Currently, the Utah Jazz have 15 players on their roster, meaning they can’t add anyone via free agency or trade without losing anyone else. It’s not like the Jazz are desperate for big additions right now. It’s entirely possible that this is a repeat of last year where they do nothing, but they have an opportunity for someone to help them in a big way: Chris Paul.
Reaction from Cue Jazz fans to this:
No one would be wrong to laugh at this statement. Paul isn’t a star anymore, it didn’t take long for him to flare up in his current situation, and he probably wouldn’t be too excited about Utah. The only reason why it can be argued that he could be a good fit as a Jazzman is the type of impact he would leave on their young players.
Paul will go down as one of the best players of his generation who never won a title – he and John Stockton get along quite well – but he was generally quite adept at bringing out the best in his team.
He was also known to be difficult to deal with because his extreme competitiveness rubbed people the wrong way, which is why he and the Clippers have a falling out. It’s not a foolproof plan, but his energy can transfer to the young players the Jazz have in the same way it transfers to Devin Booke and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Utah has a lot of young talent that still needs to really be molded. Paul can be the influence that pushes them to reach their potential. That would depend on how receptive they will be to what he has to say, but Paul can absolutely teach them the right way.
You might think this is all conjecture, and to some extent it is, but Utah has re-acquired veteran tight end Georges Niang. Paul can help in that crusade. He may not favor a team like Utah, but Jazz fans should trust Danny Ainge’s instincts. If Paul becomes a Jazzman, it will be because the team believes he will help.
Paul is eligible to be traded on December 15
At this time, the Clippers have not waived Paul because it is not in their best interest to do so. They want to remove him from their payroll because these days every penny counts when it comes to the NBA payroll. So there will be a Paul trade, or he simply won’t play the rest of the season.
Paul and the Clippers don’t want the latter option, so a trade is coming regardless. The Jazz have helped the Clippers in the past, though this latest move may have put the final nail in the coffin for LA. They could do it again by taking Paul off their hands, although they would have to trade someone to the Clippers or trade one of their guys to another team.
There are no reports that Utah wants to interfere with CP3 activities. If they’re not interested, that’s fine, but if they are, fans should at least be curious about what their plans are for him.
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