alt=Sarah ToddAll eyes are on the Utah Jazz right now.
Across the NBA everyone is waiting with bated breath for the results of what could be a second blockbuster trade of the offseason for the Jazz. But it’s not just about what team Donovan Mitchell ends up on.
When a trade happens is going to have an impact on other teams — even the ones not involved in the trade — and how much the deal costs is going to impact future trades across the league as well as asset banks for the teams involved. But there’s a huge piece of all of this that could have even more impact across the league.
If Mitchell is traded, it immediately would signal an official fire sale from the Jazz and all of the players not named Mitchell could become available. There are definitely players that are currently on the Jazz’s roster that could make a big difference for some of the other contenders around the league.
Bojan Bogdanovic is probably the most valuable player on the Jazz’s roster, outside of Mitchell, from a trade perspective.
Bogdanovic has proven to exceed expectations as a defensive player during the playoffs and is a regular threat to score upward of 20 points on any given night. He’s a career 39% 3-point shooter, he’s smart, he’s beloved by teammates and fanbases, and there are about 29 other teams in the league that would love to have a player like Bogdanovic on their team.
Mike Conley, with his age, the size of his contract ($22.6 million in 2022-23 and a partially guaranteed $24.3 million in 2023-24) and some of the concerns about injury, might not be at the top of the list for some teams, but he still remains one of the best and most experienced point guards in the league and there is value in that.
Jordan Clarkson is a former Sixth Man of the Year, is an exceptional teammate, and is often aptly described as a walking bucket. If the team is lacking and needs some energy, a spark, and needs someone to just take the rock and score, Clarkson is a player that can completely change the tone of a game.
Clarkson has two more years left on his deal with a player option in the final year (2023-24). To have a guy that can easily score 30 points, is willing to come off the bench and is making under $15 million is a hot commodity in the NBA.
The Jazz also have Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley, who were acquired in the Gobert trade. Beverley is routinely on playoff teams and has been a difference-maker at every stop in his career; Vanderbilt is a 23-year-old rising player with still untapped talent; and Beasley is a gifted player who is on a mission to change his reputation and career.
There’s obviously no guarantee that the Jazz would be able to trade all of these players, and there are still more players on the roster not mentioned here that could also be on the chopping block, but make no mistake that all are available and the Jazz will be ready to hear all offers.
This Jazz team is already going to be a completely different team than it was last year and it’s likely to change even more. Mitchell is the name that everyone is paying attention to now, but there are a lot more pieces that could be moving by the time the summer is over.