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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz are using this season as a stepping stone for years to come, and that could include trading their starting small forward for what might amount to nothing.
The two parties involved in the trade are the Jazz and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The two players, Richard Jefferson of the Jazz and Andrew Bynum of the Cavaliers, are high-priced players who don't fit exactly with where their teams are headed.
The Cleveland Cavaliers made a big splash in the offseason by signing Bynum, a one-time All-Star center, to a deal worth a lot of money but non-guaranteed until Tuesday. Now the Cavaliers have suspended Bynum indefinitely and trying to shop him for something before the Tuesday guarantee deadline, when they reportedly would simply cut him.
Bynum has a two-year contract worth $24 million. Until Tuesday, the deal could be bought out for $6 million.
The Jazz would trade Jefferson for Bynum, then cut him immediately after. So, why would the Jazz trade their starting small forward for nothing? Well, the simple answer is that this season is all about the future.
According to Yahoo! reporters Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc J. Spears, the Cavs could include a second-round pick, which is nice but not a deal-breaker. The main idea would be freeing a little more cap room for any future deals.
At the end of the year, the Jazz will have loads of cap room, but now they are up against the tax line, with just under $2 million free. If the Jazz make the trade and then cut Bynum, that number goes to about $8 million.
Here is what could happen with that money. With the $8 million in cap room and maybe releasing Mike Harris and/or Ian Clark, the Jazz could get to $9 million in free space. With $9 million and one of many expiring contracts, such as Marvin Williams' $7.5 million or Andris Biedrins' $9 million, the Jazz could take on a bad contract for an extra year to get assets or a draft pick.
The other reason to do this trade for the Jazz is to force playing time to younger players. Jefferson is averaging 27.2 minutes per game this season. That is fourth on the team. If the Jazz make the trade happen, Alec Burks, who has played great over the past month, would get more time and perhaps a starting role. The other option would be Williams moving to small forward and Enes Kanter starting again.
Jefferson is the best 3-point shooter on the team, so that could hurt the team record-wise but help in the search for a good draft pick. If this season is about developing young players, this could be a big move to force young players into the starting lineup or at least give them extra minutes.
Early rumors for partners for Bynum included his former team the Los Angeles Lakers. A Bynum for Pau Gasol swap was the favorite early on, but over the weekend the Jazz and Jefferson worked their way into the mix.
The Cavs would probably prefer Gasol, who would replace the height of Bynum, but the Lakers are reportedly looking for more assets, but the Cavs don't want to give more for Gasol who will be a free agent at the end of the year.
Wojnarowski and Spears have said the talks have slowed between the Cavs and Lakers.
“Los Angeles could save $20 million-plus on a Gasol-Bynum deal, but the Lakers' insistence on more than salary-cap relief from the Cavaliers — such as (Dion) Waiters or a draft pick — has been a significant hurdle in discussions.”
While the Cavs have until Tuesday to cut Bynum, any trade will probably happen in the next few hours so the team can cut Bynum and make sure the trade goes through.
