better
Not sure I understand this one. You have a good player (18+PPG on a Playoff team) who is a CRAZY good shooter in a league that values shooters and you did a salary dump to get rid of him.
Why?
The comments of “not judging the Jazz harshly” is a nice way of saying this trade makes ZERO sense on its own and if there isn’t something more to it, then this is a stupid trade that suggests the Jazz may have no real idea what they are doing.
I think the Raptors were primed to give up next years first (to keep the most 1st for a superstar trade in future) to the Jazz, but because Juancho (who was just signed and garunteed money) went off during the Eurobasket trny, they are keeping that first for whatever BIG C becomes available at the TD because that’s their only current weakness
Summary.. a few teams including the Raptors weren’t going to part with late firsts (that Utah doesn’t really need right now) so they took the best deal possible to set up future retaining salary trades that net them future potential top 10 firsts (25 26 27 draft) in the coming months
I think Olynyk is a nice player and will look good at the four in Utah with Walker Kessler at the five.
The thing about Olynyk if he plays great this season Utah has the team option and can retain him, if he doesn’t they have the buyout, which fits with the rebuild,
But I do believe the Jazz would have had a good run with Bojan, and in that regard the trade is a little disappointing, as in a way it signals that the Jazz are using this season somewhat experimentally with more of an eye on the lottery than in making the playoffs.
But Olynyk could pop, could be a good fit, they could have landed a nice starting rotation piece in the deal.
I don’t know much about Saben Lee, I always like Collin Sexton at point guard, I always thought he was a good ball handler, and play Clarkson, THT and Agbaji off the ball. So the way I see Connelly is probably on his way out too, and Saben Lee probably providing some point guard depth.
I’d also say the Pistons are going to make the playoffs this season, so good trade all around.
I don’t think this team is going to lose as many games as the Jazz brass hope. They have some legit players on this team still, even if you dump the other vets. Their overall defense is a bit meh, but Vanderbilt is a stellar defender and the rest of the team is solid enough.
They have a good rotation of players at the four and five with Markennen and Olynyk as offensive spark plugs and Vanderbilt and Kessler as defensive stalwarts.
They are a little undersized at the three, but have a nice rotation of players with Beasley, Clarkson, Ogbaji and THT between the two and three and can play big with Olynyk, Markennen and Kessler on the floor at the same time, that’s an interesting lineup.
Jazz still an interesting team.
Still disgusted by the whole ‘trying to loose’ concept. Than what am I supposed to do – call back in a couple of years or watch the team loosing games on purpose? What’s even the point in watching the team loose games ON PURPOSE?
League pass? – I’ll pass – my team is in ‘loosing mode’. How to make sense of this concept, please advise.
Losing*
The little key isn’t they aren’t trying to lose on purpose as a team. The players go out there and are trying to win but it’s the front offices way of building a stronger team in hopes of eventually getting a championship.
A lot of teams do it in order to hopefully get a star to build around.
I’d say you are right in that the players aren’t tanking it, like @eonarashi says, this team might not lose as many games as thought, they could still make the playoffs.
Interesting group of players, some kind of off season for the Jazz getting all those picks and putting together a decent roster.
As said, the players themselves aren’t trying to lose. Each Jazz player wants to do well and win a championship this year. When the record is 0-0 they certainly should have that mentality.
It’s Danny Ainges job to look for the next Kyle Lowry, that guy that other teams don’t believe in that can b3 the next heartbeat of the Jazz while he gets a few years to figure things out with a few high picks.
Embrace the suck. Accept the tank and enjoy its bountiful fruits 3 or 4 years from now. Be furious if things are not looking better a few years from now
Understand the next superstar could be yours, could be paired with 2, 3 or 4 other young superstar players.
Keep hope alive. We’re fans, short for fantastic. If you don’t support them. They move to Vegas or Canada
Jordan Clarkson is going to be moved soon. He will look great on the Memphis Grizzlies.
I think Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley both good as gone. They will both likely be traded soon or by the trade deadline. Mike Conley Jr. won’t be moved because ain’t nobody checking for him at that price tag. Rudy Gay contract isn’t hard to move.
Starters
SF Talen Horton-Tucker
PF Lauri Markkanen
C Kelly Olynyk
SG Collin Sexton
PG Mike Conley Jr.
Bench
SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker
PF Jarred Vanderbilt
C Walker Kessler
PG Jared Butler
SF Stanley Johnson
SF Ochai Agbaji
C Udoka Azubuike
SF Simone Fontecchio
SG Leandro Bolmaro
PG Saban Lee
So I definitely think they need to move Jordan Clarkson Malik Beasley and Rudy Gay.