My wishful plan for the Jazz

[babyjax13]

Jazz fans are going to hate me for this, but I think it is pretty good value for what it could potentially do for this team. If you don't believe me just skip to the end. It's entirely hypothetical, but the entire thing playing out relies on the following trade.

Milwaukee Trades
Michael Redd HNP
Chris Douglas Roberts 9p 3r 1a
Larry Sanders 4p 3r .2a
2011 Milwaukee 1st

Utah Trades
Paul Millsap 17p 8r 2a
Mehmet Okur 6p 3r 1a
Raja Bell 8p 2r 2a

Reasoning: Jazz drop $14 million in salaries next year while still being able to compete. This trade opens up their options in free agency and eliminates redundancy with Jefferson and Millsap. If the Jazz don’t resign AK they can hand out a max contract, if they do, one worth about $10 million. Redd may actually come back this year and could help the Jazz push for the playoffs.

The Bucks look to compete and should sneak into the playoffs with Jennings/Millsap/Bogut. Gives everyone another reason to “fear the deer.” Okur, Illyasova and Gooden should do pretty well backing up Millsap and Bogut. Illyasova should be easy to move for some wing depth if they so choose.

Jazz Lineup
Jefferson 34/Elson 10/Fesenko 4
Sanders 24/Kirilenko 14/Evans 10
Kirilenko 14/Hayward 18/Miles 16
Miles 10/Roberts 18/Hayward 10
Williams 34/Watson 14

Doesn’t look so good now, but the real incentive to doing this trade comes in the offseason where the Jazz’ payroll is now cut to $35,543,557 + about $3,00,000 for draft picks, so $38,453,557 if the Jazz let AK, CJ and Roberts walk. Sadly, the free agency crop isn’t that strong - that is unless of course you expect Carmelo Anthony to not extend, Memphis to not match Gasol’s offer, and Deron to opt out (the ultimate fear for Jazz fans). None of this is likely to happen, so the biggest catch the Jazz can really get is one of Jamal Crawford or Zach Randolph (not exactly stellar).

So, the cap space really isn’t what the Jazz would be after in this trade, it’s to follow it up with another trade to get a star player. Who the Jazz target is really up for debate. One would hope that they could get Kevin Martin, but to be honest even after trading with Milwaukee we would not have the assets to get him - which leaves the Jazz in a bit of a pickle. What do they do with that cap space? Do they wait until Deron and Jefferson expire and hope that they can assemble a three headed monster ala Miami? Well, in all likelyhood the Jazz can’t do that via free agency, it is going to have to be in a trade. So again, who do they target? Well, there are a couple of possibilities. Perhaps the most obtainable would be Danny Granger - next, Andre Igoudala, and finally the aforementioned Kevin Martin. The great thing is that after the deal with Milwaukee, the Jazz have a couple of nice trade pieces to send out and plenty of cap space to nab that star player without giving up one of theirs in return.

Now comes my hypothetical off-season, if Indiana wants to trade with the Jazz we can offer to do the following:

1) Granger for cap space and rights to 2011 Milwaukee 1st, 2011 Utah 2nd
2) Posey for Larry Sanders, CJ Miles, S+T Chris Douglas-Roberts, Jeremy Evans, 2013 Utah 1st
*could easily be turned into a 3-way where Indiana gets Mayo and Sanders and Utah gets Granger while Memphis gets some of the spare pieces so they don't end up loosing Mayo for nothing.

Indiana has a huge amount of cap room along with a great core of young players. They could easily nab a couple guys like OJ Mayo in the next round of free agency and have a young, potent core for the future.

The great thing is that since Granger only makes $12,000,000 next year the Jazz can still resign Kirilenko, Watson and Elson and go after some free agents to finish out the depth chart.

Depth Chart so far
Jefferson 34/Elson 14
x/Kirilenko 18
Granger 34/Kirilenko 14
Hayward 26/Posey 14/Price 8
Williams 34/Watson 14

So it’s a bit thin, and the Jazz only have about $3,000,000 in cap space assuming AK signs for $6,000,000 a year. So, who can the Jazz get for that remaining $3,000,000 and then sign for the minimum to make them deep enough to compete to get to the Western Conference Finals, and hopefully further? Well, it’s not the sexiest pickup, but Chris Wilcox is worth a shot at $3,000,000 and serves a function that the current Jazz don’t have outside of Evans (who they trade to Indiana) - someone to finish that lob/alley-oop from Deron. But, Wilcox isn’t a 30 minute type of guy, which the Jazz would need eventually (likely through the MLE). To fill out the depth chart the Jazz could sign Dan Gadzuric (ring chaser), Sean Marks (another ring chaser, and serviceable center) and Steve Novak (to spread the floor) - leaving the Jazz with a depth chart like this:

Final Depth Chart
Jefferson 34/Gadzuric 6/Marks 8
Wilcox 24/Kirilenko 18/Elson 6
Granger 34/Kirilenko 10/Novak 4
Hayward 26/Posey 14/Price 8
Williams 34/Watson 14

It leaves the Jazz in the unenviable position of starting Chris Wilcox and Gordan Hayward, but for years the Spurs got away with starting Fabricio Oberto/Francisco Elson and Bruce Bowen/Roger Mason, so the Jazz should be fine. The great thing also is that this roster leaves the Jazz far below the luxury tax, so the next year the MLE will be theirs to use on a power forward and to get some more ring chasers to fill out the depth chart while still staying financially viable (much like San Antonio has done for years). It's not Wade/LeBron/Bosh, but a lineup like this is certainly competitive (Granger is the 3rd best small forward in the NBA, Jefferson is too strong for Bosh and Miami can't stop point guards) and should reach the finals no problem....So, why not go for it?

[Neon Black]

I'd start Kirilenko at the 4. It's not all that bad or anything but honestly I don't see that being a championship caliber team any more than the one we have now.

[QuantumMacgyver]

I don't mean to be rude, but the whole trade with Milwaukee seems useless in this scenario. We'd have better luck prying Granger away from Indy with Millsap than CDR and Larry Sanders. And Granger as the 3rd best SF in the league is a bit of a stretch. Kevin Durrant, Carmelo Anthony, Lebron James, Paul Peirce... and don't forget Luke Walton. Luuuuuuuuke! Seriously tho, even if Granger was the 3rd best SF in the league(Which I do think he is in the top 5-10 range no doubt) why would Indy be in such a rush to give him away for so little? The Jazz need to hold strong. Trade CJ for a first round pick this year, + filler. And give this team time to gel. Look at San Antonio. They looked awful last year. But they didn't panic, and it is paying dividends now. You've definitely put a lot of thought into this, so again, no offense intended, but I think this would be a step in the wrong direction.

[Ziploc]

My wishful plan for the Jazz would be to get Aldrich or Ibaka... would that even be possible?

[Ziploc]

Portland stole Matthews so we steal Aldrich? Right? That would be sick

[king everything]

Its not the worst idea, but its a trade just to make a trade. We're not winning a championship with that team.

[countrybama24]

It's not a terrible idea, but the Jazz can't create a hole at the #4 and hope for the best to pair with Jefferson. We need at least one high-caliber defensive big.

Too bad we were cutting salary instead of stashing picks with our lower-end assets.

[kebutah]

Its not the worst idea, but its a trade just to make a trade. We're not winning a championship with that team.

Since when has the goal of the FO been to win a championship. They just want to compete and keep the seats full, any playoff money is a bonus.

[countrybama24]

Its not the worst idea, but its a trade just to make a trade. We're not winning a championship with that team.

Since when has the goal of the FO been to win a championship. They just want to compete and keep the seats full, any playoff money is a bonus.

It's just too risky for them. Millsap (cheap, nice player) in hand is worth more than the Granger (potentially overpaid) in the bush. And yes, that was the most suggestive way I could phrase that.