Rudy Gobert was traded to Minnesota for an oversized haul of draft picks. Donovan Mitchell likely will be following him out the door (probably to New York, even if talks are currently stalled). Royce O’Neal was traded for a draft pick as well.
The Utah Jazz are rebuilding and every veteran on the roster is available via trade. That includes point guard Mike Conley — the Jazz have talked with teams about a Conley trade Tony Jones of The Athletic said on a Spotify live with Marc Stein.
It makes sense, but Conley will be the most difficult veteran for the Jazz to move because of his $22.7 million contract this season, plus $14.3 million of his $24.4 million contract for the following season (2023-24) is guaranteed.
Conley, 35, saw his counting stats and efficiency drop from the previous season, despite staying healthy and playing in 72 games. Conley averaged 13.7 points and 5.7 assists a game last season, shooting 40.8% from beyond the arc and with an above-average 57.2 true shooting percentage. He was an above-average point guard, but not the borderline All-Star level player he was for years.
Teams may not be interested in Conley this offseason (at least at the first-round pick price the Jazz are asking), but come mid-season, when injuries and roster holes change situations, Danny Ainge may hear his phone ring. Expect trade rumors for Conley, Patrick Beverley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and other Jazz veterans to swirl as the team dives into its rebuild.
