The Utah Jazz have the New Orleans Pelicans to thank for their current draft position. Because the Pelicans won more games down the homestretch, the Jazz were then put in a good enough position to secure their pick. New Orleans did Utah a solid, and with their uncertain future, the former could do the latter another if they send them Herbert Jones.
Bleacher Report's Dan Favale floated the idea of Jones being a Jazz trade target, citing their need for perimeter defense.
"Quality on-ball perimeter defenders remain the Utah Jazz's biggest need. And after fast-tracking their timeline with the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, they should aim higher to address than they might've before," Favale wrote.
He also delved into how they could make it work financially.
"Utah has enough wiggle room beneath the tax to make the math on Jones' $20.8 million salary work. Landing him gets much easier if they hash out a deal prior to the league calendar resetting, as he'll only be on the books for $14.9 million until then."
Jones is a quality two-way player currently playing for a team in which no one knows what their current plan is. Zion Williamson just had his healthiest season in ages, and it did not matter. They have a bunch of undeniable talent, but can't make it mesh.
Should they go young or go for gold? If they choose the former, Jones becomes a legitimate target for the Jazz, and they should not hesitate to trade for him if the opportunity presents itself.
If the Jazz fall in the lottery, a Jones trade shouldn't be ruled out
Utah has pretty good odds in the upcoming lottery, but there's a nonzero chance they could get the No. 8 pick, currently the worst-case scenario for them. If that's what happens, they would have to consider whether the best choice is to draft someone and hope for the best, or to use the opportunity to trade youth for proven talent like Jones.
It would also depend on what the Pelicans decide. Again, they have really tried to make it work with Williamson and have probably gotten the worst possible results, given his injuries and their lack of progress as a team since drafting him in 2019. If they want to start over, getting a lottery pick for Jones might be the best they can hope for.
After helping Utah avoid the worst fate possible, there's a solid argument that both sides would rapidly benefit from a No. 8-for-Herbert-Jones swap. Of course, this would all be contingent on if Utah falls in the draft, which is yet to be determined.
But even if it's not, Utah has some intriguing young talent to dangle along with draft compensation. The Jazz will have the rare opportunity to have their cake and eat it next season, but Jones could help them reap even more rewards in the present.