NBA Trade Rumors: The Utah Jazz appear to be preparing to make a big splash for a star player this summer.
Just two offseasons ago, the Utah Jazz made the bold move of pivoting toward a rebuild by trading both Rudy Gobert (to the Minnesota Timberwolves) and Donovan Mitchell (to the Cleveland Cavaliers). The Jazz got huge returns in both of those deals and after slowly building a young foundation over the past two seasons, it appears as if the team could be ready to make a big splash via trade this summer.
Equipped with a flurry of young players and 10 first-round picks over the next four NBA Drafts, the Jazz certainly has the firepower to pull off such a move for a star player. As Lauri Markkanen continues to prove that he's a worthy All-Star level player, it's time for Utah to properly build around him.
Waiting for their young players to blossom may not be the best course of action for the Jazz, especially considering that Markkanen is going to be 27 years old by the time next season begins. In the middle of Markkanen's prime years, it may be time for the Jazz to strike.
In his end-of-the-season interview, Jazz executive Danny Ainge said the team is ready to go "big game hunting" this summer. In other words, we should expect the Jazz to be real players in the trade market this offseason.
Who could the Utah Jazz target in the trade market?
Heading into the offseason, it's tough to predict who the Jazz could target in the trade market. But over the next few weeks, as the trade market sets itself, we should have a better indication of who the Jazz could have in their sights. A few names to keep in mind heading into the offseason are DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, Mikal Bridges, D'Angelo Russell, Klay Thompson, and Malcolm Brogdon.
This is not to say that the Jazz intends on targeting any of these players but those are the All-Star level talents that could very well be on the move this summer.
And if the Jazz is seriously ready to make a move up the Western Conference standings, they'll have the assets to acquire almost any player that hits the market. Either way, if the Jazz is truly going to play a role in the trade market this summer, it's going to make for a much more entertaining offseason.