The Utah Jazz currently sit atop the Western Conference with a 29-10 record and a league-best plus-8.4 average point differential. The impressive run can be credited to many things, including excellent coaching by Quin Snyder, All-Star play by Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, and Donovan Mitchell, and great depth all-around.
The Jazz run a solid nine-man rotation of the three All-Stars mentioned above along with Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O'Neale, Joe Ingles, Jordan Clarkson, Derrick Favors, and Georges Niang. This is one of the best two-way teams in the league, currently ranking fourth in both offense and defense, so finding improvements is a hard task.
Many would posit that the best move for the Jazz would be no move at all, rather, they should stay put and ride the wave of success they've had to this point. However, there are some small moves around the margins that would do the Jazz some good to finish out the regular season and add some versatility for the playoffs. This would likely mean an upgrade over Niang, a solid defensive wing off the bench, or a backup point guard to help shoulder the load on the second unit.
Trade 1
Orlando Magic receive: Juwan Morgan and a 2022 second-round pick
Utah Jazz receive: James Ennis III
This is a small deal that helps the Jazz add more depth on the wing. Utah's main competition for the Western Conference title are the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. The Jazz will need to have sufficient depth on the wing to keep up with these teams defensively.
James Ennis III is a perpetually underrated player who would fill this role perfectly. He is a good on-ball defender and could handle guarding players like Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and LeBron James for short periods of time. Ennis does have an implicit no-trade, meaning he would have to approve of the deal because he would lose Bird rights, but he would surely love to join a contender and potentially stick around past this season. This is an under-the-radar move, but it could pay huge dividends for the Jazz come playoff time.
Trade 2
Houston Rockets receive: Udoka Azubuike, Elijah Hughes, and a 2024 second-round pick
Utah Jazz receive: Danuel House Jr. and Ben McClemore
The Houston Rockets are expected to be huge sellers at the deadline, so Danuel House Jr. is an obvious target for the Jazz. The Jazz would have to use the Ed Davis trade exception worth about $5 million to make this deal work, but it's a use of the exception that makes sense.
House is a great defender both on and off the ball and has experience on high-level teams. He was an underrated contributor to the Chris Paul/James Harden Rockets teams that almost beat the Warriors, and House's defense was a big part of that. His game is conducive to the Jazz's playing style on both ends of the court. He can run in transition and hit spot-up 3s at a good clip. Defensively, he can comfortably guard 2-4 and his presence on the floor would be easily felt throughout the rest of the regular season and the playoffs.
Ben McClemore would likely only play spot minutes for the Jazz, but his ability as a spot-up shooter and transition athlete could be useful from time to time. The Jazz are already contenders, but defensive contributions at the wing positions are a necessity if they want have to go through the Clippers and Lakers and to win it all. House, Ennis, or both would be useful for the Jazz as they chase a championship.
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