With the trade deadline approaching, it’s anybody’s guess which direction the Utah Jazz are headed. The one thing we do know is that a right or wrong move can change the trajectory of a franchise for years to come. The Jazz have had their fair share of trade deadline exchanges over the years, but some stand out more than others. Let’s take a look at the biggest in-season trades in Jazz history.
Jazz Trade Enes Kanter and Steve Novak to Oklahoma City Thunder for First-Round Pick, Second-Round Pick (Detroit Pistons), Kendrick Perkins, Grant Jerrett, and Tibor Pleiss.
The Jazz finally had to part ways with the former third overall pick in the NBA draft. Kanter, who would later change his last name to “Freedom,” never came close to the expectations when Utah drafted him back in 2011.
The emergence of Rudy Gobert and Kanter’s public declaration of his desire not to have a career in Salt Lake City made it easy to pull the trigger on this deadline deal. The players received in the deal never amounted to anything, but it did clear a path for Gobert to be a pivotal piece to Utah’s plans moving forward.
Gobert earned three Defensive Player of the Year awards and two All-Star appearances in a Jazz uniform while leading the Jazz to the playoffs for six straight seasons. The first-round pick received in the trade was later parlayed into a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves that led to Ricky Rubio landing in Salt Lake City.
Jazz Trade Keon Clark and Ben Handlogten to Phoenix Suns for Tom Gugliotta, Two First-Round Picks, and a 2005 Second-Round Pick
On the surface, this trade didn’t make headline news, but one of the first-rounders received landed Gordon Hayward with the ninth overall pick in the 2011 draft. Getting a future All-Star for next to nothing was quite a haul despite how his career ended in Salt Lake City.
Hayward averaged 15.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in 516 games with the Jazz. Let’s also not forget his last season in Utah when he led his team to an upset win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the playoffs.
The other first-round pick was used to select Kirk Snyder, who was a bust. Snyder only spent two seasons with the Jazz and was later part of one of the biggest trades in NBA history, which involved 13 players and five teams.
Jazz Trade Deron Williams to New Jersey Nets for Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, and Two First-Round Picks
The Jazz shocked the NBA by trading Williams in his prime before the 2011 trade deadline. The falling out between Williams and Jerry Sloan led to the Jazz acquiring Favors, who became one of Utah’s all-time fan favorites.
Favors played ten seasons with the Jazz, averaging 11.4 points and 7.2 rebounds. He’s currently ranked eighth in games played in a Jazz uniform with 644. It’s also worth noting that Utah’s first-round pick this upcoming year was traded to the Thunder in an exchange that involved Favors.
Unfortunately, the Jazz didn’t take advantage of the lottery pick received in the Nets trade. That pick was used to select Kanter, and in Utah’s defense, picks four through 10 were also busts. However, Klay Thompson was selected at No. 11, and Kawhi Leonard was selected at 15. The Jazz could have taken Leonard at No. 12 but chose to go with Alec Burks instead.
Jazz Trade Jeff Malone and First-Round Pick for Jeff Hornacek, Jeff Green, and Second-Round Pick
The Jazz were on the verge of competing for a title in 1994 but were one player away. Utah’s starting guard, Jeff Malone, could fill up a stat sheet but wasn’t good at spacing the floor because of his limited range. Acquiring Hornacek for Malone gave Karl Malone more room to operate and made Utah a much more efficient team from a long distance.
It took three years, but with Hornacek’s help, the Jazz made their only NBA Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998. In 477 games, Hornacek averaged 14.4 points and 4.4 assists in a Jazz uniform. Utah wouldn’t have made the NBA Finals without Hornacek’s contributions.
The Jazz recognized his impact by retiring his No. 14 jersey in 2002. Interestingly, it happened during a game against the Phoenix Suns, the franchise that drafted him in 1986.
