The Utah Jazz stayed at the number 12 spot at the conclusion of Tuesday’s Draft Lottery. With the draft class regarded as a weak one and one that is not very deep, it appears that the team is looking to trade it for more immediate help.
The following from Zach Lowe of ESPN:
For the second straight year, rival execs expect Utah to quietly gauge the market for its lottery pick in search of veteran help at point guard or on the wing. And for the second straight year, Utah will have trouble finding a player under the right sort of contract, and in the right age range, to make a deal worthwhile.
The Jazz fell just short of reaching the postseason for the second straight year. The team is painfully close to taking the next step in what has been a long but mostly successful rebuild. With sophomore point guard Dante Exum injured all of last season, the team never found sustainable success at that position. And while they have several great wing players on the roster, depth is not necessarily present at those positions.
On the surface, it makes sense for Utah to look for trades and get a more win-now player to join its team instead of hoping a young prospect pans out. Unfortunately, other teams also know the draft is weak and the 12th pick will hold very little value comparatively.
Trading a cost-controlled young player who could be under team control for years to come for what would likely be a mediocre or replaceable veteran under contract for just a few seasons does not seem to be a wise move. Utah will find it difficult to move the pick and get good value so it should be expected that they draft a player at that spot, instead.
