Hoops Habit
Fansided

NBA Trade Deadline: Every Team’s Most Untouchable Asset

By Maxwell Ogden

Nov 30, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) and forward Blake Griffin (32) during an NBA game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 30, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) and forward Blake Griffin (32) during an NBA game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
30 of 31
Next
Feb 10, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors (15) and New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the fourth quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Jazz 100-96. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 10, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors (15) and New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the fourth quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Jazz 100-96. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

Utah Jazz: Derrick Favors

The Utah Jazz have a number of players that shouldn’t be traded. The likes of Dante Exum, Rudy Gobert, and Gordon Hayward all classify as such, but there’s one player who is No. 1 amongst the pack of untouchables: Derrick Favors.

At 24 years old, Favors is showing signs of why he was selected at No. 3 overall in the 2010 NBA Draft: quietly, but surely, he’s becoming a two-way force to be reckoned with.

Favors established himself as a dominant interior defender in 2014-15, posting the fifth-best defensive field goal percentage at the rim in the NBA. He’s carried that momentum over into 2015-16, utilizing his raw strength and under-appreciated fundamentals to help Utah rank No. 3 in the Association in scoring defense.

He’s simultaneously breaking out offensively.

Favors is averaging at least 16.0 points and 8.0 rebounds for the second consecutive season. His fundamentals in the post and range as a shooter are improving, which is far more important than the season averages.

Exum, Gobert and Hayward should not be traded, but Favors is a year away from establishing himself as one of the very best power forwards in the NBA.

Next: Washington Wizards