During the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline, rumors about the Utah Jazz’s intentions were circulating in all directions. The team had the option to sell off some important assets in order to increase the draft packages they could have built to, or they could have made a few strategic moves to bolster their lineup and push for the 2024 NBA Playoffs. They went with the latter, choosing to concentrate on the NBA Draft in 2024.
The draft has here, and with it come rumors of an almost completed transaction. The Utah Jazz wanted Dejounte Murray on their team, but the Atlanta Hawks wouldn’t budge until they got Keyonte George back, according to KSL’s Ben Anderson.
Murray was definitely the player the Jazz sought, but they were plainly not amenable to the concept, given that George played his whole Jazz season.
Following the deadline, there were whispers that the Jazz were going to sign a player who may have had a significant impact on the team’s season. It appears that Murray was that player. To be completely honest, the Jazz ought to have made that move.
I make no pretense of knowing what George will become. Though it’s completely possible, the odds are against him and it’s much more likely that he becomes the next great point guard in his generation—Elfrid Payton, to be exact—who knows? Not in my case.
What I do know is that the Utah Jazz needed a playmaker who can help Lauri Markkanen and the team as a whole succeed, as well as perimeter defense at the guard position.
That being said, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t make that trade if it hadn’t involved any significant difficulties, such as multiple first-round picks and George. Currently, Murray is a fantastic player who matches the Jazz’s plan for Markkanen’s departure.