The 1 trade target who could fix this struggling Utah Jazz team
In case you’re new here, we’ll bring you up to speed on the Utah Jazz. They’re good. They may have the skeleton of an NBA title contender, but they’re missing something. Much to our chagrin at the J-Notes, it’s probably a 3-and-D wing.
Earlier in the year, it didn’t appear that the Jazzmen were missing anything. In fact, they still boast the best Offensive Rating in the NBA by a comfortable margin, at 117.52. It’s been on the other end of the floor that the Jazz have looked increasingly vulnerable.
That may come as a surprise to some. After all, the Jazz have a 3x Defensive Player of the Year manning the middle. All of which is to reiterate: the Jazz probably need a defensive minded wing, and in Quin Snyder’s system, they need to be an at least competent three-point shooter as well.
Luckily, the perfect player might just be on the trade market.
The Utah Jazz need to trade for Robert Covington
As of this moment, Robert Covington is on the Portland Trail Blazers. Heading into this season, any safe bet would have been that he’d stay there. After all, the Blazers entered 2021-22 with similar ambitions as the Utah Jazz. If the Jazz sat 10th in the Western Conference at 18-26, fans might riot.
That’s where the Blazers are currently. To make matters worse, Damian Lillard could potentially be done for the season.
While that’s not necessarily the expected outcome from a medical point of view, it might could be the best course of action for the Blazers. In Dame’s absence, they’re likely to tumble in the standings.
There is widespread speculation that they might sell off veterans in an effort to reset. If they “tank” the remainder of this season, they could land a lottery pick and find themselves in a unique position to trade that pick, along with any assets they acquire for their veterans this season, for a star player.
The Utah Jazz should capitalize on their conference rival’s misfortune.
Covington a perfect fit with the Utah Jazz
Robert Covington is a human skeleton key: he unlocks possibilities for just about any NBA team. However, the Utah Jazz have a particular need for his services at the moment.
He’s one of the best, most versatile defensive players in the NBA. He leads the Blazers in D-LEBRON (a metric designed to measure defensive impact on the grounds of the box score and on/off metrics) with a score of 2.06.
That mark doesn’t land among the best players in the NBA, but it couldn’t be expected to when the Blazers have the third worst Defensive Rating in the NBA (115.57). Similar metrics have typically loved Covington throughout his career.
If the team acquired him, Utah Jazz fans would quickly see why. His incredibly fast hands and high basketball IQ allow him to disrupt passing lanes at will. He’s got solid length, and impressive quickness at 6’9 which allows him to play any frontcourt spot. He’d be a perfect addition to this Jazz club.
He’s also a reasonably efficient three-point shooter. His 35.5% accuracy on 4.8 attempts per game this season may not turn heads, but it’s reliable enough for a player who could give this team minutes at the 4 or 5 spot.
Do the Utah Jazz have a means to acquire Covington?
The short answer is yes.
Jordan Clarkson and Covington make roughly the same amount of money at around 12 million per season each, while Joe Ingles’ pact isn’t difficult to match either. Of course, if the Blazers are punting this season in pursuit of a significant 2022-23 upgrade, they won’t have any interest in acquiring a talented veteran like Jordan Clarkson or Joe Ingles.
In all likelihood, this would have to happen in a three-team trade. Alternatively, the Jazz could try to attach one of Jared Butler, Udoka Azubuike or Elijah Hughes to one of their veteran’s contracts. Portland could be enticed to acquire a young player to include in a potential offseason trade package.
Regardless, it shouldn’t be impossible to swing a deal. The Jazz have expendable contracts that match Covington’s. Whether they’re rerouting one of their veterans to a contender in more need of their skillset, or attaching one of their young players, Covington should be a realistic target if the Blazers are set on selling.
He’d be well worth the price. After all, the Utah Jazz just might be a Robert Covington away from real NBA championship contention.
