FanPost

Mirotic Trade Rumor - We're Focusing on the Wrong Thing

When the rumor surfaced that the Bulls were shopping Mirotic, and that the Jazz were one of the teams pursuing the stretch four, there was a lot of excitement. For some people, it was because Mirotic is having a fantastic year. For some it was because of the potential fit of getting a solid stretch four to play next to Gobert. I'm sure there are some who were just excited to hear that the Jazz are actively looking for trades.

For Jazz fans, the next question is who would we trade, with Favors and Burks being the most likely candidates. Both players are very popular, and while many people would be sad to see them leave the Jazz, they are also excited to see them get new opportunities to share their talents and personalities with other fans.

I get it. Player movement is always exciting and brings the anticipation of what could happen if everything goes right. Even if things don't go as well as we'd like, there's a sense of satisfaction that, at least, attempts to improve are being made.

But here's the thing: the potential trade isn't the most exciting thing about the rumor. The best part of this rumor is something that's already happened. It was confirmed, and it's what the front office and coaching staff have been working towards since Dennis Lindsey was hired.

Here's the excerpt from Woj's article I'm referring to:

The Bulls are still planning to trade forward Nikola Mirotic, which can't happen until Jan. 15 or without his permission, based on his contract. Mirotic has been intrigued with the Utah Jazz, whose coach, Quin Snyder, has a reputation for maximizing offensive talent.

There are two parts of that quote that stand out to me. The first: "Mirotic has been intrigued with the Utah Jazz." Mirotic is a player that's been getting a lot of attention recently. He's putting up career highs nearly across the board. While he's not a star player, he's a guy who's been on a big market team, is showing that he has great offensive potential, he's in his prime, and he's interested in playing for the Jazz. This is a big step in building the Jazz as a franchise. When Lindsey signed Joe Johnson, one of the big takeaways was that he was able to attract free agents with good reputations. Joe has been great for us, and instrumental in the playoff success the Jazz had last season, but he's well past his prime. The next thing Lindsey needed to do was get another, younger player of similar caliber to choose the Jazz over other, more popular teams. Mirotic's interest in playing for Utah fits that mold. This season, Mirotic is playing better than Joe Johnson was the year before he signed with the Jazz. If Lindsey can convince Mirotic to waive his no-trade clause in order to come to Utah, that sends a big message to the players and their agents that the Jazz have to be considered as a possible destination.

The second part of the quote that we should be focusing on is that Snyder "has a reputation for maximizing offensive talent." Now, I get that there's a lot of discontent with Snyder right now among Jazz fans. The Jazz have lost 8 of their last 10 games. They just went through a brutal December and are looking far closer to the mid-lottery than the playoffs. Through all of that, Snyder has only made minimal adjustments to lineups and play schemes. It's tough. We watch every game and then analyze the decisions for days afterwards. We're close to the situation, and we nit-pick. What this quote from Woj indicates, however, is that Snyder is well regarded in the league. The fact that he states Quin's reputation is for maximizing offense, especially since the Jazz have been a defensive team over the last few years is also telling. Ultimately, the reasons behind the reputation aren't as important as the fact that it exists. Most NBA players prefer offense to defense, and they want to play for coaches that will let them shine on that side of the court. If Snyder has built a reputation for maximizing a players offense, that will appeal to free agents.

Regardless of whether or not Mirotic ends up on the Jazz by the trade deadline, I think that his interest alone, and Woj's statements about the franchise bode well for the team. That's what's really important about this rumor. It shows that the Jazz as a franchise are gaining respect around the league among the players and their agents. the better that reputation is, the more likely the Jazz will be to sign a difference making player.

All comments are the opinion of the commenter and not necessarily that of SLC Dunk or SB Nation.