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MYSTERY – Who was Utah Jazz TARGET? Did Jrue Holiday, Damian Lillard, or Kristaps Porzingis PASS?



MYSTERY – Who was Utah Jazz TARGET? Did Jrue Holiday, Damian Lillard, or Kristaps Porzingis PASS?

Utah Jazz nearly landed a major win-now piece—was Kristaps Porzingis the mysterious target? Agent influence and small-market challenges reveal why the Jazz rebuilt around draft assets instead. Can the new era produce a powerhouse like Oklahoma City or Detroit, both now leading the NBA with young talent and rim protection strategies?

David Locke breaks down the Jazz’s evolving roster construction, examining potential trades for Jrue Holiday, Bradley Beal, and Damian Lillard before asserting Porzingis was the likely candidate. Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen headline the discussion on player development amid tough environments. Locke also highlights league-wide trends—winning the restricted area, drafting bigs like Jaren Jackson Jr., and how this defensive shift shapes NBA futures. Points Gained analysis pinpoints the hottest and coldest players, raising critical questions about Utah’s strategy and the only way modern teams can build for success.

00:00: — Jazz Mystery Trade Discussion
16:04: — NBA Team Building Models
27:50: — Points Gained: NBA Player Impact

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7 Comments

  1. I'll bet you Dame passed, because he's completely full of himself…. and knows he doesn't have enough left in the tank to do anything for a rebuilding team.

  2. Based on their ages 3 years ago (Lillard=32, Porzingis=27, Beal=29, Holiday=32), I'd guess it was Porzingis or Beal, as they were the two young enough to "fit" the Jazz timeline to try to win a championship. You have to remember, the Jazz under Ryan and Danny have stated they want to win a championship, not be "competitive". While all of them would have made the Jazz more competitive, I don't believe that is how the organization would have been approaching the trade. I believe they would have been asking who can potentially help us win a championship.

    So, I agree that Porzingis seems to fit that mold better than Beal. I would guess the Jazz at the time would have added Porzingis as a piece to pursue a championship over the other 3.

    P.S. can you please stop doing the silly drum roll as part of your intro?!?! You didn't do it a few times, and it was so nice….

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