Why The Utah Jazz Do The Deal
It’s hard to know what this summer will hold for the Utah Jazz. A Donovan Mitchell deal looms as a possibility. Having said that, this deal may work for Utah whether they’re moving Mitchell or not.
As it stands, the Jazz will need to replace Gobert if they’re hoping to stay competitive in 2022-23. They do roster the intriguing young Udoka Azubuike, but conditioning issues generally limit his minutes. Putting him in a platoon with Hayes should solve the Jazz’s issues at the five.
Meanwhile, this deal is all the sweeter for the Jazz if they are rebuilding. Of course, they’d likely prefer to land a first-round pick for Conley. That doesn’t mean they’ll get one.
After all, he is 34. Furthermore, we already outlined his defensive shortcomings. Finally, with Malcolm Brogdon having been moved, the point guard market may be thinning out.
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If the best the Jazz can get for Conley is Jaxson Hayes, they shouldn’t be surprised. Moreover, given the potential he flashed in 2021-22, they shouldn’t be disappointed either.
