The Utah Jazz have already pulled the trigger on arguably the two of the biggest blockbuster trades this summer. It doesn't sound like they're done just yet, though, with rumors suggesting that a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers could be in the works as well.
NBA insider Tony Jones of The Athletic has confirmed these rumors, but at the same time, the reporter also noted that at this point, there appears to be no common ground between the two teams about a potential trade:
“They’ve been talking to the Lakers. The Jazz made an offer to the Lakers. The Lakers made a counteroffer to the Jazz,” Jones stated. “Those two offers were far apart, and I don’t know that there’s gonna be enough of a gap to be bridged in order for a trade to happen there.”
Russell Westbrook still remains to be the biggest dilemma the Lakers have right now, and they have been working hard to try and find a trade partner for the former league MVP. The Jazz are one of a handful of teams in the NBA that can afford to take on Russ' $47.1 million deal for next season, with the prospect of a buyout looming following a potential trade. Nevertheless, there seems to be no progress between the two teams on that front.
The Lakers have also been linked to at least two of Utah's veterans in Jordan Clarkson and Bojan Bogdanovic. The Jazz have reportedly slapped both players with an asking price of one first-round pick each, which could be the reason behind the stalemate between LA and Utah:
“I can tell you that the Jazz were seeking one of Los Angeles’ first-round picks, but the asking price for that first-round pick is probably too much for what the Jazz are willing to pay,” Jones said.
The silver lining here is that there's still a lot of time for these two teams to work out a deal. It sounds like both sides want to get a deal done, so perhaps it's just a matter of agreeing on a price — something that is clearly easier said than done.
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