According to a report, Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith is urging his front office to pursue star players this summer to make the team competitive for the 2024-25 NBA season (Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports).
After being a playoff team for six straight seasons, the Utah Jazz blew things up two years ago after the combo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert seemingly hit a ceiling. They traded their top two players in a pair of blockbuster deals in 2022 and also moved on from long-time head coach Quinn Snyder.
When the organization chose to pivot and rebuild, it was understood that the process would take time. However, after two losing seasons, it appears the team’s top decision-maker is growing impatient with the rebuild and wants to field a competitive team immediately.
“Utah is expected to explore trading the No. 10 overall pick and other first-rounders this year,” league sources told HoopsHype reporter Michael Scotto. “There’s a belief among some around the league that Utah’s owner, Ryan Smith, wants to add more star talent to the Jazz.”
Fortunately for Utah President Danny Ainge, the Jazz have a wealth of assets. They will have at least $38.3 million in cap space this summer, three draft picks in Round 1 this year, and as many as six more first-rounders over the next two years. So they have the assets to land All-Star-level players in NBA free agency of the trade market.
With that in mind, let’s look at five impact players they could target in the months ahead.
