No Place Like Sloan? Could Deron Williams Return To Utah? The Downbeat #1498

There is an Eastern Conference scout who after being blitzed like this actually believes the best trade destination for Deron Williams is Utah.  Howard Beck of Bleacher Report has the story.

So, what team might make sense as a destination for Nets star Deron Williams? How about his former team in Utah? That was the suggestion of one Eastern Conference scout, who has been wholly unimpressed with Trey Burke (Utah's top pick in 2013) and Dante Exum (Utah's top pick in 2014).

"Utah needs a point guard," the scout said. "There's the team for Deron Williams, seriously. Trey Burke is at best an average backup. [Exum] has struggled. He can't make a shot. I think he was overrated. He's 19. We'll give him time.... They have enough talent to be .500 maybe, or better than they are. I think what's holding them back is point guard."

What do all of you think of this potential match made in the nether-regions of hell heaven?  Should the Jazz take the chance to bring the surly star of Deron back to Utah?  Would you forgive Deron Williams for the way it ended with Sloan?

As for me it would be a quick way for me to quit watching the Jazz for a time.  The way he treated Jerry Sloan that last season, his attitude toward the rest of the team, his attitude toward Gordon Hayward, and other things, I just can't get past that.  Even though this team is struggling right now I don't think it's smart to skip steps.  It needs experience.  As much as I am a critic of Trey Burke's horrendous play this season, I'd rather deal with that then deal with Deron Williams' gloomy Hamlet complex.

According to NBA trade machine the Jazz would have to part with either a ton of talent or some extreme amount of players to make it work.  Example below.

SPOILER ALERT: THIS IS NOT A FAIR TRADE NOR DO I THINK IT'S A FAIR TRADE.

On the trade front, expect the Utah Jazz to be linked to a lot of trade rumors.  Not because they need it, as Amar pointed out recently, but because the Utah Jazz have a lot of cap space.

via www.hoopshype.com

Only Milwaukee and Philadelphia have more room.  Teams are going to be begging to for financial relief *cough, cough* Brooklyn *cough, cough*.  There has been a lot of talk about the Jazz building through the OKC model.  Part of OKC's model was taking advantage of their cap space during these terrible years and absorbing a bad contract for good draft picks as a rental or a good player with a bad salary.  If we go back to the prior scenario of Deron Williams.  As time goes on and Brooklyn is begging for cap relief Deron Williams asking price will go down.  The Utah Jazz could hypothetically take him off Brooklyn's hands, or, OR, there's other scenarios.

There's a chance the Jazz could play the liberator to Kevin Garnett.  Taking on his salary and then letting him go to the team of his choosing for the small price of a pick.  Things of that nature.  The Jazz don't want to take on additional minutes that will take away from the experience their young players are receiving.  That's mother's milk and will pay off for them next year.  But good veteran help that could aid them next year or draft picks they can use as trade bait?  Sign this blogger up.

The Suns are in free-fall mode.  They lack an inside scorer.  They have three point guards who are their leading scorers but can't play on the court at the same time.  Jeff Hornacek's experiment looks to be coming to an end.  The Utah Jazz have a proven inside scorer.  Enes Kanter.  The Suns could be shopping something the Utah Jazz desperately need: a defensive minded point guard.  Howard Beck reports:

Three months later, as the NBA commences its unofficial trade season, Eric Bledsoe might be the first elite player to be dangled on the market.

"I think they signed him with the [thought] that they can move him and get something for him," a rival team executive said last week.

I have not made my love for Eric Bledsoe hidden.  I think he is a tenacious defender and would be an excellent addition to the Utah Jazz.  I make my case again today.  If this player is available the Utah Jazz have to take a chance on him.  Trey Burke is struggling.  Dante Exum is the future.  But Dante will not be ready to take on any kind of load this year.  In fact, pushing Dante into more minutes this year could cripple his potential in the long-term.  He needs time to adjust to being a professional.  Eric Bledsoe solves the current dilemma.  It allows Dante to have a mentor, a defensive minded point guard mentor.  It gives Dante a partner to battle against in practice.  Truly battle.  In time, they could play together and ruin life as we know for opposing backcourts.  Eric Bledsoe would bring fire to the Utah Jazz.  He'd bring intensity.

The Utah Jazz could trade Enes Kanter, Trey Burke, Jeremy Evans, and a protected 1st round draft pick to Phoenix for Eric Bledsoe.  Phoenix gets their low post presence.  They get their highlight factory with Jeremy Evans.  Then the 1st round draft pick can devolve into an unprotected draft pick in 2017 when the Utah Jazz own Golden State's 1st rounder.  Phoenix can try to rehab their season and the Jazz can get their defensive minded point guard.

Dennis Lindsey, I love it when you talk dirty advanced analytics to me.

Dennis Lindsey elaborates on Derrick Favors current play:

So, now that we have him in a very good offensive rhythm, I think right now for those, you know, advanced stat connoisseurs, I think he was fourth, third, something like that in PER for centers, as a 23-year-old. So we're ecstatic. But you know, there's the question, Derrick and Enes, and that works offensively.

Could there ever be a Derrick and Rudy [Gobert] combination, where Derrick's playing the four, and he gets more traditional four shots? And Rudy doesn't space like Enes, so there's, becomes, the offensive dilemma that you're trying to solve...Hopefully, in theory, that length can be very significant.

via jazzfanatical.wordpress.com

Rudy Gobert currently is Utah's best player.  Don't believe me?

Rudy Gobert has contributes more wins per 48 for Utah than any other player and he has played the 8th most amount of minutes for Utah.  Prior to Derrick Favors' injury Joe Ingles was getting more minutes that Rudy Gobert.  Joe Ingles could be in the discussion for the worst player on the Utah Jazz.  Joe Ingles win shares per 48 is 0.  3rd worst.  He is only ahead of Dante Exum and Rodney Hood.

via www.basketball-reference.com