NBA trade: star players to trades before 2024 draft deadline.

For the Utah Jazz, a change is urgently needed. Following a dismal 2023–24 campaign, the squad wants to make some changes and begin a reconstruction. It won’t be a fast rebuild either—given the state of affairs in Utah at the moment, a radical overhaul is required. They will need to work hard for a few years in order to rebuild their resources.

Thus, it makes logical that the Jazz have been involved in trade talks, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo. By hanging their 29th and 32nd picks in the draft, Utah is hoping to advance into the middle of the selection process.

“Utah is reportedly attempting to package the Nos. 29 and 32 picks to move into the late teens, and they are also reportedly active in trade negotiations with this pick. The Jazz are reportedly considering center and point guard prospects, but depending on how the draft plays out, they may be willing to trade up or down.

Last season, the Jazz were among the poorest teams in the NBA. Their 31-51 record puts them ten games behind the final Play-In slot, therefore their 11th-place finish is deceiving. They have Lauri Markannen, a fantastic All-Star player, and Will Hardy, a young coach. Nevertheless, much work remains to be done.

Nikola Topic is suggested by ESPN as the Jazz’s tenth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. To put it mildly, the topic is a fascinating proposition. Like Luka Doncic, he’s a large guard with playmaking and finishing ability. He does, however, have a light frame. He also doesn’t have a three-point shooting, which is problematic in the current NBA.

To further complicate matters, Topic sustained a knee ailment at the NBA combine. The would-be rookie was forced to miss his whole rookie season after it was finally determined that the injury was an ACL tear. Teams appear interested in Topic, nevertheless, despite the prognosis. The Jazz are among the clubs the draft prospect is meeting with while he is in America.

Givony points out that the Jazz may take that strategy into consideration as well. Drafting a rookie to “redshirt” is a typical practice.

If he is selected, a team will probably have to consider the long term and be open to the possibility of having him redshirt next season, much like Blake Griffin, Joel Embiid, Michael Porter Jr., and Chet Holmgren did when they began their NBA careers. Utah may have some remorse for not putting more effort into preparing themselves for draft picks in the previous two seasons and may decide to change course at some time.

Givony also highlights an intriguing Jazz plan: Cooper Flagg, a top prospect in 2025, will be selected by the team in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. Selecting a talented rookie to redshirt him is the best option if that is the real objective. Nevertheless, considering the team’s talent, it won’t be simple.

“It might not be a bad idea to draft Topic and try to challenge Cooper Flagg the following season, though it might be challenging with All-Star Lauri Markkanen and one of the best young coaches in the NBA in Will Hardy.”