Utah Jazz: 3 reasons to stand pat at 2019 NBA Trade Deadline
By Mason McFee
2. Derrick Favors is too important to the team
Derrick Favors is making nearly $17 million with the Jazz this season, and next season the Jazz can clear his remaining $17 million non-guaranteed salary. It remains to be seen what the future holds for Favors and the Jazz, but for right now, he’s one of Utah’s most valuable players.
Derrick Favors’ position in the starting five is at the power forward spot. Despite starting in 39 of Utah’s 45 games played, only 43 percent of Favors’ minutes have been at the 4, however. The remaining 57 percent have come at center.
Put simply, Derrick Favors’ is this team’s starting power forward and its backup center. No other Jazz player can match Favors’ size and ability to soak up minutes at the 5 to give Rudy Gobert a rest.
Favors is the most obvious candidate to be used for salary-matching purposes in any potential trade the Jazz could explore, but they need more production from their bench and Favors is one of the primary reasons Utah’s bench isn’t worse than it is.
As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
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