After making consecutive blockbuster trades to send Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Utah Jazz were thought to be a team at the beginning of an extensive rebuilding process with no real timetable of when they might be a playoff team again in the Western Conference.
A year later, it seems as though the Jazz made some brilliant moves and could be back in playoff contention as soon as next season, with the team looking really good on paper, especially after their most recent trade.
On Monday, the Jazz made another unexpected and seemingly brilliant move, with the team bringing in veteran forward John Collins as a result of a trade with the Atlanta Hawks.
Utah gave up virtually nothing on this deal other than taking on Collins’ contract, which the Hawks have been trying to move for a few years now.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reacted to the trade and praised the Jazz for a solid move to upgrade the frontcourt in Utah.
I really like the John Collins deal for Utah. Will Hardy showed last year he’s able to put players in the best positions to succeed, and Collins gives the Jazz a different skill set in the front court alongside Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 26, 2023
With a potentially elite frontcourt led by Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, and Collins, the Jazz could make some noise in the West next season and possibly flirt with the prospect of making the playoffs.
Although teams in the West have already made moves to improve, with the Phoenix Suns getting Bradley Beal and the Golden State Warriors bringing in Chris Paul, the Jazz might be able to fly under the radar and compete with some of the best teams in the league simply due to their size.
NEXT: The Utah Jazz Suddenly Have An Intriguing Frontcourt
