NBA Trade Rumors: Utah Jazz interested in Jerami Grant and Harrison Barnes
According to Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer, the Utah Jazz are interested in acquiring Jerami Grant of the Detroit Pistons and Harrison Barnes of the Sacramento Kings.
The Jazz are currently struggling, having won only three of their last ten games. They have also had injury woes at the moment, so the latest NBA trade rumors have linked them with a few good players available in the market.
They are exploring ways to improve their roster heading into the trade deadline. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert are hampered by injuries, while Joe Ingles is out for the season after suffering a torn left ACL.
The Jazz have their eyes on Grant and Barnes. Grant is a good two-way player who would fit the Jazz well, while Barnes would an upgrade on Ingles.
"Jerami Grant and Harrison Barnes are two of the players the Jazz have had trade talks for, league sources say. With one week to go until the trade deadline, Utah is targeting wings that can defend," O'Connor wrote.
Jerami Grant and Harrison Barnes are two of the players the Jazz have had trade talks for, league sources say. With one week to go until the trade deadline, Utah is targeting wings that can defend. Here's my video on Utah's need for more quality defenders around Rudy Gobert:
The Utah Jazz had the best record in the NBA last season. However, they were eliminated by the LA Clippers in the Western Conference semi-finals in six games. Rudy Gobert was all but eliminated from the equation as the Clippers ruthlessly exploited the Jazz's weak perimeter defending.
With the NBA trade deadline less than a week away, the Jazz are struggling, as they have slipped to fourth place in the Western Conference standings. The Dallas Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets are close on their tails, which could be a problem heading into the playoffs.
Which players can the Utah Jazz make available?
The Utah Jazz do not have a lot of assets to offer to selling teams. They cannot trade a first-round pick till 2026, and they don't have any young valuable players. The Jazz can still offer players such as Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson, though.
Even though Ingles is out for the season, he has an expiring contract that could be desirable to a lot of teams looking to have some cap space in the offseason. However, the Jazz will likely need to sweeten the deal with a future first-round pick or a few second-round selections.
Meanwhile, Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson are two offensive players who can get hot at any moment in a game. Both players could help contenders, but not lottery teams. Bogdanovic is a scorer and knockdown three-point shooter, while Clarkson is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year.
With the Jazz looking to revive their faltering campaign, they know they need to make some improvements at the trade deadline. The Jazz also know that they need to make it deep into the playoffs or risk losing superstar guard Donovan Mitchell.