NBA Trade Rumors: 3 Utah Jazz Players Considered 'Ideal' Trade Candidates

The Utah Jazz are looking likely to end the season as the No. 15 seed in the West as the once-competitive franchise has fully embraced tanking after two seasons of early-season overachieving affecting their Draft pick at the end of the year. With some big prizes atop the 2025 NBA Draft, the Jazz are expected to start consolidating their roster by making some major trades before the trade deadline in February.

NBA insider Marc Stein has revealed on his Substack that teams around the league expect John Collins, Jordan Clarkson, and Collin Sexton to get dealt this season.

“The leaguewide presumption about the Jazz nonetheless persists that Collins — like fellow veterans Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton — is a prime candidate to be dealt between now and the Feb. 6 trade deadline by Jazz CEO Danny Ainge." 

"Collins, though, learned how to cope with such chatter and uncertainty through numerous transactional cycles after landing his Atlanta deal and, to his credit, has been a source of consistency (and efficiency) for a team that is known to be prioritizing draft position above all this season as Utah plots its course to build out a sustainable core around star forward Lauri Markkanen.” 

Adding these three players to the speculation of a potential Walker Kessler trade also shows that the Jazz might be making widespread changes this season, provided they get reasonable offers for their stars. 

John Collins is averaging 17.8 points and 8.8 rebounds this season. He joined the Jazz a few years ago when the Atlanta Hawks traded him here as a salary dump after years on the trade market. With his $26.8 million contract expected to expire next season amidst his current positive form, he could be a compelling trade candidate for franchises around the league.

Collin Sexton is averaging 17.0 points and 3.1 assists this season. He joined the Jazz as part of the Donovan Mitchell trade in the 2022 offseason, signing a four-year, $79 million contract with the Jazz which expires in 2026. Sexton is developing a reputation as a solid two-way guard with improved defensive output, but he's still inconsistent offensively. He would be a great get for a contender as an infusion of elite guard abilities.

Jordan Clarkson is averaging 15.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists this season. He's been on the team for over half a decade and is the longest-tenured Jazz on the roster. He has two years and $28 million left on his contract, so he might be the easiest to acquire in terms of value in a trade. But if the Jazz value Clarkson's ability as a veteran, they likely won't part with him easily. 

These players could be immensely valuable on the open market with multiple potential trade suitors lining offers up for them. Negotiating with Danny Ainge is never easy, so it'll be interesting to see where these players get moved, if at all.