In the quest for the coveted championship, teams have constructed rosters with one purpose in mind, to be the best. Nowadays, the NBA is a hard place to just settle for being the best, as other teams continue to make themselves better, complacency will bite you in the back once you realize they are just at your feet.

In this era, the boundaries of championship greatness have never been stretched this wide. It just goes to show how this league evolved into a hyper-competitive league.

Talking about improvements and making rosters better, a likely chance to make two Western Conference teams better, the San Antonio Spurs and the Utah Jazz, any opportunity would definitely be taken into consideration.

Given a hypothetical scenario, who would say NO to this trade?

Gregg Popovich, Spurs, Tony Parker

The Spurs would send Pau Gasol, Dejounte Murray and returns Utah’s 2022 second rounder, for Ricky Rubio, Grayson Allen, Tony Bradley, and the Jazz’s 2019 first round pick.

Why this makes sense for the Spurs?

Pau Gasol is arguably one of the best big men in this generation. At 38-years-old, the spring in his legs may not be what they used to be, but his ability to space the court with his range which stretches beyond the arc consistently now is invaluable in the modern game. The intangibles that he brings on the court like championship experience and veteran leadership are surely valued in the playoffs.

For everything that he brings on the court, a price tag of more than $16 million per year is a tough pill to swallow for the Spurs. A pill they’d like to discard for younger and cheaper talent.

gregg popovich, demar derozan

Though adding a young defensive ace full of upside in Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray, makes the trade sweet enough to consider. Getting a stable pass-first point guard in Ricky Rubio will make sure that the Spurs’ offensive weapons like LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan get fed with the ball pretty well.

Acquiring two late first rounders in Greyson Allen and the future first round pick, along with Tony Bradley give the Spurs enough talent and projects to develop as they transition into a new era.

Why does this work for the Jazz?

The Pau Gasol and Rudy Gobert combination may not be as scary as it sounds, but Gasol is actually the type of player that Gobert needs as a tandem. Not to knock on Favors’ talents, his offensive arsenal is not as diverse as the Spaniard’s.

Pau Gasol. Kawhi Leonard
ClutchPoints

His ability to stretch the floor will enable Donovan Mitchell and other Jazz slashers some well-needed space to operate on offense. Furthermore, Gasol has excellent passing skills for a big man which gives them an extra playmaker on the plus side.

Take the basketball impartation of a six-time All-star, four-time All-NBA, and two-time NBA champion into consideration, you might see some new moves from a more confident Favors and Gobert courtesy of the Spanish tutelage.

Dejounte Murray may not be a household name right now, but his enormous upside makes it worthwhile wait on his development.

You can’t ask anything less coming from the Spurs stable, but it felt too sudden pushing the 21-year-old into the starting spot with the departure of Tony Parker. He is definitely capable of starting, although he might seem a bit raw especially on the offensive end.

Grayson Allen, Jazz

Playing for the Jazz, it makes his transition from prospect to starting point guard make it much more seamless. It takes off a load of pressure from his shoulders knowing there is a Donovan Mitchell on offense and a Rudy Gobert on defense.

Any mistake or short-coming on either end of the court will be covered by his more proficient teammates, giving him time to develop properly, instead of jumping raw into the fray.

A Murray and Mitchell one-two punch doesn’t sound too bad either; their timeline at both guard spots makes them the future of the Jazz for years to come. The Jazz getting their 2022 second rounder back is just the cherry on top. Not really significant overall, but pretty sweet to have one.

Who says NO?

Manu Ginobili, Dirk Nowitzki, LeBron James, James Harden, Dwyane Wade, Kawhi Leonard, Stephen Curry, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant
CP

Both have compelling reasons to take on this trade. The main sell for these two: cap relief and some needed assets for the Spurs, while veteran leadership and the potential of an upcoming point guard.

I am assuming that the Jazz is just waiting to pull the trigger on this one based on their immediate need with Gasol and the intrigue that Murray brings, but based on the Spurs being the storied franchise that they are, it would more or less be the Spurs declining this trade.

The Spurs value their veterans like antiques and look at their performances like fine wine, the older the better. They have quite the track record when they used to play an aging Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili in this era.

A high premium is put on young Spurs prospects. For a franchise that rarely makes draft mistakes, once they set their sights on one, they get developed in a system that transforms them beyond expectations.

Donovan Mitchell

If there is someone more than capable to make this work, it would definitely be Coach Gregg Popovich. Young or old, Coach Pop is one of the best coaches in the NBA,  he just manages to bring out the best in any player despite the age.

On the other hand, the Utah Jazz is a few pieces away from being a contender to elite in the West. They made some noise by making an unexpected playoff appearance. Despite being manhandled by the Houston Rockets in the Western Semis 4-1, they have proven and validated their rise with keeping up with some of the best.

The rise of Donovan Mitchell and how the Jazz grows together will determine their success. If they manage to find a veteran piece to stabilize the young guns in the roster, success most likely will be sooner rather than later. With what the Jazz is going with, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see their rise in seasons to come.