NBA trade rumor: Utah Jazz have interest in OG Anunoby?

According to Jake Fischer, the Utah Jazz have interest in OG Anunoby of the Toronto Raptors.

According to Fischer, Anunoby has not directly talked with the Raptors about discontent with the rise of Scottie Barnes so this is likely coming from rival GMs. Gee, I wonder who could be doing that?

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He mentions that Toronto has made it clear that Anunoby is one of their core 6 players and is not available for trade, but Toronto has also been looking for a starting center for some time now.

This is where the Jazz come in. According to Fischer, the Jazz have interest in Anunoby. Here’s what he says about the Jazz and the possibility of the trade.

The Jazz are weighing trade possibilities with three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, who NBA sources have pegged as one of Toronto’s targets to satisfy its appetite for a starting rim-protector. While there’s much debate both around the league and among Utah staffers about whether moving Gobert, the Jazz’s true defensive lynchpin, is the most effective avenue to improving Utah’s issues guarding on the perimeter, Anunoby would clearly pose as a tremendous addition for any team lacking on the wing.

To match Gobert’s lofty salary, which will range from $38.2 million to $46.7 million between 2022-23 and 2025-26, Toronto would need to add another significant contract to Anunoby’s average annual salary of $18 million. Including Trent, another two-way perimeter force, would make the math work, but that cost might be too rich for Toronto brass and would leave the Raptors with little proven shooting. Early word from league personnel has also suggested the Raptors value Siakam more than Gobert.

The posturing going on right now is fantastic. It’s not clear if the Jazz will make a Gobert trade but it certainly looks like they are active in the market.