Patrick Beverley is one of several Jazz veterans awaiting clarity on the team’s plans, Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune writes. Beverley was acquired from the Timberwolves in the Rudy Gobert blockbuster and the 34-year old guard wants to play for a contender. If Utah trades Donovan Mitchell, it will signal a full rebuild.
“Hopefully Donovan Mitchell stays and the team is competitive, and if that’s the case, we’re very excited,” Beverley said. “If that’s not the case, then, obviously, I’ve been in this league long enough I want to taste how winning a championship feels. We’ll see, though, over the next couple of weeks.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- The Suns matched the Pacers’ offer sheet for Deandre Ayton but there are still fences to be mended between the team and its starting center, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his podcast (hat tip to RealGM). “The weirdness of the Ayton situation, both the contract negotiations, the widespread perception, I’m talking widespread around the league that the bridge was pretty much burned between Ayton and the team,” he said. “The comments that Monty Williams made after Game 7 when he pulled Ayton. There’s clearly some mending of fences that has to happen there. Can it happen? Is this just a ‘we’re waiting it out until we can trade him’ situation? That’s another interesting human dynamic.”
- The Jazz had a simple reason for signing Italian small forward Simone Fontecchio to a two-year contract. They felt he was the best player on the unrestricted free agent market, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic. He’s a versatile 6’8”player who shot 41% on 3-point attempts last season.
- The trust between Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns and the front office has grown over the years, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic notes. Towns signed a super-max extension this month approximately a week after it was offered by the franchise. When he received a rookie scale extension in 2018, he waited months to sign it as the drama involving then coach Tom Thibodeau and Jimmy Butler played out.
Trade idea
Lakers get Conley, Beverley, Vanderbilt
Jazz get Westbrook, Nunn and 1 unprotected and 1 top 5 protected First
Lakers tax saving
If I’m Jazz I jump on that. Obviously Mitchell’s going somewhere in this scenario.
Not happening. Lol. Lakers would be idiots..
Wow! I think this is the first comment Sillyman has made that actually makes sense.
Trading a large headache for 2 smaller ones- Conley would eat all the 24 cap
Respectfully pass
Conley has $14 million G-contract 23-24
Tradable
Conley has never been anything close to a “headache” and he’s a lot more productive than most guards that make 23 million.
*Was
Nice try Danny.
Not bad. I like the two 1st round picks. Plus, they move some money. The Jazz are getting a 1st take on Westbrook’s much larger salary. Another for Beverly.
Not sure I’d include Vanderbilt for Nunn, essentially. Vanderbilt has more value right now than Nunn. Nunn was injured the entire year last year. They would need to include a couple 2nd round picks or someone more interesting.
How does the salary matchup?
Personally, I think the trade market for Donovan isn’t ready yet. The Jazz should just see what they have and do some trades to fill in their other weaknesses.
Kessler and Doke should be good at filling into Gobert’s spot for now. Vanderbilt could be a nice small-ball C or PF. Bruno Caboclo has good in SL. He could be a nice low-post scorer for the Jazz.
Clarkson, Beasley, and Fontecchio will be the outside assassins at SG and SF. Develop Juzang and then bring him over.
Have Donovan and Beverly play the PG position. Either can play SG if the matchup dictates.
Keep vets or not. Hard to say right now.
I think the need to mend fences with Ayton might be overstated. Surely he must have known that Phoenix would match the offer sheet. If he wasn’t prepared to report to Phoenix, he never should have signed the offer sheet.
If they match it he has to stay with the Suns. He was a restricted FA.
If the Jazz trade for Westbrook, I would think they would buy him out. Why introduce a cancer to your team?
Russ ain’t KI
Nope he’s not, but he’s not far from it. This is my lil b11ch list:
1. Ben Simmons
2. Kyrie
3. Westbrook
If its a lil b11ch list, KD had to be in the top 3 no question. But who to remove from your list is whats bugging me lol.
You wouldn’t have to “ mend any fence “ with me at $600,000 plus a week. These athletes are so spoiled with the entire “ respect and hurt feelings” get a clue.
ARoid and KAT have that Dominicano connection. Unfortunately this Rudy thing will never work. So I expect a trade by Jan 15. Best thing they can do is move KAT and build around Edwards. Edwards and Rudy make up a potentially great chemistry mix. Plus they would get plenty back for KAT. I know after all the Roids Alex did. He doesn’t have big ones anymore. Just ask Jenny from the block……
Cause it will take big ones to trade KAT.
I can smell your words from the west coast
Towns can’t be traded for a year. A supermax contract prevents the player from being traded in the first year of the contract.
Would love to see Beverly play with LeBron
PHO is such a poorly run franchise, with one of the worst GM’s in the league… so what does anyone expect from them?