Don’t expect many fireworks from the Utah Jazz at the trade deadline. They’re not trading Lauri Markkanen, and their most attractive veteran available for the right price is Jusuf Nurkic, who Utah reportedly plans to retain.
So it wouldn’t be surprising if Utah sticks to the deadline, does what they did last year (help make blockbuster trades), or helps teams save money without damaging their cap room. Teams will want to get rid of expendable salary to avoid tax and tax deferrals, and one player who fits that bill is D’Angelo Russell.
Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune suggested the idea (DO NOT REPORT) of Utah who takes over for Russell when it comes to teams potentially looking to dump salary. He first noted that Utah has more cap room than all but one NBA team.
“The Jazz are currently the team with the second-most cap space in the NBA, behind only the Brooklyn Nets. The Jazz are $10 million under the NBA salary cap, giving them the flexibility to acquire contracts in exchange for assets,” Larsen wrote.
That’s why he saw Utah acquiring someone like Russell at the deadline
“D’Angelo Russell has fallen out of Dallas’ rotation; it wouldn’t be surprising if the Mavs dump his salary on the Jazz in exchange for a smaller asset.”
Russell was the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and made Brooklyn’s All-Star team in 2019 because he was an electric scorer when he was at the top of his game. But those days appear to be over as his grades have dropped and he’s in the Mavericks’ doghouse despite all their injuries.
The Jazz currently have a full roster, so if they were to acquire Russell, they would likely have to waive or trade someone to make that happen. But then again, they don’t need someone like him, especially with his history.
Russell has been a controversial player because, despite his immense talent when he was at the top, his immaturity was evident from the start. That in itself would be enough for Utah to avoid him. While that’s a given, why would he be an ironic addition?
Russell and Rudy Gobert didn’t get along in Minnesota
It seems like a distant memory now, but initially the Rudy Gobert trade seemed semi-disastrous for the Timberwolves when it first started, but when the Jazz sent them Mike Conley, everything fell into place for them. Sending in an experienced leader like Conley helped, but getting rid of Russell was also a benefit.
As it turned out, Gobert and Russell did don’t come along not at all during their short time as teammates, with the latter openly criticizing the former both on and off the field, leading to tensions that affected team chemistry.
It was no surprise that once they traded Russell for Conley, the dysfunction disappeared completely and the team went from there. If the Jazz were to acquire Russell, they would likely part with him and stretch him, as his current contract wouldn’t hurt their cap space too much.
Ultimately, a Russell trade wouldn’t amount to much, but it would just be fun to acquire someone who was such a poison to a jazz icon.
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