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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz are going to look quite different on Thursday following the NBA deadline.
The Jazz sent veteran big man Kelly Olynyk and second-year wing Ochai Agbaji to Toronto in exchange for guard Kira Lewis Jr., veteran wing Otto Porter Jr. and a 2024 first-round pick on Thursday in a deadline day move, but the rest of the roster stayed intact.
Combined with Wednesday's trade that sent Simone Fontecchio to Detroit, the Jazz traded away three rotation players ahead of the deadline.
Things, though, could have been even more dramatic.
Jordan Clarkson had garnered plenty of interest ahead of the deadline, but no team met Utah's high asking price for the longtime Jazz guard; and the same goes for Kris Dunn. A number of contending teams — including the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks — were reportedly interested in the defensive maestro, but Utah ultimately decided he was worth more than those squads were offering.
While it wasn't as glaring as last season's trade deadline when Utah dealt Mike Conley, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt and Nickeil Alexander-Walker away to manufacture a midseason slide, the sentiment was the same: Utah is not yet ready to compete. So, Jazz fans, patience is still required.
Olynyk averaged 8.1 points on 43% 3-point shooting this season, serving as a key member of Utah's bench unit. Agbaji has struggled with his shot in his second year in the league, averaging just 33% from deep, but his athleticism — especially in transition — made him a fan favorite in Utah.
So who are the Jazz getting in return for those two players?
Lewis is a speedy point guard who fell out of the rotation in New Orleans following injury. The 22-year-old guard was the 13th pick in the 2020 draft but tore his ACL in December 2021. He was traded to Toronto earlier this season in a cost-cutting move.
Porter is a well-traveled wing, who played a key role player on the 2022 Golden State Warriors championship team. He hasn't appeared in a game since Dec. 30, though, and has played in just 15 contests this season; he has dealt with foot injuries since getting to Toronto. How much does he have left in the tank?
Neither player is guaranteed to get rotation minutes for the Jazz (and the same can be said for Kevin Knox II, who came to Utah in the Fontecchio deal). The prize of the deal, then, is the first-round pick.
The pick will be the least favorable between the Oklahoma City, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Houston Rockets, and, oddly enough, Utah's selections (the Jazz don't own their 2024 pick outright). The Thunder and Clippers currently have the second- and third-best records in the league, so expect the pick to fall in the late 20s.
Olynyk was on an expiring deal, but the Jazz had at least one more year left of Agbaji's contract. Knox, Porter, and Lewis are all on expiring deals (Lewis will be a restricted free agent), so Utah gets off of the $4.3 million owed to Agbaji next season, which opens up a bit more financial freedom for the team.
And with Olynyk gone, there's a runway for last year's lottery pick to crack the rotation. Taylor Hendricks has mostly played in the G League this season but offered some intriguing glimpses during a two-week run with the Jazz in December. Fellow rookie Brice Sensabaugh could also see some time following the trades.
Both players were called up by the Jazz for Thursday's game in Phoenix.
