NBA Rumors: Utah Jazz the favorites to land Mike Conley via trade
NBA Rumors: The Utah Jazz is reportedly considered the favorites to land Mike Conley via trade
Heading into the offseason, there is one glaring hole in the Utah Jazz’s starting 5, and that’s the point guard position. Even more so considering that Ricky Rubio is an unrestricted free agency this summer, and could be ready to move on.
That leaves the Jazz in need of a starting caliber lead guard. And after nearly pulling off a trade for Mike Conley at the NBA Trade Deadline this past season, it’s only natural to expect Utah to pursue such a deal again.
Which is exactly what’s reportedly happening. And according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (subscription required), the Jazz is considered the frontrunners to land Conley if the Memphis Grizzlies elect to move forward with trading him at the 2019 NBA Draft.
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Conley would work well in Utah and could help groom Donovan Mitchell, who to a certain extent had a rough sophomore season for the Jazz. However, it’s going to be interesting to see what the Grizzlies would demand in such a deal.
You’d expect to see at least one first-round pick involved, and maybe a player one other rotation asset. It likely wouldn’t cost the Jazz much, considering that Conley’s contract is still quite hefty. The Jazz would be doing the Grizzlies a favor in taking the final two years of Conley’s contract.
There’s no question that while Conley may be a bit past his prime, he’d almost certainly be an upgrade for the Jazz. He’s a good defender and is a more effective offensive player than Rubio. Perhaps he’s not the distributor that Rubio is, but is every bit the leader and a better all-around player. And that’s not a knock on Rubio, either.
That’s a tip of the hat to the player that Conley is.
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Heading into NBA Draft night, there are a number of players that could be moved and there’s no question that Mike Conley is at the top of that list. And it’s looking more and more like if he does get moved, he’ll end up on the Utah Jazz.