Utah Jazz: How Did They Fare At The Trade Deadline

On Thursday afternoon the NBA trade deadline happened, and the basketball world stood still.

No one knew where Reggie Jackson was going to get traded to and fans were already ordering their Goran Dragic Miami Heat jerseys.

Additionally, I’m pretty sure everyone in Minnesota started banging their heads against the nearest wall and started screaming because the best player in their franchise, Kevin Garnett, was coming back home.

Garnett might not originally be from Minnesota, but spending 12 years there is enough to give him ownership.

Just when everyone thought it was over, the Utah Jazz stepped up and general manager, Dennis Lindsey, pulled off a great trade which included their disgruntled center, Enes Kanter.

A huge thank you to the @utahjazz ,my teammates, coaches and the amazing #JazzNation for the last four years... You were all awesome!
— Enes FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) February 19, 2015

Due to the fact that Rudy Gobert become a full-time center (rightfully so), Kanter had become the odd man out within the Jazz rotation. Kanter was looking for too much and the Jazz understood that it wasn’t worth keeping him around, so they honored his wishes.

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The Jazz traded away Kanter and sharpshooter Steve Novak in a three-team trade that included the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons.

In the deal, the Jazz received a future first-round pick, Kendrick Perkins (who’s going to get bought out), Grant Jerrett, and the rights to an international player, Tibor Pleiss, from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Additionally, the Jazz got a 2017 second-round pick from the Detroit Pistons.

Simply put the Jazz organization won the trade, and it helps their immediate future. The Jazz got two valuable draft picks, and they still managed to get two prospects in the process.

Let’s take a look.

Grant Jerrett

Hopefully Grant Jerrett is prepared to play because the 21-year-old, 6’10”, 232-pound power forward from La Verne, Calif., is going to get the opportunity to play minutes on the Jazz. Because Kanter is gone, the Jazz are going to either plug Trevor Booker on the floor with the starters, or Jerrett’s going to get minutes.

The latter could happen because Jerrett’s game is that of the prototypical power forward that the Jazz enjoy on the roster. He’s not the most athletic person on the court, but Jerrett’s got decent range on his jump shot and has the ability to stretch the floor.

Think of Mehmet Okur‘s younger brother.

Jerrett’s the type of person who’s going to make the jumper if he’s open, and he’s also a good shooter in transition.

Jerrett spent most of his professional career playing in the NBA Developmental League, so he’ll be coming into the league still very raw. However, he’s been in the league since 2013 when he was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers as pick No. 40. Jerrett was acquired by the Thunder in the end of January 2014.

Putting someone with his shooting ability and size and playing him alongside Dante Exum and Gordon Hayward is a great idea. Each of the primary ballhandlers on the Jazz thrive using the pick and roll, so Jerrett’s skill set is perfect for the team.

Acquiring Jerrett could prove as a valuable acquisition for the Jazz in the next few years.

Tibor Pleiss

It’s difficult to see if any player’s game will translate to the league, especially one that doesn’t play against domestic competition here in the United States.

What we do know about Tibor Pleiss is that he’s a 7’2″, 242-pound German center who plays for FC Barcelona, in the ACB Spanish League. After the NBA, the ACB is regarded as the second- or third-best basketball league in the world. Currently Pleiss is a reserve center on his team and averages 4.4 points, and 3.1 rebounds per game.

Watching the tape it’s safe to say that he lacks athleticism. It’s not a glaring weakness, but in the NBA that can cause a problem. Even though he doesn’t have the athletic ability, Pleiss makes up for it the way that he scores around the basket. It seems like Pleiss is very smart when it comes to finishing around the rim, and is intelligent when he catches the basketball inside of the paint.

Watching his tape we can also see that he doesn’t put the basketball on the floor when he’s around the rim, which is the cardinal sin for big men in the paint. Additionally, he also has the ability to use either hand around the paint, which is an invaluable skill for any center.

The only problem is he’s got to hit the weight room with Dante Exum. Because he hasn’t filled out yet, he’s a liability defensively.

It’ll be fine once the Jazz bring him over though because playing with other talented big men in Gobert, and Derrick Favors, will get him ready to play quickly. The Jazz have done a great job in developing their young talent, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert, and soon enough, Dante Exum. Pleiss would only continue the trend.

The Final Note (Get the Jazz Pun?)

The Jazz did everything in their power to make sure that Kanter got his wish to get traded away from their team. They even set up Kanter with a chance to win a NBA championship as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Maybe the allure of winning a championship was the ultimate goal for Kanter’s career because he’s most likely going to come off the bench playing for the Thunder.

Nevertheless, the Jazz did what they were supposed to and got two draft picks, and two prospects for his services so all wasn’t lost.

In an interview with Josh Furlong of KSL.com, general manager Dennis Lindsey said this:

“This trade allowed us to add assets while helping to maintain flexibility for the future. Trades like this are never easy, but we thank Enes and Steve for their contributions to the team and in the community and wish them well as they move forward in their careers….We’re thankful for Enes. He’s worked very hard for three and a half years.”

Unless anyone’s seen a better deal with a starting center averaging 14 points per game then speak now.

Next: What Player is Going to Step Up off the bench for the Utah Jazz?

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