Outsiders view the Jazz

[HolyToledo]

Article on the Jazz coming up to the trading deadline: Al Jefferson doesnt seem to have too much trade value

The problem: After a strong start, the Jazz have crashed back to Earth, and given the number of strong playoff contenders in the West, the postseason now looks like a long shot. That's fine, because that allows Utah general manager Kevin O'Connor to keep his focus on where it needs to be: the future. The Jazz are fixed in the frontcourt, with depth and talent galore. Neither Derrick Favors nor Enes Kanter is old enough to rent a car, but they have already shown that they can someday be among the league's best-rebounding frontcourts. Paul Millsap is having an All-Star-caliber season and has another year left on his deal beyond this one at a reasonable salary. Jeremy Evans can jump over things and dunk two balls at once.

While there might not be a true center in the bunch, the problem is that the featured frontcourt player on the roster is defensive sieve Al Jefferson. Jefferson is the same player he was in Minnesota, and that's not a good thing. He's a high-usage, low-efficiency performer on the block, who doesn't pass and has the foul-drawing rate of a perimeter player. He's got skills, to be sure, and would fit great alongside a top rebounding/shot-blocking big man, probably a 4 since Jefferson is too slow to defend that position. He is superfluous not only for where the Jazz are now, but where they're going to be in a couple of years.

The fix: Trade Jefferson. That should be easy enough, right? Alas, it's not. His contract isn't a franchise killer, but with a $14 million cap number this season and $15 million more coming his way for 2012-13, it's not the easiest deal to absorb. In fact, it might be impossible. When you scan the league's rosters, you're hard-pressed to see a team on which Jefferson really fits, not unless your plan is to build around a guy who puts up empty points and rebound numbers every night. Millsap, on the other hand, has a lot of trade value, so that might be the guy you have to move if you're trying to break up the frontcourt logjam. That'd be a shame. O'Connor might be stuck with what he's got until next season, when Jefferson's expiring deal will have a lot more market value

[russnumber3]

Soure? Link? Did you write this?

[retiredcoach]

Here's a link to a David Thorpe Q&A. Several questions about the Jazz but you have to read through them.

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/ ... vid-thorpe

[HolyToledo]

Soure? Link? Did you write this?

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