The Utah Jazz May Need To Part Ways With Some Of Their Big Men

The Utah Jazz have been a perennial playoff team, but never seem to have a shot at making the NBA finals. This team is sitting in seventh place in the Western conference and once again, an early playoff exit is on the horizon.  The Jazz have to do something to take a step forward, challenge for a higher seed and even make a deep run in the playoffs. They need to trade one of their most abundant asset – skilled big men.

Coach Tyrone Corbin has a plethora of front court players to choose from. Most nights, he starts with Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap and Marvin Williams. That leaves Enes Kantner, Derrick Favors and DeMarre Carroll on the bench.  These six are interchangeable, and all have taken turns making an impression on the staff and affecting the outcome of games.

The Jazz back court has some nice pieces to it, but it lacks that pure scorer who can beat anyone during crunch time. It’s time to trade one of the big men to acquire the player who can put the Jazz over the top.

But who should they trade?

In terms of contract and salary, Jefferson is in his last year of his contract and his making $15 million.  All the other big men are earning less, so in terms of an expiring contract and salary Jefferson is the piece that should be traded. In terms of future and talent, most teams would want Favors, who has the most upside of any of the big men. He is only 21, and has so much more room to grow and mature.

If the Jazz want to cement a playoff spot and make a deep run this year, then Favors is the guy to trade. His salary is average and he is under contract for a couple of years. You might be able to get that veteran scorer in return, and that way, you get to keep the partnership of Jefferson and Millsap intact.

If the Jazz want to solidify their roster for years to come, then Jefferson or Millsap are the ones to go. They both have expiring contracts and would help any team in the league. They may not bring back that veteran the Jazz need, but might bring some youth and draft picks in return.

The Jazz front office has a big decision to make because no other team in the league has the talent up front that they do, and they need to parlay that abundance of talent into a pure scorer. If they do, they might be the team to challenge the Oklahoma Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs for the right to go to the finals.

Shahab Khan is a Columnist with Rant Sports focusing on the Toronto Raptors

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