I know Utah Jazz fans. Just listen to me.
The Jazz are on the decline this year, and as miserable as that strategy looks on the court, the bottom line is this is the last time in the Lauri Markkanen era that Utah throws the season away. This summer they’re flipping the script. While they could try to add a game-changer in free agency, there’s no guarantee they’ll succeed, or that the player they hypothetically add will change things. If they went after him, Anthony Davis would (hypothetically) change so much for the Jazz.
Let’s start by confronting the elephant in the room.
Davis does prone to injury & agingwhat makes him paid too much
These three reasons are why jazz fans are understandably against this idea. Davis has always been an injury risk, and that has only gotten worse since becoming a Maverick. Jazz fans have seen this firsthand, as the Jazz were the last team he played against before his most recent injury.
That’s also why he would be pretty cheap for the talent he still has. His trade value is as low as it’s ever been, and the fact that his name is in a lot of trade rumors (along with Nico Harrison’s firing) would mean Dallas wants to move on. Teams are afraid of getting someone like Davis, and that’s exactly why the Jazz have to take that risk.
Now that all of this is available, here’s what a trade between the two teams would look like.
Getting Mavericks: Jusuf Nurkic, Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, Kevin Love, Svi Mykhailiuk, 2027 Lakers first round pick (top-4 protected), 2031 Suns unprotected first round pick
Jazz get: Davis and Caleb Martin (via John Collins TPE)
So basically, in a trade like this, the Jazz save the Mavericks, allowing Dallas to embrace the Cooper Flagg era. You could even argue that with all the games Davis has missed, the Jazz wouldn’t even have to give up any draft assets to get him.
Basically, the Jazz would be going over their cap room, which seems drastic, but they would make this deal believing it would be worth the risk.
The Jazz need what Davis offers
Utah will have max cap space this summer and it appears Austin Reaves is their target. Reaves is an exceptional scorer, and he has proven it, but the Jazz’s dirty little secret is that they don’t need to score. The attack is buzzing well with Markkanen and Keyonte George leading the way. Furthermore, they expect Ace Bailey to gradually improve over time. What they need is defense, and Davis himself gives them an infusion of that.
There’s a reason why the Lakers wanted Walker Kessler all those years when they still had Davis on their roster. Because a, he and Davis would have been fantastic together on defense, and b, Kessler allows Davis to slide inside at the four, which is his preference since he has said so too.
On the other side of the court, because Utah already has Markkanen and George, they wouldn’t ask Davis to lead the offense. An even smaller role there, compared to the role he played in LA and Dallas, could reduce the risk of him getting hurt. Davis is excellent offensively, but less heat on him could not only keep him on the ground but also make him more dangerous.
In fact, if the Jazz try to score late in games, something they’re already good at despite what their record says, they could have Markkanen at the four and Davis at the five, making them even harder to stop at that point. Even if Utah were to acquire Davis for their defense, he is a two-way player, which they also desperately need.
It’s expensive, so there’s a risk there. However, with the Jazz trying to make the playoffs and possibly chase a title after this season, he’s worth that risk as long as it costs him cap room and some draft compensation. If he doesn’t work for two years, they can suspend his contract for players who can.
A deal like this would also look a lot like what Washington did with Trae Young. Get him in the team, make sure he recovers well and prepare him for next season. Acquiring Davis isn’t a foolproof plan, but on paper it could work out exponentially for the Jazz.
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