The Utah Jazz aren't in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, even if there's a solid case that it would make sense for both sides. Even so, they know that if the Bucks trade him, it would be to start a rebuild. Utah could help the in that endeavor, even if they wouldn't get Antetokounmpo.
That could be the beauty of it, though. They wouldn't have to pay a whole lot for who they could target in a Giannis blockbuster trade: Tyler Herro.
At the moment, it sounds like the Miami Heat are doing everything in their power to get Giannis, although, apparently, he would have some questions about their roster makeup if they got him. It honestly might not matter because the Bucks waited too long to trade Giannis.
Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t as fondly to a trade to the Heat because of what the roster would look like after a trade, per @sam_amick.
— Polymarket Hoops (@PolymarketHoops) June 5, 2026
Miami would likely have to gut their roster in order to make a trade that would appeal to the Bucks, and that situation would feel like… pic.twitter.com/yBdSacC9CT
Therefore, they might not have a choice in the matter but to take whatever Miami gives them, but again, Milwaukee doesn't want Herro on their team. Trading Antetokounmpo means you're starting over, which opens the door for Utah to sweep in and take him.
The Jazz wouldn't offer Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, or whoever they take with the No. 2 pick, but they still have some intriguing young talent outside of them, including Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams, Kyle Filipowski, and Isaiah Collier.
Keep in mind that Utah can't keep all of their young players, and the odds of any of these players mentioned above becoming as good as Herro are quite slim.
As for matching salary, well, the Jazz also have John Konchar and Svi Mykhailiuk to offer and/or can offer Jusuf Nurkic or Kevin Love in a sign-and-trade. Sounds like a lot of hoops to jump through, but something like this could definitely happen if Utah is all in on making themselves a playoff team.
Utah wanted Herro in the past
The Jazz reportedly looked into Herro as a trade target almost three years ago. That was back when they didn't know what direction to go in after having a surprisingly fun albeit mediocre year from Lauri Markkanen's breakout.
Utah went the other direction, so this matter hasn't come up since. However, now that the team is aiming to be back in the postseason, suddenly there wouldn't be as many questions about trading for Herro. Not to mention, his contract is about to expire at the end of 2027, so he could be had for cheap.
The Jazz have some solid guard depth at the moment, but with all hands on deck for next season, there's nothing wrong with adding another pure scorer (not to mention one who has been to two NBA Finals) to boost their chances.
Getting Herro and then dictating the terms on his next deal isn't the worst idea. Back in 2023, acquiring him wasn't a straightforward choice for Utah, but if he is included in a Giannis blockbuster, he suddenly becomes one.
