Utah Jazz trade targets


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SALT LAKE CITY — The NBA's trade deadline is just six days away, and negotiations are heating up as team executives travel to Toronto for NBA All-Star meetings and festivities. We've already looked at the Jazz's assets, and now, per reader request, we're going to look at some players they could acquire with those pieces.

Point guards

League sources tell KSL.com that the Jazz are looking into acquiring a "bridge PG," one with a two-year contract that would improve the team both now and next season as Dante Exum recovers from his ACL tear. Here are some possibilities.

Jeff Teague

I've already written about the possibility of the Jazz acquiring Jeff Teague pretty extensively here, so I'll make this blurb short. Know, though, that bidding over Teague has gotten pretty high, with Dallas, Indiana, Orlando and New York entering the conversation. That probably means that Teague's eventual price will be higher than what the Jazz would be able to offer.

George Hill

According to an ESPN.com report, the Pacers have "dangled" George Hill in negotiations with the Hawks over Teague. That's an interesting one, because one reason the Hawks are so willing to trade Teague is their excellent point guard depth. You can see a scenario in which the Jazz enter three-team trade discussions with Atlanta and Indiana, so that the Jazz get Hill, the Pacers get Teague, and the Hawks get Alec Burks or some other assets from the Jazz.

Hill would be an excellent fit in Utah. His contract is the right length, he's a tremendous outside shooter, he's a great defender, and it's easy to imagine him playing alongside Dante Exum next season upon Exum's return, if need be. Again, this is a question of value: are the Jazz willing to give up the assets to win Hill? Probably not what will be required, but the Jazz will know more when teams lower their asking prices on deadline day.

Jrue Holiday

Another point guard who can really shoot and defend, Holiday's contract also fits the two year "bridge PG" desired length. Holiday's been really, really bothered by hip injuries though, to the point where he's still coming off the bench for the Pelicans behind Norris Cole. You'd expect that to lower the Pellies' asking price for him, but that hasn't been the case: at the moment, they're still asking for a king's ransom.

Ty Lawson

Ty Lawson, due to his various legal problems (read: totally unacceptable DUI arrests and domestic violence incidents), is essentially a free asset at this point: the Rockets would probably prefer he not be on their hands anymore. When Lawson was at his best, he was one of the league's top-10 PGs. Could Quin Snyder figure out how to keep Lawson engaged on the court? His contract does meet the 2-year criteria, and is actually non-guaranteed next season, so the Jazz could waive him if any trouble came. On the other hand, Lawson's been a cancer to the last two locker rooms he's been in, why bring that on to your roster at all?

C.J. Watson

C.J. Watson is a player the Jazz like, a player that's probably best suited for a backup role but hasn't been embarrassing when pushed into starter minutes. He's making $5 million for the next two years in Orlando, which has signaled that most players on its roster will be available. Could the Jazz get him for Trey Burke and a second round pick? One problem: Watson's only played eight games this season, and is only now returning from injury. They're not sure if he could step in right away and play.

Shelvin Mack

Shelvin Mack is a nice backup or third point guard who attacks well, though isn't a great shooter. He's available if the Hawks either don't trade Teague, or do make a trade in which they get a point guard back, probably for simply one of the Jazz's second-round picks.

Wings

With Alec Burks out, the Jazz are giving critical minutes to Chris Johnson. Johnson's nice, but ultimately pretty replacement level. If the Jazz could pick up an upgrade here cheaply, they'd like to.

P.J. Tucker

Tucker's a tough, physical defender who can hit the 3-point shot. He can play either at small forward or as a small-ball power forward. That makes him pretty valuable, and more so to a playoff team than the moribund Suns. But that's exactly why you'd expect Tucker to have many suitors, and probably find himself out of the Jazz's price range.

Chase Budinger

Budinger's an upgrade over Johnson due to his decent shooting ability, though he hasn't shown that off too well in Indiana. If the Jazz think they could find his stroke again, he could be had cheaply.

Bojan Bogdanovic

Bogdanovic's a small forward who can shoot, though he's not the best athlete. The Nets should be trading whatever they have in order to get draft assets, though it's unclear if they'd do that right now without a general manager in place. If whoever is running the Nets decides to trade Bogdanovic for picks, the Jazz could be interested.

Kyle Singler

Singler had horrific numbers to start the season in Oklahoma City, though he's been a little bit better recently. In theory, he can shoot well from the outside. The Thunder are probably looking to make their team more talented, not trade players for second-round picks, though. Maybe a third team can help out?

Bigs

Beyond Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert, the Jazz's big man rotation isn't great right now: Booker has struggled all season, and Lyles isn't getting much playing time. Acquiring a bench big man doesn't help the latter, but may help the team get better while Lyles develops.

Joffrey Lauvergne

The French PF/C has played next to Rudy Gobert on the French National Team with some success, as Lauvergne's shooting ability presents some problems for the opposition next to Gobert's rim protection. When Lauvergne was asked if he thinks he'll still be a Nugget after the trade deadline, he responded, "We'll see." The Nuggets have a cornucopia of big men, and Lauvergne has found himself getting only limited playing time as a result. Could the Jazz acquire him for one of their late first round picks, or one of their early second-round picks?

Jon Leuer

Leuer is a nice big who has really added 3-point range to his game this season, which would give the Jazz an extra dimension they don't reliably have right now. One problem is that he's only signed to a contract for this season, so the Jazz would only be making a 3-month rental here. Would giving up a second round pick be worth it? Would it be enough for Phoenix?

Josh McRoberts

"McBob" has really struggled since going to Miami as that team's big free agency signing the summer in which LeBron James went to Cleveland. He shooting just 12 percent from 3 this season after shooting well from there the last two seasons. Would Miami incentivize the Jazz to take on McRoberts' contract? It goes for two more seasons after this one, though the final year is a player option.

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Andy Larsen

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