How This Trade Impacts Utah Jazz

In this hypothetical deal, the Utah Jazz is landing shooting guard Buddy Hield. To acquire him, they are parting ways with their own 3-point sniper in Bojan Bogdanovic. For the Jazz, this isn’t likely a swap they would partake in.

The main reason that Utah had any reason in trading someone such as Bogdanovic was to shed some salary and lower their luxury tax bill. Hield is owed more money annually than Bogdanovic and has an extra year on his contract.

That would likely be a non-starter for the Jazz, who want to save money and not add more to their long-term docket. But, Hield would bring a little more to the table than Bogdanovic does.

Hield is a better rebounder than Bogdanovic is and brings more offensively to the table. While Bogdanovic may have a more diverse offensive game, as Hield relies heavily on 3-point shooting, Hield is a superior playmaker. When De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton were injured at the end of last season, it was Hield who took over most of the playmaking duties.

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Neither player is a great defender, but it would be a worthwhile gamble to say Hield could at least perform at the level Bogdanovic did when surrounded by the same level of talent. Sacramento set a record for the worst defensive rating in NBA history last season, so it is hard to judge how Hield would fit in a better team defense scheme.

If Utah can extract some draft compensation along with Buddy Hield, even if it is just a second-rounder, they might pull the trigger on this deal. It would add more long-term money, but Hield is the younger and better player.