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If there’s one thing you can count on with this Utah Jazz team since Danny Ainge took the reins, it’s that they will be active. According to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer that’s definitely the case.
From Marc Stein’s substack, he provided a lot of different trade rumors including the Jazz.
NBA trade deadline whispers from the weekend ... freshly dispatched to inboxes worldwide just now: https://t.co/P0ef1171wj
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 16, 2023
The first rumor from Stein was his revelation that the Clippers are interested in Mike Conley:
The Clippers, league sources say, are exploring trade options to fortify their frontcourt beyond Ivica Zubac, but that’s not all. Sources say they also have trade interest in Utah’s Mike Conley Jr. amid a rising belief leaguewide that the Jazz — who have tumbled to No. 9 in the West at 22-24 after their great start — could become a much-needed seller at this deadline. The Clippers’ backcourt depth just took a hit with the news that John Wall is out for at least two weeks with an abdominal strain.
This was also backed up by Jake Fischer who provided additional insight.
The Clippers’ Mike Conley interest dates back to at least this summer, when Los Angeles was weighing point guard options before John Wall headed to Staples Center after securing his buyout from the Rockets. https://t.co/BwrSQG5tSR
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) January 16, 2023
Mike Conley to the Clippers makes a lot of sense for both teams. The Clippers are all in with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard but are hovering around .500 with a record of 23-22. They need to solidify their rotation if they’re going to make a deep playoff run. Mike Conley would be a great fit with his ability to play off their duo of wings and provide secondary playmaking. For Utah, if they could get off of Conley’s $20+ million contract while also getting back a nice asset, likely a 1st round pick, it bolsters Utah’s already deep treasure chest of picks.
Stein also provided insight into another possible John Collins trade, he mentioned that the Cavaliers are interested in some sort of deal.
As part of the Cavaliers’ ongoing search for wing upgrades, league sources say, they have weighed pursuing a three-way trade scenario that would land Atlanta’s John Collins with the Jazz and bring Utah’s Malik Beasley to Cleveland. The Jazz have well-chronicled interest in Collins but, to this point, have given the Hawks pause by seeking additional draft compensation for taking on Collins, who still has three seasons left on his five-year, $125 million contract after this one. Caris LeVert’s $18.8 million expiring contract is the Cavaliers’ most obvious trade chip.
We’ve seen Malik Beasley involved in a lot of these rumors, now with the Cavs. He’s an elite shooter and wold provide any of these teams a great upgrade to their shooting, and could win anyone a playoff game on one of his hot shooting nights. If he makes his way to Cleveland you could see him lighting it up with the space the Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland would provide.
Utah is clearly interested in John Collins but it’s a good idea to make sure they get some sort of draft compensation. The Jazz are not in the business of being sellers for the sake of being sellers. If you want a player on the Jazz’s roster, Danny Ainge has made it clear you will have to come up with the specified value.
It’s not clear yet what will be happening with the Jazz, but you can bet that something is coming.
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