NBA Trades: 4 Teams poised to trade up in the 2023 NBA draft

Trade Up Candidate #3: Utah Jazz: Picks #9, #16, #28

When the Jazz traded both Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in the same offseason, almost everyone in the league expected the team to crash land at the bottom of the Western Conference. Instead, the team only took a minor step back, staying in play-in contention for most of the season until injuries and trades caught up to the team.

Lauri Markkanen stunned the world by metamorphosing into a bona fide star player, emerging as the top option on the team on his way to his first all-star appearance and the most improved player trophy. Walker Kessler also shocked pundits by becoming a fearsome defensive replacement for Rudy Gobert.

While there was a great deal of optimism for the team due to their collection of talent, outside of Markkanen and Kessler, there are few players that fit the team’s timeline and are good enough to hold onto their roles. On the other hand, if they packaged their three first-round picks together alongside some of their veterans, the team may be able to secure their point guard of the future:

A trade up to Charlotte’s second pick may be easier to conceptualize, as the Jazz could offer the team a mix of youth and veterans who could help the team exit the rebuild quickly. For the Blazers, it may require giving up Markkanen, but Danny Ainge has never been afraid to sell high on his players and make the best decision for his team.

If Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller found their way to Utah, they’d both have a team that was ready to support their star turn without demanding instant impact. Neither would be expected to lead the Jazz to the playoffs anytime soon, but both would have the ball in their hands for most of their early careers, which could lead to a contending Jazz team in a half-decade.