The Utah Jazz reportedly are having ongoing talks with the Los Angeles Lakers regarding a potential trade this offseason.
According to The Athletic’s Tony Jones, the Jazz are looking to consolidate their roster ahead of the start of the 2022-23 season, and the Lakers are one of the teams they are in talks with.
“League sources indicate a market for [Bojan] Bogdanovic at the very least, of which there is significant interest for the 6-foot-8 shooting forward,” Jones wrote. “But, the Jazz at this point don’t appear to be particularly close to a trade that could land them even more assets and consolidate the roster, although there are ongoing talks with the Los Angeles Lakers.”
The Jazz have several veterans that make sense to trade after the team moved Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell this offseason. By trading away their two All-Stars, the Jazz are essentially entering a rebuilding phase on the roster.
Utah did receive some interesting young players in the two trades, including 2022 first-round picks Ochai Agbaji and Walker Kessler. However, the Jazz likely want to move off of veterans such as Jordan Clarkson, Bogdanovic and Mike Conley to open up more playing time for their young players.
The Lakers have been rumored to be interested in Bogdanovic, as he’d provide the team with some much-needed perimeter scoring in the 2022-23 season.
Bogdanovic averaged 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game for Utah in the 2021-22 season while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from beyond the arc.
The Lakers could try to entice the Jazz to take on Russell Westbrook’s salary by attaching a first-round pick (or two) to help facilitate a deal. However, Los Angeles has stood pat on the Westbrook front so far this offseason and could just keep him on the roster for the 2022-23 campaign.
Los Angeles already made a deal with Utah for guard Patrick Beverley this offseason, but it still lacks outside shooting because of the departure of guard Malik Monk in free agency.
Since the Jazz have prioritized adding young players, such as Talen Horton-Tucker in the deal with the Lakers, as well as picks this offseason, the Lakers may be forced to part ways with a future first-rounder to work out a trade.
