‘Tis the season, right? First word broke this morning that Boston would be open to trading Rajon Rondo in the right deal, while chatter in Utah is now saying that the Jazz are willing to do the same with Paul Millsap.
As all you future GMs know, when it comes down to it, there are virtually no players that are “untouchable” when it comes to making deals. And despite Millsap’s increased production from year to year and his relatively small salary, his trade value may never he higher. It’s not that Utah doesn’t like him, but with young bigs Enes Kanter (19), Derrick Favors (20) and Jeremy Evans (24) also on the roster, you can understand why ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard reports the franchise is shopping Millsap and fellow 26-year-old Al Jefferson.
If you remember, Millsap was pursued by several teams prior to June’s NBA Draft, most notably the Pacers. Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star expects them to make a phone call to the Jazz again. He notes: “The Pacers can make this deal happen because they’ll have salary cap space and they won’t hesitate to give up a draft pick to get a player that will help solve their power forward problems.”
“In many ways, he’s the best and most reliable player on Utah’s roster,” adds Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune. “Yet the chances of him remaining with the Jazz after 2012-13 are 50-50, at best, and he’s currently the most tradable asset a rebuilding franchise possesses.”
One thing you have to love about Utah is that they’ve always been open to gauging their players’ market value. Whether it was Deron Williams or Ronnie Brewer, they were always willing to listen. And while Broussard notes that Utah is also listening to offers for Jefferson and the two years, $29 million left on his deal, all signs point to Millsap being the odd man out.
Should the Jazz look to trade Paul Millsap?
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