Quin Snyder gestures fter being introduced as the new Utah Jazz head coach during an NBA basketball news conference Saturday, June 7, 2014, in Salt Lake City. The Jazz announced Friday that they hired the Atlanta Hawks assistant coach to replace Tyrone Corbin, who was let go earlier this year after three-plus seasons in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Report: Jazz ‘Unlikely’ to Trade Collin Sexton Ahead of NBA Deadline
The guard for the Utah Jazz is not going anywhere in the next week.
There have been a lot of speculations circulating in the lead-up to the NBA trade deadline, which is on February 8th. The deadline is now less than one week away. The Utah Jazz, who are a strong contender to make a move on the market, are no strangers to being embroiled in these rumors circulating the league in recent weeks.
However, while this squad is prepared with a plethora of valued assets and pieces to place in a prospective deal, the wisest move might end up being not making one at all. There have been more updates about the Jazz’s final destination as of this deadline, with a growing number of names appearing less and less likely to be shipped out.
The Jazz are adamant about maintaining All-Star Lauri Markkanen as an untouchable level player, so any hopes of his being sold in a blockbuster have been all but dashed in recent weeks. He’s not the only one, though, whom Utah really wants to hang onto.
NBA insider Marc Stein’s substack claims that given Collin Sexton’s rebound as a productive starting guard, the Jazz are less likely to move him before next week’s deadline:
Sexton has been a bright spot for the Jazz during their ups and downs this season since he was promoted to a starting position. He has exceptionally good efficiency and is second on the team in both assists and points. The Utah backcourt has won 17 of the 27 games in which he has started, and the club has played well overall (17-10).
Though Sexton has contributed to winning basketball and fit in well as a dependable scorer, it’s difficult to imagine Danny Ainge and the rest of this front office being so eager to ship him off. With a very team-friendly contract that expires after this season, keeping an impact player like that in Salt Lake City should be a top goal.
Alternatively, it would be more plausible for older players or players with expiring contracts to be part in a trade that would assist the Jazz get closer to their long-term objectives. In these uncertain times, players like Jordan Clarkson, Kelly Olynyk, and Talen Horton-Tucker emerge to suit that profile and continue to spark excitement throughout the league.
We’ll know the answers to our questions about how the Jazz plan to keep adding players to their roster through the upcoming summer and beyond by this time next week.
