In each of the past two seasons, the Jazz started out surprisingly competitive, with .500 records in early February, only to sell off veterans and tank down the stretch to improve their lottery odds. With a 4-15 start to the 2024/25 campaign, Utah’s front office probably isn’t concerned about the team’s place in the reverse standings.
That doesn’t mean the Jazz won’t be listening to offers for their veterans again though, according to Marc Stein at Substack, who lists big man John Collins and guards Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton as three trade candidates to keep an eye on.
On paper, Collins put up solid numbers in ’23/24, which was his first season with Utah, averaging 15.1 PPG and 8.5 RPG on .532/.371/.795 shooting in 68 games (28.0 MPG). But there was a fairly long adjustment period between player and team — his fit was awkward at times in the frontcourt.
Collins has looked more comfortable — and been more productive — to open ’24/25, averaging 17.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.5 APG and 1.3 SPG (up from 1.1 and 0.6 last season, respectively) in approximately the same amount of minutes (28.7 MPG). His shooting line is currently .535/.353/.949.
The 27-year-old’s bounce-back season has Utah’s front office happy with the decision to acquire him from Atlanta for essentially a second-round pick, Stein writes. Collins is owed $25.8MM this season, with a $26.8MM player option for ’25/26, so his contract could prove more difficult to move than that of Clarkson, who is owed $14.1MM this season and $14.3MM in ’25/26, Stein adds. Sexton, meanwhile, will earn $18.4MM in ’24/25, followed by $19.2MM in ’25/26.
Here are some more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Like Jake Fischer, Stein hears the Bulls are considered a prominent seller ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, with Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball considered the most likely candidates to be dealt. In fact, Stein says Chicago’s front office seems confident it will be able to trade “at least one” of those players in the next few months.
- A surprisingly competitive 9-11 start reportedly won’t deter the Nets from trading away veterans, with Brooklyn expected to join Utah and Chicago as clear sellers. “Just about everyone on their roster is available as long as they don’t take back long-term money,” one source told Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Insider link). “(But) they’re not giving anyone away. At least not yet.” According to Stein, rival teams are particularly intrigued by the strong play of veteran point guard Dennis Schröder, who is on an expiring $13MM contract.
- This isn’t a trade rumor, but Stein reports that there’s a “rising expectation” that Pelicans star Zion Williamson will hire Bill Duffy of WME Sports to be his next agent. Williamson, who is currently sidelined by a hamstring strain, recently parted ways with CAA. Duffy has several prominent clients around the NBA, per RealGM, including Vucevic, Luka Doncic, Scottie Barnes and Anthony Edwards, among others.
- A number of teams are monitoring Jimmy Butler‘s situation with the Heat, Fischer said on a Bleacher Report livestream (video link). However, Fischer hasn’t heard any recent chatter specifically involving the six-time All-Star, who can be an unrestricted free next summer if he declines his $52.4MM player option for ’25/26.
It’s interesting that Sexton, who wasn’t known for his 3-point shooting, is now leading the Jazz, along with Markkanen, in that category. It shows that players can still develop and improve difficult things like shooting.
As for Jazz trades, it’s tough because I know the Jazz should trade at least 1-2 of their vets. However, the road after getting a guy like Cooper Flagg is longer without them. If they trade them then they need to tank next season as well to fill out what their roster needs.
He improved his 3 way back in Cleveland
True, but he had to find it again after his injury. He’s made a big jump in percentage this year.
Benboy, you’re our one source of impartial analysis on the Jazz, and I’m curious as to what you’re seeing.
The “rebuilding” PoV is that every minute given to Sexton & Collins is one not given to a recent draft pick, no?
Or, is Utah trying to build a great relationship with Sexton and Collins by playing them so much so that it can re-sign them when they become free agents at the end of next season?
The Jazz front office actually said, this year, that their focus is on the youth development.
However, that entirely depends on if that youth keeps improving with usage. Some have improved. Some are already injured. Some need more confidence from playing in the G League.
The front office doesn’t seem to have a set tank plan. They try to win games, but have noticed they take advantage when a player is injured. They nurture the injury, extra carefully, as to be cautious, but also enjoy the tank benefits.
In other words, the front office and coach are too competitive to fully tank, at least in the first part of the year.
My guess is that they’ll continue to see what they have and then do another series of trades at the deadline.
Although, I have heard they have liked what they see from Collins. So it’s possible they might not trade him.
I haven’t heard one way or the other on Sexton, but they did like what he’s done in the off-season. He’s made himself a fixture in the community. Hard to say, especially with a better shooting %, what they’ll do with him.
I can see them trading Clarkson. He’s at that point where they could use Sexton as their 6th man scorer and trade Clarkson this year. His contract is only around $14M. While Collins is closer to $26M and Sexton’s is ~18M.
Benboy, are you thinking that the Jazz’s preference is to be bad enough to make the lottery, but not so bad as to maximize their chances at the best lottery pick?
I’m being serious. It would certainly explain a lot.
I just don’t think Zion will ever figure it out. I think only Embiid is injured/out more at that performance expectation level.
Embiid has at least played enough games in seasons/career to get MVPs. Zion can’t even qualify for All Star games majority of his time.
Can John Collins be a King already? Huerter+Lyles for Collins. It works. Lyles is expiring this season, Huerter next season. Kings need an actual NBA level PF to help Keegan Murray and Sabonis.
The defense would be worse. They do need to move Huerter though, the guy is not that good.
Collins can’t be worse than Lyles, who is a bad defender. And Huerter is a zero defensively, other than some deflections here and there.
Lyles hated Coach Snyder’s practices. Sounds like he’s still lazy. That’s a no from the Jazz.
They are looking for young players and draft picks.
How about Zion hiring a new dietician rather than a new agent
If I was 12 or if he were fat this would be funny. Why does does one keep beating a dead horse? Come up something new dude!
A dead horse plays more than Zion.
Taco, respectfully, Zion is “fat” by medical standards, even at 273lbs, where he reportedly meets the weight/fitness requirements of his contract at 22% bodyfat . Check out the videos he just posted of his new back tattoo, and you’ll see a guy that looks at least that. If he had the will and discipline, he could shed 40-50 pounds of fat in 3-4 months under dietary supervision.
It’s more complicated than that, though. Zion.has a body type that prefers to store much more fat than the norm. He can remain explosive at 300 pounds, even though he is, technically, “obese” at that weight. There have been several successful hoopers before Zion that felt most comfortable playing with 28%-30% body fat, but the body type is rare in basketball. Like large powerlifters and most heavyweight boxers, these players will become progressively less explosive as they move below 20% bodyfat. Zion is reportedly one of these. At 10% body fat, Zion would weigh about 235-40 pounds. He would be less injury prone, but he would also lose what he perceives as power and would need to adjust his current game.
IMO, Zion would benefit from such a body “transformation” at this point because his injury history suggests a physiology that cannot survive an NBA season. And that will be more the case as he ages.
As someone who recently lost 30% of my weight, I can testify that my overall health and likelihood of injury are much lower. I also have far more energy on much fewer calories. It is not shaming to say that a professional athlete should make his physical health a priority. He has wasted gifts.