NBA Trade Rumors: 5 Trades to Free Up Utah's Logjam in the Post
The Utah Jazz held the third overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, which they used to select Enes Kanter, a 6'11" center out of Turkey known for his exceptional post skills and size.
Kanter, who many expect to be a starter for the Jazz when the 2011-12 season begins, will join the already impressive group of big men on Utah's roster, consisting of Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors, Mehmet Okur and Jeremy Evans.
Although Okur is recovering from injury and Evans is still extremely raw, the Jazz still have four starter-quality big men at two positions, without enough minutes to go around.
And although Paul Millsap tried his hand at small forward last season, his perimeter game is still developing and he is much better suited for the power forward position.
Consequently, the Jazz have a clear logjam at the power forward and center positions, and if a player of the caliber of Millsap or Jefferson finds himself outside the rotation, the only logical solution is to trade him in the pursuit of addressing needs at other positions. And this is exactly what the Jazz should do.
Using ESPN's NBA Trade Machine, I have come up with five trades that would clear up the Jazz's logjam at the power forward and center positions, while also improving the team.
Toronto Raptors
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Jazz receive: Leandro Barbosa, Raptors 2012 first-round pick
Raptors receive: Paul Millsap, Jazz's 2012 second-round pick
The Toronto Raptors have one of the league's weakest frontcourts, with the only decent players being Andrea Bargnani (who cannot rebound), Amir Johnson (who cannot shoot) and Ed Davis (who weighs approximately 38 pounds).
The Raptors could use a player like Paul Millsap, who is an excellent rebounder and post scorer and would help cover for Bargnani's rebounding deficiencies while still having an offensive game (unlike Reggie Evans, who posted 11.5 rebounds per game but only 4.4 points).
Millsap could also spend some time at the small forward position, where the Raptors are even weaker.
In exchange, the Jazz would add Leandro Barbosa, a dynamic scorer who, if paired with Devin Harris, would give the Jazz the fastest backcourt ever. Utah would also make a great move for the future by acquiring an almost certainly high lottery pick in the strong 2012 draft.
Portland Trail Blazers
2 of 6Jazz receive: Brandon Roy, Luke Babbitt, Blazers' 2012 first-round pick
Blazers receive: Paul Millsap, Mehmet Okur
The Blazers have expressed interest in Millsap in the past, more than once opening up trade negotiations regarding the big man.
In addition, two summers ago the Blazers signed Millsap, then a restricted free agent, to a four-year, $32 million offer sheet. However, Utah chose to match the offer sheet, much to the dismay of Blazers fans.
The Blazers would jump at the opportunity to acquire a player they have long sought to add to the roster, while also parting ways with Roy, who the team reportedly has considered asking to retire. However, Roy is unlikely to abandon his large contract, and trading him would be the better solution.
Despite his career-threatening injuries, Roy has shown that he can still be a very effective player. Although no longer the player he was a year ago, Roy is still capable of being a starter in this league, and with proper treatment, the negative effects of his knee issues could be reduced.
Roy would provide the Jazz with an excellent closer and a major upgrade at shooting guard. In addition, they would be ridding themselves of Okur, who due to his injury is now nothing more than an expiring contract.
The Jazz would also benefit from the additions of Luke Babbitt, a sharpshooter who can play either forward positions, and another pick in the 2012 draft, which is expected to be very deep.
Indiana Pacers
3 of 6Jazz receive: Danny Granger, A.J. Price
Pacers receive: Al Jefferson, Gordon Hayward
Danny Granger is easily a top five small forward in the league, and could be a go-to scorer on the Jazz while also filling the hole left by Andrei Kirilenko's impending departure.
Granger has been mentioned in a number of trade rumors lately, and the Pacers could be willing to part ways with him in order to give Paul George a bigger role on the team.
Price, meanwhile, is a solid backup point guard who would provide the Jazz with depth at that position. By parting ways with Jefferson, Utah would be able to expedite the development of Kanter, Millsap and Favors while also addressing a major need for scoring on the wings.
The Pacers would also benefit from this trade. Jefferson would become the team's starting power forward, a role that the improving but inconsistent Tyler Hansbrough currently occupies.
Jefferson, when paired with 7'2" center Roy Hibbert, would give the Pacers one of the league's largest and most talented post tandems.
Meanwhile, Pacers fans would rejoice at the homecoming of Butler star Gordon Hayward, who would be an option to start alongside Paul George for Indiana.
Detroit Pistons
4 of 6Jazz receive: Ben Gordon, Austin Daye, Pistons' 2012 first-round pick
Pistons receive: Al Jefferson
Ben Gordon experienced an outstanding start to his career with the Chicago Bulls, winning the sixth-man of the year award during his rookie season and leading the team in scoring for each of the next four seasons.
However, his productivity declined steeply after signing with the Detroit Pistons, a team on which he has been forced to compete for playing time with Rip Hamilton, Tracy McGrady and Rodney Stuckey.
Although Gordon's numbers have declined, his talent is still there, and the Jazz could use a sharpshooter like him to lead the team's offense.
Speaking of sharpshooters, Austin Daye is also one of the league's best at knocking down the three-pointer. Add in an almost guaranteed lottery pick in the stacked 2012 draft, and this looks like a great deal for the Jazz.
The Pistons would also improved significantly from the trade. Jefferson would be a great complement to Greg Monroe, as both are excellent post scorers who rebound the basketball very efficiently.
Furthermore, the Pistons would clear up some of their logjam at shooting guard and small forward and increase the size on the team.
San Antonio Spurs
5 of 6Jazz receive: Tony Parker, Antonio McDyess
Spurs receive: Devin Harris, Paul Millsap
I consider this the most mutually beneficial trade of the five. The Jazz would get an upgrade at point guard in Tony Parker and a veteran rebounding presence in McDyess.
Although this trade would be adding another big man to the Jazz roster, McDyess is aging and would not demand as much playing time as a player like Millsap.
The Spurs would be faced with a minor downgrade at the point guard position while acquiring a quality big man to pair with Tim Duncan.
Millsap would do much better than McDyess or DeJuan Blair in the Spurs' starting lineup and could also act as a stretch-four, opening up driving lanes for Harris and Manu Ginobili.
The Spurs need to begin thinking about moving past the Duncan-Parker-Ginobili era, and this trade could be the first step in accomplishing that, while bringing in young talent to boot.
Thanks for Reading!
6 of 6Please feel free to share your thoughts on how the Jazz should handle their logjam at the power forward and center positions. Who should stay? Who should go?
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