Burning Questions Remain as Jazz Inch Towards Trade Deadline

The Utah Jazz are one of the hottest basketball teams in the league right now. Despite their six-game winning streak coming to an end against a good Oklahoma City Thunder team, the Jazz have won 15 out of their last 20 games. 

Beyond this hot stretch, the February 8 NBA trade deadline is still looming in the near future. With the wins coming regularly, the Jazz have climbed all the way to No. 9 in the Western Conference — a development that seemed improbable just a few short weeks ago. 

The Jazz have more wins than the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers — two teams that had (and still might have) championship aspirations this year.

Whether or not the Jazz keep up this play is unclear, but we can acknowledge that trades could impact how the final 39 games go for the team. There are three paths CEO Danny Ainge and his front office can take — with Utah's recent play, each of them seems like a possible avenue the team can take.

Option A: Sell

If you were to ask which scenario is most likely, I’d still lean towards the Jazz being sellers. Just a short year ago, the Jazz were overachieving compared to expectations. Instead of chasing a possible play-in birth, the Jazz traded Mike Conley for a valuable future asset.

A year later, we are in a similar situation as the Jazz continue on their path to building a sustainable winner. Ainge has made it clear that some unexpected success will not get in the way of the big picture.

Rotational pieces Kelly Olynyk, Simone Fontecchio, and Kris Dunn are all on expiring contracts. Similarly, Jordan Clarkson, John Collins, and Collin Sexton have been mentioned as trade candidates throughout the year as well. If the front office gets an offer that meets Utah's high asking prices, it’s very reasonable to see the Jazz continuing to stockpile future assets.

While the improved play by these players has had a direct impact on winning, it may have also raised the trade value for each of them. If the Jazz don’t view them as part of the future, don’t plan on re-signing them over the summer, or just get blown away with an offer, selling some pieces off makes sense. 

The Jazz have both youth and depth waiting in the wings if a trade like this was to be agreed upon.

Option B: Stand Pat

You know what they say, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. The Jazz are winning games and may just want to see what this team can do the rest of the way. 

Lauri Markkanen has yet to make the playoffs in his career, so getting some experience for him, as well as Sexton, Walker Kessler, and Keyonte George, could be valuable.

While this would be more indicative of the market, if Ainge’s prices aren’t met, he’s not just going to trade someone just for fun. I expect the Jazz to make a move of some sort, but it’s reasonable that they let the rotational pieces ride out the rest of the season.

Option C: Buy

This is probably the least likely of all options, but there’s a chance the Jazz can add another core piece that fits with Markkanen’s timeline. The 26-year-old is playing at a near All-NBA level, and eventually, the Jazz will have to assemble the puzzle around him.

It seems like the Jazz are holding their chips and waiting for a bonafide star to become available before they decide the time is right to spend. With the volume of quality assets and players the Jazz have, it’s always a possibility that they can find a player and price that matches their plan.

Bottom Line

The Jazz have become a much more interesting team to watch as we head toward the trade deadline. With plenty of options at their disposal, it will be interesting to see what the next step is in their rebuild.

Follow Inside The Jazz on Facebook and X.

Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Jazz news videos and live streams!