Utah Jazz: Why a Paul George trade makes no sense

After news of his desire to leave the team, the Indiana Pacers have reportedly been shopping star small forward Paul George. Would he make sense as a target for the Jazz?

On Monday, bombshell news hit the NBA landscape when The Vertical‘s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that All-Star Indiana Pacers forward Paul George informed team officials of his intentions to leave the team the following summer.

The news sent front offices and fanbases into a tizzy, as the Utah Jazz and teams all across the league were imagining what their roster could look like with a player of George’s caliber added to it.

As stated in the report, George has expressed his interest in going to the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2018, when he’ll exercise his player option to become an unrestricted free agent. That places a ton of risk on whatever team would trade for him, as they could be mortgaging assets for a one-season rental.

Before getting into what the Jazz could give up in return, why would Utah be interested in George in the first place?

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Although they had one of the more successful seasons in recent franchise history, the Jazz were simply outgunned when it came to their playoff matchup against the Golden State Warriors, routinely surrendering upwards of 110 points while not being able to keep pace.

Eventual Finals MVP Kevin Durant in particular was a thorn in their side, exploding for monster scoring nights and carrying the load for his team against a stellar Jazz defense.

George fills two roles for the Jazz that would make that talent deficit much smaller – wing scoring and perimeter defense.

Averaging a career-high 23.7 points per game last season, George is an elite points-producer in many ways. He’s excellent coming off screens, which would bode well for his potential fit in a Quin Snyder offense.

He’s also excellent defending on the wing, which could take some pressure off Gordon Hayward, who often had to lock down the opposing team’s best scorer while taking the brunt of their defensive focus.

George expressed discomfort with playing power forward in years past, but Hayward could slide down a position when the two share the floor. Versatile, two-way wings are becoming the currency of the modern NBA, and no team can have too many.

However, Utah can’t just take George for nothing, as they would have a set of demands to negotiate with Indiana and a slew of other suitors to be outbid in the process.

Pacers asking teams for ideas on potential PG trades, per sources, as they have for a while. Ideally: 2 firsts+starter. Teams obv skittish.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) June 19, 2017

The Jazz don’t have a lot to offer in terms of more valuable assets that wouldn’t harm their makeup, with only Rodney Hood, Joe Johnson or Derrick Favors being both slightly proven and expendable. In addition to that, Utah’s draft picks this year come in the late first-round at No. 24 and No. 30 — decidedly less attractive options for the Pacers.

Let’s say that the Jazz do manage to swing a trade with a lowball offer, perhaps Johnson, Hood, and two first round picks, which checks out in the ESPN Trade Machine.

A lineup of George Hill, Joe Ingles, George, Hayward, and Rudy Gobert would be ferocious, probably top-two in the West, but it does come with strings attached.

For one, the George trade only works if the Jazz are willing and able to re-sign Hayward, Hill, and Ingles this summer, most likely with at least some discount for the latter two. The possibility of playing with George would be an enticing factor, but money may still be the deciding issue, especially for Hill.

If they aren’t able to bring back all three, trading for George becomes moot, as the Jazz would be unable to peak with a critical piece gone. However, all signs point to things moving quickly regarding George’s trade status; he’ll likely be dealt before free agency begins, making things incredibly difficult and risky for the Jazz front office.

Utah Jazz

This gives them less flexibility down the road and forces them to go all in on the 2017-18 season.

Could the Jazz lineup laid out above beat Golden State, who will be able to bring everyone back, in a seven-game series? It’s impossible to tell now, but that’s the standard they’ll have to be judged on.

Adding such a dynamic piece to a roster entrenched in a unique system like the Jazz’s could prove difficult, and there’s almost no room for error with just one season to work with. One injury could topple the whole scheme.

Banking on extending George after next season is a largely preposterous idea as well. Someone as enamored with the big-market appeal of Los Angeles as George is doesn’t seem like a great fit in Salt Lake City.

Maybe the only way to get him to stay would be to win a championship, which doesn’t seem like a great eventuality to bet on.

Besides, the financial situation is iffy at best, considering the Jazz would’ve had to hand out a ton of money to their outgoing free agents the summer prior. Utah may not even be able to offer George the most money possible, which would almost ensure his departure to LA.

If he were to leave after just one year with the Jazz, they would find themselves mostly back where they are now, minus the assets they gave up to acquire George in the first place and in a worse situation economically.

The bottom line – going all in for one season of Paul George with the Warriors uniquely set up to dominate the next couple seasons is foolish and ignores the excellent trajectory the organization is already on.

Next: NBA Mock Draft - Final Edition

It’s not often one of the league’s best players becomes publicly available, but the Jazz would do well to sit out the Paul George sweepstakes.