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SALT LAKE CITY — All the Jazz players can do now is sit and wait.
As Utah was using a dominant fourth quarter to finish off the Suns in its 116-88 win Wednesday at Vivint Arena, the more interesting NBA action was going on away from the court.
From the time Jazz players began to warm up to the game’s final buzzer, trade after trade was completed.
Otto Porter Jr. was sent from Washington to Chicago for Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker; former Jazzman Alec Burks was sent to Sacramento as part of a three-team deal; Harrison Barnes soon became Burks’ newest teammates after the Dallas Mavericks sent him to the Sacramento Kings; and Markief Morris was sent from Washington to New Orleans for Wesley Johnson.
With the trade deadline looming, it was as if Wednesday's game between the Jazz and the Suns was simply a distraction to the drama.
Utah has been linked to Memphis point guard Mike Conley with sources saying that the deal is mostly centered around expiring contracts (likely Ricky Rubio and Derrick Favors) and a first-round draft pick. And even that might not be enough for the Grizzlies — or they could change their minds before Thursday’s 1 p.m. MT deadline. Whatever the case, the players admit that the rumors and speculation have taken a toll.
The Jazz are notoriously secretive of their trade talks, but with Memphis making it so public that Conley is available, info has slipped out. And make no mistake, the players have seen it.
“It’s difficult,” Joe Ingles said. “I think at times you probably even noticed the way we played — it’s just kind of tiring. ... It just wears down on your team because it’s constant noise. I think we do a good job, We are always going to stick together.
“I love our group,” he continued. “I love who we got. But at times, it’s wearing. It’s not awkward, but you know it’s going. You are just kind of waiting for something to either happen or not. Which sucks because we have such a great group of guys that enjoy playing together. That enjoy being in Utah.”
On Wednesday afternoon, the New York Times’ Mark Stein and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst both reported that Conley didn’t want to play in Utah — preferring a move to the Eastern Conference. Ingles may or may not have heard those reports, but it almost appeared that he had a response to them.
“They love being here, they want to be here — which I think in the past has been difficult," Ingles said. "To have 15 guys that want to be here is special. We have a tight bond. We have a special group that genuinely enjoys playing together, which I think is hard to find.”
Ingles referred to the whole situation as “S---ty," and that he hopes the Jazz have the same group together after the deadline.
“It’s not good for anyone,” he said. “Especially when you got such a tight group of guys that want to be here, that enjoy being here, that play well together. We'll see what happens.”
