Given that the Utah Jazz finished first in the West yet were booted out early in the playoffs, this might suggest that the team needs a little tweak in their roster. Perhaps they need someone with some playoff experience or just a player who performs on a more consistent basis on offense.
There are two players who fit this mold. Not just that, they seem to be unhappy with their current team. The Jazz, if they feel that an adjustment is in order, should look at Pascal Siakam and Kevin Love closely. One of these players just might be the one they need to make a deeper playoff run.
Potential Jazz Trades
Pascal Siakam
Pascal Siakam is a player with significant playoff experience. He has been in the postseason four times, one of which resulted in a title. This means that Siakam knows a thing or two on how to navigate and play in a very tense environment. It's impossible to forget how cold-blooded he was against the powerhouse Golden State Warriors squad in the 2019 NBA Finals. He hasn't had the opportunity to showcase that side of him. But better believe that if you give him the shot, then he'll show it off without hesitation.
Apart from this, Siakam can address the Jazz's weakness in perimeter defense. This is what analysts have pointed out. This is what cost them their early playoff exit at the hands of the LA Clippers. Siakam is long, mobile, and has defensive smarts. Don't let that lanky stature fool you. Siakam is as strong as an ox.
Siakam will be the counter to the scoring forwards in the West like Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. He can even guard smaller and feisty guards like Stephen Curry or Damian Lillard. His length will be too much for these players. Getting Siakam will cost the Jazz some of their key players. But this is a risk that should be worth it.
Kevin Love
Kevin Love is another player with a wealth of experience. The man, together with LeBron James, went to the NBA Finals four consecutive times. Safe to say that Love knows what needs to be done to get there. In those trips to the NBA Finals, Love had to take on a lesser role. This makes him the ideal player for the Jazz. As for one, he will answer another weakness in the team: their lack of a backup center.
It might sound foolish to put Love behind Rudy Gobert. Love, even at this stage in his career, can go toe-to-toe with the best starting young big men out there (that's if he can stay healthy). However, this is the only role for Love in a stacked team like the Jazz. Besides, being a bench player doesn't always mean that Love will play fewer minutes. If he goes don the Jazz jersey, then there's a good possibility he'll play alongside Gobert. Love will provide some much-needed space for those Donovan Mitchell drives.
Acquiring Love may prove difficult especially since he has two years and $60 million left in his contract. The Jazz might have to give up some of their core pieces and go over the luxury tax. Getting Love would be good. But not getting won't be a missed opportunity either. Building a championship team takes time and patience. The Jazz have to watch carefully how the 2021-22 NBA season pans out for them before making any drastic decisions.
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