clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Utah Jazz trade Derrick Favors and a future 1st to the Oklahoma City Thunder

A steep price to pay for cap relief

New York Knicks v Utah Jazz Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images

The Utah Jazz have traded Derrick Favors to the Oklahoma City Thunder for financial flexibility.

The news came through late last night after the draft from Shams Charania and Tony Jones but we didn’t see the details till this morning.

It’s a tough pill to swallow for a team that just had a fantastic draft with their pick of Jared Butler from Baylor. One small consolation from the Athletic piece is that the pick is top-ten protected.

This move does create real flexibility for the Jazz who have now saved roughly $40 Million with the deal and makes a Mike Conley signing not seem so expensive.

The move also gives the Jazz a trade exception that could help in roster building this offseason.

It was nice to see Derrick Favors in a Jazz uniform, but the price tag was incredibly high for Favors who seemed to struggle with lingering injuries that hampered him for long stretches of the year. There was hope among Jazz fans that the 2nd round picks they had acquired last night in the draft might be usable to get off the salary but that wasn’t the case.

With the pick conveying likely in 2024 the Jazz have a 3-year window for a shot at the title if they can get Mike Conley signed, which sounds likely from multiple accounts.

I would also just like to say that even though the price tag was high, and the reunion didn’t go as fans (and I’m sure the Jazz) had hoped, it was a pleasure to root for Derrick Favors on the Jazz for another season. Favors will always be a fan favorite and gave everything he had while he was on the court. The Oklahoma City Thunder got a good one in Favors and he’ll be a great locker room presence for a team that could use some veteran mentorship.