<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Jazz are actively exploring opportunities for trading away one of their three first-round selections in next month's NBA Draft. If they did so, player personnel director Walt Perrin suggested Monday, it probably would be so they could pick sooner in the draft's opening round. "That's one of the options," Perrin said. There are several other options for the Jazz, who will go into the summer's free-agency market well under the NBA's team payroll salary cap ? and probably won't have roster room for three rookies next season. "We have probably more flexibility to do things than any team in the league. We can do a lot of different things," Perrin said. "That's why Kevin (O'Connor, the Jazz's basketball operations senior vice president) and I are in an ongoing process of talking to teams to see if there is a possibility of moving up."</div> Link I think moving up would be a good idea, Utah don't need their 3 first rounders and could get a very good pick for them.
It's a great idea, but looking at the possible 13 teams ahead of them, I don't see anyone giving up their position except for possibly the new expansion Bobcats (currently 4th pick) or the Atlanta Hawks (currently 6th pick). Philadelphia (9), Seattle (12), Toronto (8), Phoenix (7), Cleveland (10), Portland (13), & Golden State (11) have solid rosters already and are looking for 1 or 2 more pieces (not necessarily rookies) to become a playoff contender. I would have to count all of them out leaving the Jazz with just six potential trading partners. There is no chance the Clippers trade their pick, so Sterling can continue to re-stock his team with young talent. This drops it down to five selections. The Magic are set on taking Okafor first if they win the lottery, as will Chicago if they get the #1 overall pick. The Wizards might be a possibility if they get the 3rd pick in the draft. They might be willing to do a package deal with the Jazz if the Jazz committed themselves to taking Stackhouse or Hughes off their hands. This leaves the Hawks & Bobcats as the only potential people to make a trade that makes sense. Who exactly are the Jazz looking to go after, or is this just a "smoke screen," to hide the name they really want in the draft?
Kevin O'Connor has already said the Jazz will be considering trading some of their picks. They may offer Harpring or Arroyo in a deal with two or three picks for a better pick. They are willing to take on a big contract, they did it with Googs and they wont be signing any big FA's. Of the lottery teams, they are most likely to make a deal with Atlanta IMO. They are rebuilding, and would like first round picks since they probably wont get any good FA's. But the Jazz really want a PF, and outside of Okafor and Howard the only other PF is Andris Biedrins. The same applies for Martynas Andriuskevicius. They aren't to high on high schoolers either. I'm not sure they want to give up picks to get a potential bust like Houston did with Eddie Griffin.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post"> Who exactly are the Jazz looking to go after, or is this just a "smoke screen," to hide the name they really want in the draft?</div> We won't know till next season. Also, what did happen to Eddie Griffin?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting KS1:</div><div class="quote_post">We won't know till next season. Also, what did happen to Eddie Griffin?</div> He got released by Houston either before the season began or at an early stage in the season. Then he got signed by New Jersey, and released. Now he's a FA, but nobody wants him.
