Jan 9, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Patty Mills (8) shoots a technical free-throw against the Miami Heat during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

Jazz Given Intriguing Evaluation on Hectic NBA Trade Deadline

Originally posted on Utah Jazz on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Feb 9, 2025 3:30 PM ET

The Utah Jazz didn't hold back ahead of the 2025 NBA trade deadline.

Throughout the two weeks leading up to the official league cutoff, the Jazz got involved in five total deals to make some shifts down their roster and bring in some additional draft assets for the future ahead –– all for the price of Patty Mills and Drew Eubanks.

While the returns that the Jazz received weren't as league-shaking as the move to send Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers or Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors, the general sentiment remains that Utah can mainly consider this year's trade deadline a success, and lies among one of the better outcomes across the league.

Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes is a fan of how the Jazz approached this year's deadline. When breaking down and grading each NBA team's trade deadline outcome, Hughes gave Utah a strong A- grade for their low-risk draft asset acquisitions and the underrated addition of K.J. Martin.

"Utah basically took on unwanted money with a second-rounder attached from the Clippers and functioned as a facilitator in the Dončic-Davis deal between the Lakers and Mavs, securing two more seconds in the 2025 draft for its trouble," Hughes said. "Those are relatively small returns, but Utah didn't give up anything of value to its plans this year or beyond... Martin, who stopped over in Detroit before coming aboard with Richardson and a 2028 second-round pick for Dennis Schroder, averaged 12.7 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Houston Rockets back in 2022-23 and could give the Jazz a shooting boost if his 38.1 percent hit rate from deep this season is for real."

The addition of four second-round picks and Martin may not seem too otherworldly. But, when factoring in the Jazz's outgoing assets of two end-of-bench rotational pieces, Utah found a great way to maximize value.

And the operation was all done without trading any of their veterans heavily rumored to be dealt. The likes of Collin Sexton, John Collins, and Jordan Clarkson all remain aboard the roster for the rest of the season despite the heavy talk surrounding them to the deadline.

Perhaps Utah could've done some more selling than they made happen in reality, but Danny Ainge opted to hold his chips rather than deal them at the deadline for a less-than-stellar package. Instead, the Jazz brass did more with less, and effectively put them and their rebuild in a better spot than it once was.