How This Trade Impacts Utah Jazz
This likely isn’t a deal that the Utah Jazz would seriously consider. Unless they feel Michael Porter Jr. or Jamal Murray are going to become bonafide stars, a deal with the Denver Nuggets isn’t going to get done.
The lack of draft capital will certainly hurt Denver’s chances at making a competitive offer and could be a non-starter for the Jazz from the get-go.
While this isn’t likely a package that Utah would be seeking, there are some positives to it. A rebuilding team wants as many young players as they can get and the Jazz are getting a bunch in this deal.
Porter, at 24 years old, is the oldest of the five players heading to Utah in this hypothetical deal. He has the skills to lead the league in scoring given his size and shooting ability if he were to ever be the No. 1 option on a team, which could be the case in this scenario. Zeke Nnaji, Bones Hyland and Christian Braun are all 21, while Peyton Watson is only 19.
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Nnaji has excellent per-minute stats and could really break out with a regular role in the rotation. Hyland pushed his way into the Nuggets’ rotation last season with his performance as a rookie with his combo guard skills. He can fill it up and showed some poise running the offense as well.
The only first-round pick coming to Utah outright in this package is in 2029, as that is the earliest the Nuggets can trade another first-rounder. They only have six second-round picks through that year as well, so the draft capital is certainly lacking.
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Getting a third team involved could make this a more realistic venture, as a team may be willing to part with a few picks with Porter re-routed to them. While there is some upside in the young players, this ultimately is a deal Utah wouldn’t seriously consider without more picks being included.
