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The Jazz did well this year to help the young guys by pushing for the team to be competitive and focusing on quality minutes versus quantity minutes. (Although I still wish we missed the playoff and kept our pick.) However, now that Favors is going to start and one of the two veterans are going to be traded... this Draft is the time to do it. We are not going to get Eric Gordon or Hardin via trade so the best way to improve over the next 3-5 years is to draft someone in the lottery this year.

What to do? Trade Al or Millsap now and be willing to include any or all of the GSW pick and the TPE to get it done. The target should be whoever KOC thinks is a game changer: My opinion is we should be focused on Barnes, Drummond, Lillard or Waiters. (Side note: I could see Milwakee making a play to move up in the draft by trading their young PG for a pick. I could see Portland who wants a C and a PG trading #6 for Brandon Jennings, and then drafting Leonard or Zeller for the C position at #11. If that happens I think we could send Harris for #12 if Lillard is still there.

Why do this? This is a stocked draft, and it will be our last best chance to get a chip for the future for this team. (Note next years draft stinks, and the NBA is working to increase the age to 2 years of college per Chad Ford which could make 2014 terrible as well.) Also, don't trade Al or Sap to go get a veteran unless you can pull off E Gordon or J Hardin. Players like IGGY or GRANGER will only push us into mediocrity. We need a star and any star available via trade is not going to be a star when our young guys are actually able to compete. Also, Kanter and Favors proved enough this year that if given the time they can produce at a level that will keep us competitive... at least equal to what the tandem of Millsap/Jefferson could. So why stunt their growth and waste the tradeable assets of either SAP or Al?

My thought is simple: If we are ultimately only going to reup one of Millsap or Jefferson... now is the time to deal. Another year of limiting minutes for Kanter and Favors behind the other guys is pointless.

Assumptions: Millsap will garner more in a trade. TPE and the GSW pick could get us into the late lottery by themselves, and any or all of them could get us as high as #5. I am okay with Millsap going because I think Jefferson is a great tutor for the young bigs, and he has the ability to carry the team while the young guys develop.

Options: Millsap/GSW/TPE pick for #5, Millsap/TPE for #6, Millsap/GSW for #6, Millsap for #11 if our guys is still there (Lillard), Millsap for #10, GSW for #10 or #11.

Target: If Barnes drops to #5 or #6 thats where I put on the full court press. If Lillard is still available 8-14 offer what is needed to get it done.

It'd be a shame to have to trade Millsap for something that was a coin-flip away from being ours for free. I would almost not do it strictly out of principle.

Call up the Wizards and make a play for the #3 pick.

Yes, I'm dead serious about that.

But ya, I think we need to make a move to get somewhere in the lottery. If you think about it, this could be the last year we have a legit chance at a lottery pick while keeping our young core together. Too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Well imo, Jefferson must stay and play next to Favors. Hayward should come off the bench and anchor that squad with his playmaking. Kanter, Carroll and Tinsley off the bench as well. That leaves Harris, Millsap, GSW pick and Burks (good player just not sold on as a good fit for team) as my picks for trading options.

I think Tyreke evans should be our main realistic target (outside unrealistic ones like rondo and gordon). With the right environment (and not that wasteland that is becoming the kings) he can be a stud and has all the tools to be great. Jordan Hamilton is another guy I would target for the right price.

As for the draft, Late lottery is more realistic and that where we can get our future starting point (lilliard or preferably Marshall). If thats not possible than we can get a couple late first rounders and target one of Terrance Ross, Evan Fountier, or dion waiters while taking a flyer on guys like Teugue, T.Zeller Leonard or Melo depending on where they fall.

In the offseason, if we don't strike on the top free agents like nash or dragic then I say we target Courtney Lee. He quietly had a nice season this year hitting 40% from 3 on 3.7 attempts per game while playing good defense. He can be that veteran defender/spot up shooter we need.

It Trie, we must

I'm not sure why everyone is calling this a stacked draft. It is deeper than usual--meaning the talent level doesn't drop off significantly as early as it usually does but almost everyone has significant flaws or undeveloped parts of their game--there is no immediate help in the draft.

Spottieottie wrote:It'd be a shame to have to trade Millsap for something that was a coin-flip away from being ours for free. I would almost not do it strictly out of principle.

Are you sure? Golden State would likely have no problem with a #7/Millsap swap, assuming that your desired draft target is still available with that pick.

I don't think any of the players we could get in this year's draft are going to be game-changers for us......

Outside of Anthony Davis and possibly Kidd-Gilchrist & Thomas Robinson, I don't see very many guys making an immediate impact. Also the ceilings of some guys are not as high as you would like to think. I would not trade Millsap for a guy like Lilliard, who will probably be a Lou Williams type of player. If there is a game-changer out there that is realistic to acquire in the draft, it's Kendall Marshall. A natural playmaker that runs the team and always finds the open man. The knock against him has always been he's too passive but at the end of the year he started scoring and would bring leadership long term IMO.

Unlike some of you, I love a lot of guys in this draft and believe they could come be impact players from the get go. Hell, anyone who can shoot the 3 ball with some kind of consistency would be an immediate impact player for this team. Ditto for a PG who can run an offense as a pass first guard.

I'd love to get Toronto's pick. They are right where we should've been with the Warriors pick.

J_Ray wrote:Outside of Anthony Davis and possibly Kidd-Gilchrist & Thomas Robinson, I don't see very many guys making an immediate impact. Also the ceilings of some guys are not as high as you would like to think. I would not trade Millsap for a guy like Lilliard, who will probably be a Lou Williams type of player. If there is a game-changer out there that is realistic to acquire in the draft, it's Kendall Marshall. A natural playmaker that runs the team and always finds the open man. The knock against him has always been he's too passive but at the end of the year he started scoring and would bring leadership long term IMO.

If you said he would be a game-changer on defense I would have agreed. I expect he will give up huge numbers against NBA guards.

J_Ray wrote:Outside of Anthony Davis and possibly Kidd-Gilchrist & Thomas Robinson, I don't see very many guys making an immediate impact. Also the ceilings of some guys are not as high as you would like to think. I would not trade Millsap for a guy like Lilliard, who will probably be a Lou Williams type of player. If there is a game-changer out there that is realistic to acquire in the draft, it's Kendall Marshall. A natural playmaker that runs the team and always finds the open man. The knock against him has always been he's too passive but at the end of the year he started scoring and would bring leadership long term IMO.

I'd prefer Eric Bledsoe over any of this years point guards.

countrybama24 wrote:

J_Ray wrote:Outside of Anthony Davis and possibly Kidd-Gilchrist & Thomas Robinson, I don't see very many guys making an immediate impact. Also the ceilings of some guys are not as high as you would like to think. I would not trade Millsap for a guy like Lilliard, who will probably be a Lou Williams type of player. If there is a game-changer out there that is realistic to acquire in the draft, it's Kendall Marshall. A natural playmaker that runs the team and always finds the open man. The knock against him has always been he's too passive but at the end of the year he started scoring and would bring leadership long term IMO.

I'd prefer Eric Bledsoe over any of this years point guards.

And that's why you're posting on forums and not running an NBA team. Bledsoe has an immense turnover issue and has never successfully played PG at any level.

Although I don't think that the Jazz need to trade to get a pick and get younger, this proposed trade might be appealing-

Al Jefferson, Devin Harris, Raja Bell and $5.75M of Okur TPE
to Houston for
Kyle Lowry, #14 or #16 pick, and 2 of Scola, Martin and Dalembert.

Why Houston does deal- they desperately covet a center (Big Al) and don't need anymore young guys on their roster, and Lowry has stated disatisfaction with McHale as coach and is essentially asking to be traded. The TPE would give them some flexiblity to bring on another decent player, and Martin was a headache for them last year, and Raja swap might be appealing. Really, they want Big Al and will bend over backwards to make it happen.

Why Utah does deal, many would prefer Lowry over Harris at PG, Favors needs the mins and could take Big Al's, and Scola paired with Kanter and either Martin or Hayward gives the 2nd unit decent offense (Sap or Scola could be used in any combination). Plus, Utah could get a decent SF in draft at #14 or #16.

J_Ray wrote:

countrybama24 wrote:

J_Ray wrote:Outside of Anthony Davis and possibly Kidd-Gilchrist & Thomas Robinson, I don't see very many guys making an immediate impact. Also the ceilings of some guys are not as high as you would like to think. I would not trade Millsap for a guy like Lilliard, who will probably be a Lou Williams type of player. If there is a game-changer out there that is realistic to acquire in the draft, it's Kendall Marshall. A natural playmaker that runs the team and always finds the open man. The knock against him has always been he's too passive but at the end of the year he started scoring and would bring leadership long term IMO.

I'd prefer Eric Bledsoe over any of this years point guards.

And that's why you're posting on forums and not running an NBA team. Bledsoe has an immense turnover issue and has never successfully played PG at any level.

It's really not as absurd of a thought as you're making it out to be... and I'm the biggest fan of this years draft crop, especially the PG's.

Everyone repeat after me: You can't combine a TPE and a player contract to make salaries match in a trade.

SoCalJazzFan wrote:
Al Jefferson, Devin Harris, Raja Bell and $5.75M of Okur TPE
to Houston for
Kyle Lowry, #14 or #16 pick, and 2 of Scola, Martin and Dalembert.

Why Houston does deal-

They're stupid?

HappyProle wrote:

SoCalJazzFan wrote:
Al Jefferson, Devin Harris, Raja Bell and $5.75M of Okur TPE
to Houston for
Kyle Lowry, #14 or #16 pick, and 2 of Scola, Martin and Dalembert.

Why Houston does deal-

They're stupid?

LOL!

HappyProle wrote:Everyone repeat after me: You can't combine a TPE and a player contract to make salaries match in a trade.

I think what they were angling towards on that trade is:
Martin, Scola, Dalembert ($28.5 mill) for Jefferson, Harris, Bell ($27 mill) in one transaction
Lowry for $5.75 mill of the trade exception in another transaction

By doing it in 2 separate transactions it would actually work. Not that I think it is realistic at all.

I am pretty sure you have use all of a TPE at once. It doesn't matter if the contract is less than the TPE, it will use the whole thing in the transaction.