Heading into the NBA trade deadline, there was much speculation surrounding Utah GM Justin Zanik, Jazz CEO Danny Ainge, and the Utah Jazz.
Some analysts believed the Jazz would become the ultimate sellers, gutting over half their roster with the idea of acquiring a treasure trove of assets. Others took the opposite approach, believing Utah may take their litany of first-round picks and, shockingly, become buyers. Some even thought the Jazz were going to stay pat, content with the growing pains of the young players combined with the experience of the veterans.
As the calendar got closer and closer to Thursday, Feb. 9, rumors surrounding the Jazz continued to swirl — some even saying they’d spoken with every other team in the league involving some sort of trade.
With many offers on the table, Zanik and Ainge elected to be patient and wait for the ideal situation that arose Wednesday night.
Utah acquired center Damian Jones, forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, guard Russell Westbrook, and a future first-round draft pick from the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team trade, sending guard Mike Conley to the Minnesota Timberwolves, along with future second-round picks, also trading guard Malik Beasley and forward Jarred Vanderbilt to the Lakers.
Speaking with the media on Friday via Zoom, Zanik laid out Utah’s future plans, why the Jazz gave up four rotation players to acquire a coveted asset, and whether or not Westbrook will suit up in Salt Lake City.
While many have expected the Jazz to buy out Westbrook, allowing the former MVP to sign with a team of his choosing, Zanik wasn’t willing to concede that Westbrook may never play for the Jazz.
“We are open to all sorts of possibilities with him. … He has been very positive on being here in Utah, and we’ve been very open to the possibilities of him,” Zanik said. “It’s just ongoing discussions. I think it’s important to know that he probably needs some time, this is the first time in his career he has been in a position like this.”
“We wanted to be very transparent of where we are as an organization, and he’s been very open to different roles in that,” Zanik added. “We’re just kind of giving him some time and continuing to talk.”
After discussing Westbrook, Zanik was 100% transparent about Utah’s plans for the 2027 first-round pick via the Lakers. That pick was widely regarded as one of the best assets on the trading block, and now it belongs to the Jazz — even if it cost them four players.
“Make no mistake, the main part of this trade was the ability to acquire an asset that doesn’t come up very often that’s available, and the cost of that was (four) veteran players,” Zanik said. “That’s why you do deals like this, to be flexible, to be very opportunistic when those opportunities arise.”
Speaking of opportunities arising, not only does the trade clear Utah’s books by next season, it gives them that draft pick that could be traded later down the road if the Jazz see fit.
Utah — apart from Oklahoma City — is armed with the most assets in the league moving forward. They have 15 first-round picks through the 2029 draft, most of which are unprotected.
They also have a budding nucleus in All-Star Lauri Markkanen, Rising Star Walker Kessler, Ochai Agbaji, and Collin Sexton — all with rookie head coach Will Hardy, who looks like a star in the making. All of the players are 25 or younger, giving the Jazz a sensational core to build around.
If Zanik and Ainge want to pull the trigger on a big trade sometime in the coming years, there may not be a team that can outbid them. This puts the Jazz in an ideal situation moving forward, with a ridiculous number of options.
“They don’t come up often, but sometimes they come up and then you just don’t have the firepower to go do it, or you’re not in the right set of team building. …There’s no transaction of that level that we’re not going to be involved in if it makes sense, because we have the ability to do those. … I’m excited about that if that comes up,” Zanik said.