One of the players often included in a lot of trade chatter lately is Utah Jazz big man Derrick Favors. He has been linked to a number of teams and it appears that his days in Salt Lake City may come to an end soon. With all the rumors swirling around him, it could definitely be a cause of distraction, but the good news for him is that his current team is in his hometown on Monday.

With the Jazz facing the Atlanta Hawks, Favors will have the chance to be with his family and friends in the city where he grew up. He then discussed how much the trip means to him, via Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News.

“It’s always great to come back to Atlanta. I love it,” Favors said. “It’s just a relief from everything. Just being out of Utah, going through the season. Going through the trade rumors and stuff, it’s just a relief to come back to see family, see your friends, see your support system, to be back in Atlanta, which I love being in. It feels great.”

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For players like Favors, it’s not easy to deal with all the uncertainties surrounding his future. One way for him to deal with it all is perhaps by spending time with his loved ones. It has been reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls, among others, have their eyes set on him, which could mean he’ll have to move to another city before the trade deadline on February 8.

Favors started making a name for himself in basketball during his days with South Atlanta High School before choosing to play for Georgia Tech in college. With all his ties to the city, he did not waste time in visiting his relatives and friends as soon as the team plane landed in Atlanta.

Derrick Favors was traded to Utah by the New Jersey Nets in 2011 along with Devin Harris and a pair of first-round picks in exchange for Deron Williams. Favors signed a four-year contract with the Jazz in 2014, one that is set to expire at the end of this season. With the Jazz unlikely to sign him for a new deal in the offseason, Favors has become a prime trade asset for a Utah team that is not playing like a playoff contender in the Western Conference.