Could the Utah Jazz go “big game hunting” alongside the Phoenix Suns?
The Utah Jazz may face significant changes this offseason.
As stated in Jazz CEO Danny Ainge’s end-of-season press conference, the organisation is anticipated to be aggressive in their quest of adding some top-tier players to the squad and accelerating the rebuilding process. They have draft picks, tradeable contracts, and cap space available to trade for a star player.
Typically, it is tough to find a player of that calibre available on the market. Few general managers are looking to trade a top-20 player. However, in the wake of the Phoenix Suns’ recent playoff collapse against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Suns’ executive office may be compelled to shuffle their roster in order to offer this franchise any hope for the future.
Enter latest trade proposal, and there’s a potential deal to be had. Andy Bailey laid out a bold framework that could net the Jazz with All-Star guard Devin Booker in exchange for a massive haul of five first-rounders and matching salaries:
UTA acquires: Devin Booker
PHX acquires: John Collins, Collin Sexton, 2025 FRP (via CLE), 2026 FRP (via MIN or CLE), 2027 FRP (via LAL), 2028 FRP (via UTA), 2029 FRP (via MIN)
The trade effectively transfers some of Utah’s draft capital to the Suns in exchange for Booker, who will immediately form one of the NBA’s top scoring duos alongside Lauri Markkanen.
Bailey subsequently explained the rationale for the Jazz’s side of the transaction, comparing the scale of the move to Danny Ainge’s summer blockbuster nearly two decades ago when he was the Boston Celtics’ general manager:
“[Utah] would still have picks in the years that they send one out. And Booker would be the type of “big-game hunting” acquisition that Jazz CEO Danny Ainge mentioned earlier this month. If they can combine a few more of the assets they’ve accumulated over the last few years to add a star big man, this summer could resemble 2007, when Ainge added Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to Paul Pierce’s Boston Celtics.”
Booker, a 27-year-old superstar coming off another outstanding season in Phoenix averaging 27.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists, would undoubtedly be a huge addition to Utah’s roster. While it is unlikely that the Suns will be interested in dealing him, it might provide them with the assets they need to get their roster back on track.
“With this deal, the Suns would suddenly go from having no control over any first-round picks from 2025 to 2030 to having one in each of the five drafts after this one,” Bailed said in a statement. “They wouldn’t be able to improve the position of any of those picks by tanking, but it’s still a preferable situation to the one they’re in now, at least in terms of draft assets.”
Five first-round picks is a large package to ship out, and it may be difficult for Jazz fans to accept, but Utah would still have ten first-round picks over the following five years. The transaction gives the front office plenty of wiggle room while preventing them from completely breaking the bank.
We understand Utah is open for business, but it takes two to tango. Even if bringing Booker to the Jazz is a pipe dream, expect this squad to be opportunistic and vigilant in their pursuit of a huge catch this summer.