Should Utah Jazz Pursue Ja Morant Trade?

Naturally, an assortment of teams will be thrown into the mix as potentially destinations where Morant could inevitably end up. The Utah Jazz might not be at the top of the list for contenders that could acquire him, but with his services reportedly available for the right price, it leaves you wondering whether they could be of interest to strike a deal if the opportunity arises.

Would the Jazz be wise to do so? On paper, the fit doesn't appear to be the most seamless, and in reality, it could be tough to imagine coming to fruition.

Let's break it down.

Don't Expect the Jazz to Trade for Ja Morant

The unlikelihood of a Jazz trade surrounding Morant centers around three factors: backcourt fit, financial flexibility, and the lack of defensive upside.

With the recent emergence of Keyonte George as the Jazz's starting point guard, and a real Most Improved Player candidate, adding another ball-dominant guard who puts pressure on the rim is a bit of a redundant set of skills to make a push for.

George has developed into one of the best guards in basketball when it comes to getting to the rim, and second-year guard Isaiah Collier in the second unit can provide necessary relief down the depth chart, providing similar strengths when it comes to getting to the rim and being a high-level facilitator. Adding Morant, while flashy, doesn't allow for Utah to be any more versatile than their roster already is.

Secondly, a move for a player like Morant on his type of contract really restricts the flexibility of a Jazz front office that prioritizes that maneuverability pretty highly. Utah wants to make a push to the playoffs as soon as next season, still needs to offer up a new contract to Walker Kessler, and possibly Keyonte George this summer, and could be in play to make another acquisition on top of that.

Even if it were to be a short-term add, Morant bogs down that flexibility, while also requiring additional assets to bring him on in the first place.

Then, in the event Morant actually were to land in Utah, his defensive fit in that backcourt begins to look quirkier than it already is. The Jazz have been at the bottom of the NBA in terms of defensive efficiency for the past three seasons, and adding a talent like Morant certainly won't solve those issues. He might even further emphasize them.

Instead, the Jazz need to prioritize additions that help them become more well-rounded on the defensive side of the ball, while also sustaining the budding offensive development of Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, and Lauri Markkanen as a rising trio.

Does Ja Morant fit those goals? Not too much, which makes a Jazz's pursuit for a deal in the near future pretty improbable.

That's not to say you should count out a big move from developing for the Jazz in the next few months. With a front office Utah has in place led by Danny and Austin Ainge, nothing can be counted out, especially as the urgency to compete ramps up in the summer. But Morant, of all the possible names, probably won't be at the top of their list of priority adds to bring into the building.

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