Losing to the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference Semifinals last season was disappointing, but the Utah Jazz once again look like one of the better teams in the NBA this season.
Through their first 40 games of the season, the Jazz are 28-12 and just 2.5 games back from the Warriors and Suns in the Western Conference standings. With the third-best record in the league, Utah is certainly a title contending team, but they are not getting the attention that they deserve.
Many small-market teams do not get the appreciation that they should from around the nation, but the Jazz are a legit team and they are led by a legit star in this league. Donovan Mitchell has gone from a steal in his draft, to a young star in the making, to an actual NBA All-Star, to being a real NBA superstar.
Currently tied for 9th in the league in scoring, Donovan Mitchell continues to get better and at just 25-years-old, he has a chance to take his team very deep into the playoffs. All-Star center and 3x Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert is also a huge part of this team’s success, as are Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Trade Targets For Utah Jazz To Bolster Title Chances
However, it still seems like something is missing on this Jazz roster. They currently rank first in the league in offensive rating and 10th in defensive rating, but the Jazz may need to add a little bit more talent and depth ahead of the trade deadline in order to have a real chance to take down either the Suns or Warriors.
Given their cap situation though, Utah could run into some problems searching for talent to add. The Jazz are currently $16.3M over the tax line this season, making big moves really hard for them to execute. However, Joe Ingles is making $12.4M this season and could be a key contract for them to trade away.
Ingles is Utah’s all-time leader in made three-pointers and he is a key role player for them off-the-bench, but Ingles is also 34-years-old and in the final year of his contract. Moving Joe Ingles now could open up the door for the Jazz to add more talent, which is why he is a key name to watch heading towards the trade deadline.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Trade Targets For Utah Jazz To Bolster Title Chances
How much interest the veteran sharpshooter would get is unknown, but the Boston Celtics could be a team that shows interest in him. Boston’s bench is horrendous, as they rank 27th in the league in bench points per game this season, and the Celtics need another impactful three-point shooter since they rank 23rd in the league in three-point shooting percentage.
Could Boston be willing to leverage guys like Josh Richardson and Dennis Schroder in exchange for a veteran like Joe Ingles? Let’s take a look at a trade proposal put together by Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale that features said players.
