<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-bill-simmons-lakers-cavs-jazz-lebron-james-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Bill Simmons already has a Lakers-Cavs-Jazz LeBron James trade idea');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/LeBron-James-during-Lakers-warmups.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Bill Simmons already has a Lakers-Cavs-Jazz LeBron James trade idea</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T07:29:30-07:00">June 30th, 7:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T07:32:49-07:00">June 30th, 7:32am</time><address><a>Rishav Bhat</a>Rishav is a seasoned NBA and sports journalist and editor with over seven years of experience working for reputed organizations. A novelist first and foremost, he has written three fiction books. His high threshold of knowledge combined with his writing skills gives him the ability to write uniquely insightful pieces across basketball, soccer, cricket, lawn tennis, eSports, and a variety of other sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As is true with any major LeBron James move, his decision to opt in for the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers has sent teams into a frenzy. Instead of becoming a free agent, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-what-lebron-james-didnt-discuss-la-contract">James exercised a $52.6 million player option</a> for the 2025-26 season.</p><p>This may be James’ way of monitoring what moves the Lakers make and whether the team is capable of contending for a championship in the near future. However, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons already has a trade idea that sees <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-bobby-marks-details-why-lebron-james-trade-cavs-wont-be-easy">James and Bronny leave to Cleveland in a three-team trade</a> that also involves the Utah Jazz.</p><p>“Does he have a trade veto?” Simmons joked, when <a href="https://x.com/ringer/status/1939548574871945704" rel="noopener">asked about the possibility</a> of Bronny not wanting to go to Cleveland. </p><p>“Utah gets Darius Garland and Rui Hachimura, the Lakers get Kessler, Lonzo Ball, Jordan Clarkson, and John Collins. Utah has to throw a pick or two, has to sprinkle some picks around, because ultimately they are getting Darius Garland,” Simmons continued.</p><p>The Cavs have been said to be open to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-bill-simmons-floats-intriguing-darius-garland-trade-nets">listening to offers for Darius Garland</a>, and a potential reunion with LeBron will surely tempt them. Garland earned All-Star honors, averaging 20.6 points and 6.7 assists per game last season. </p><h2><b>Should Lakers cash in on LeBron (and Bronny)?</b></h2><p>While Simmons does not believe the Cavs should trade Garland, he suggested it may be in the Lakers’ best interest to get assets for LeBron.</p><p>“On the record, I don’t think Cleveland should trade Darius Garland, But I’m just saying, I wonder if those type of deals are being talked about. The whole reason I am talking about this, I think this is going to be really hard now that he has opted in, for any other option, monitoring it,” Simmons said.</p><p>Simmons claimed that now that LeBron has opted in, the Lakers are left with few assets to get a starting center. Further, considering LeBron may be looking to ‘monitor progress’ over the next season before making his decision over a new contract, focusing on building around Luka Doncic makes more short and long-term sense.</p><p>Whichever way this goes, LeBron’s decision to opt in will undoubtedly <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-fans-thinking-lebron-james-trade-rich-paul-comments">force the Lakers to make big decisions</a>. Should they continue hoping to land a championship with the LeBron-Luka duo, especially now, when they may struggle to get a starting center this offseason? </p><p>Rob Pelinka and co. might instead be better served building a winning team around Doncic. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Bill Simmons already has a Lakers-Cavs-Jazz LeBron James trade idea

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-rumors-utah-seeking-jordan-clarkson-trade-but-theres-a-catch');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jazz rumors: Utah seeking Jordan Clarkson trade, but there’s a catch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jazz-guard-Jordan-Clarkson-celebrates-3.jpg"><figcaption>© Rob Gray-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jazz rumors: Utah seeking Jordan Clarkson trade, but there’s a catch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T20:00:34-07:00">June 29th, 8:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T20:00:34-07:00">June 29th, 8:00pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Utah Jazz made a bit of a confusing move on Sunday when they traded Collin Sexton away to the Charlotte Hornets for Jusuf Nurkic. The Jazz’s frontcourt was already facing a bit of a logjam, but they still brought Nurkic in — even having to attach a second-round pick to Sexton just to do so. This is signaling a bit of a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/hornets-news-charlotte-acquires-collin-sexton-jazz-jusuf-nurkic">change in focus for the Jazz</a>, who appear to be committing to their young guard core that’s only going to get better with the recent selection of Ace Bailey in the 2025 NBA Draft.</p><p>It doesn’t appear as though the Jazz are done making moves anytime soon. In fact, some believe that the Sexton for Nurkic trade is only the first domino in what could be a series of moves leading up to a big trade. Nonetheless, it seems like Utah, for better or for worse, <a href="https://x.com/andyblarsen/status/1939486913507062179" rel="noopener">will be stuck</a> with a veteran piece in Jordan Clarkson, whom they cannot find any takers for.</p><p>“The Jazz would like to trade Jordan Clarkson but there is next to no interest on the trade market right now. Simply has not had a very good last two seasons and is on the wrong side of the age curve,” Andy Larsen, Jazz reporter for the Salt Lake Tribune, reported on his official account on X.</p><p>This nuggets of information from Larsen is in line with ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel’s reporting that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/siegels-scoop-latest-warriors-jonathan-kuminga-nba-free-agency-intel">Jazz have been in trade talks</a> with multiple teams regarding Clarkson. Alas, the problems outlined above will make it difficult, if not impossible, for Utah to find a taker for him.</p><p>Clarkson has been with the team since the 2019-20 season and has seen many ups and downs for a Jazz team that hasn’t been able to get back in the playoff hunt ever since they began to embark on a rebuild in 2022. And it’s looking very likely at this point that Clarkson will simply run his contract down with the Jazz, as he is in the final year of his deal set to make around $14.3 million for next season.</p><h2><b>Jordan Clarkson’s value takes major hit amid Jazz rebuild</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Bill-Simmons-hints-at-Lauri-Markkanens-trade-availability-2.jpg"><figcaption>Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Over the past two seasons, the Jazz have been much more brazen with their tanking ways, sitting out their best players (including Clarkson, Lauri Markkanen, and John Collins, just to name a few) in the final few months of the season so they could improve their odds of winning the first overall selection of that year’s draft.</p><p>Clarkson’s value, as a result, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-jordan-clarkson-drops-hint-potential-offseason-trade">has taken a major hit</a>. He played in just 37 games this past season, and while he can still put up points in bunches (he averaged 16.2 points in just 26.0 minutes per night), his scoring efficiency is beginning to dip. Making matters worse, he’s already 33 years of age, so he is on the decline and his production is set to dip even further as the years go.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jazz rumors: Utah seeking Jordan Clarkson trade, but there’s a catch

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-rumors-ace-baileys-utah-arrival-confirmed-after-draft');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jazz rumors: Ace Bailey’s Utah arrival confirmed after draft');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Ace-Baileys-Utah-arrival-confirmed-after-draft.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jazz rumors: Ace Bailey’s Utah arrival confirmed after draft</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-27T13:59:26-07:00">June 27th, 1:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-27T13:59:26-07:00">June 27th, 1:59pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Utah Jazz picked Ace Bailey with the No. 5 pick in the NBA Draft. However, the selection was not made without drama. According to reports from ESPN, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-rumors-ace-baileys-representatives-made-shocking-request">Bailey’s agent, Omar Cooper, told one team in the top five to not pick his client</a>. After Jazz and their CEO, Danny Ainge, picked him, though Bailey did not fly with Walter Clayton Jr. to Utah.</p><p>After a day of confusion and concern surrounding the top prospect, the Jazz got some good news. According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Bailey <a href="https://x.com/DraftExpress/status/1938695279122801094" rel="noopener">will report to the team</a> on Saturday as they prepare for summer league to begin. He, Walter Clayton Jr., and John Tonje will be a part of that team as Ainge sees what his rookies are capable of.</p><p>The team was not concerned that Bailey would hold out, according to Givony.</p><p>“We’ve had good communication with Ace Bailey and his representatives,” one Jazz representative said. “We feel good about everything. Ace and his family are coming to Utah tomorrow. We’ll have a press conference Sunday, and a practice Monday.”</p><p>Cooper has gone out of his way to defend how he and his client approached the pre-draft process. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/sources-ace-bailey-calls-off-76ers-meeting-workout-before-nba-draft">Bailey declined workouts with the Philadelphia 76ers</a> before the draft, causing concern around the league.</p><p>“Every NBA team watched him work out in Chicago,” Cooper said. “He did 18 interviews. Everyone got his medical. They watched him run and jump. They got his measurements. They watched him shoot in drills. There is nothing uncommon about how Ace Bailey’s pre-draft process was handled.”</p><p>Ainge walked away with a haul after the draft. Bailey, Clayton Jr. and Tonje will join an intriguing young core in Utah. Despite having target teams in mind that did not include the Jazz, the former Rutgers star will not try to fight Ainge anymore.</p><p>Jazz fans are ready to see what Bailey can bring to their team this season. If he buys into Utah’s philosophy, he has as much potential as any other draft pick.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jazz rumors: Ace Bailey’s Utah arrival confirmed after draft

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-rumors-ace-bailey-trade-speculation-shot-down-by-shams-charania');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jazz rumors: Ace Bailey trade speculation gets shot down by Shams Charania');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/NBA-Draft-prospect-Ace-Bailey-2.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jazz rumors: Ace Bailey trade speculation gets shot down by Shams Charania</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-27T11:01:05-07:00">June 27th, 11:01am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-27T11:01:05-07:00">June 27th, 11:01am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Shams Charania delivered a clear message Friday regarding Ace Bailey’s future in Utah: he’s not going anywhere.</p><p>Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, the NBA insider <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1938641050446524857" rel="noopener">shut down growing speculation</a> that the Utah Jazz might trade the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-dwyane-wade-reacts-to-ace-bailey-pick-at-no-5">No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft</a>. The rumors intensified after Bailey did not immediately report to Utah following the draft, unlike fellow <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-utah-trades-up-with-wizards-to-land-florida-hero-walter-clayton-jr">Jazz first-round pick Walter Clayton Jr.</a></p><p>“Clearly they had their eyes set on somewhere other than Utah, right? Whether that was Washington at No. 6 and it didn’t happen,” Charania said. “But this isn’t the first time a player wanted to go somewhere else and then didn’t land at the team that he wanted to go to. That’s the draft.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“The Jazz are not going to be trading Ace Bailey. If he’s playing in the NBA, he’s playing for the Utah Jazz.”</p><p>– Shams Charania 🗣️</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatMcAfeeShow</a>)<a href="https://t.co/X4y2e32KZA">pic.twitter.com/X4y2e32KZA</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1938641050446524857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-ace-bailey-sounds-off-utah-opportunity">Bailey had previously expressed excitement about joining the Jazz</a> during his post-draft media availability, calling it a “great opportunity” to showcase his game. Still, reports from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Tim Bontemps indicated that Bailey’s representatives informed at least one top-five team not to draft him — a move that added fuel to speculation about his willingness to play in Utah.</p><h2><b>Shams Charania shuts down Ace Bailey trade speculation with Jazz</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Rutgers-basketball-star-Ace-Bailey-makes-a-play.jpg"><figcaption>© Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Earlier in the day, ESPN’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-ace-bailey-situation-receives-update-from-brian-windhorst">Brian Windhorst reported Bailey had not yet arrived in Salt Lake City</a> and hinted at a potential standoff between his camp and the Jazz. However, B<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-ace-bailey-agent-clears-the-air-on-recent-utah-rumors">ailey’s camp have since publicly affirmed his commitment to the franchise</a>, and Charania reinforced that position.</p><p>“The bottom line is it’s Friday now, the Jazz don’t start Summer League practice until Monday so Ace Bailey could show up to Utah tonight, he could show up Saturday, could show up Sunday, and I guess at that point it’s a non-issue,” Charania said.</p><p>“As far as the conjecture… the Jazz are not going to be trading Ace Bailey. If he’s playing in the NBA, he’s playing for the Utah Jazz. That’s just a matter of fact,” he added. “Unless Ace Bailey is just sitting out of the NBA season and forfeiting $10 million dollars in his first year salary… that would be unprecedented. But that’s not something that has ever been done.”</p><p>Bailey, 18, averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.3 assists per game at Rutgers. He is expected to report to Summer League training camp ahead of Utah’s 2025 NBA Summer League debut in Las Vegas.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jazz rumors: Ace Bailey trade speculation gets shot down by Shams Charania

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-ace-bailey-agent-clears-the-air-on-recent-utah-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ace Bailey’s agent clears the air on recent Jazz rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Bailey-drafted-by-Jazz.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Ace Bailey’s agent clears the air on recent Jazz rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-27T10:10:55-07:00">June 27th, 10:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-27T10:10:55-07:00">June 27th, 10:10am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Following <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-rumors-ace-baileys-representatives-made-shocking-request">speculation surrounding Ace Bailey’s commitment to the Utah Jazz</a> after being <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-dwyane-wade-reacts-to-ace-bailey-pick-at-no-5">selected No. 5 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft</a>, Bailey’s representative addressed the situation publicly in an effort to clarify the rookie’s stance.</p><p>Andrew Witlieb, President of GSE Worldwide and one of Bailey’s representatives, appeared on Front Office Sports Today with hosts Baker Machado and Derryl Barnes on Friday. Witlieb confirmed that Bailey is <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1938638311737713032" rel="noopener">fully committed</a> to the Jazz and views the organization as an ideal fit.</p><p>“He’s thrilled to be going to Utah,” Witlieb said. “Obviously, it’s an honor to be selected in the top five of the NBA Draft and we think he could do a lot of great things out there. Certainly he should get a bunch of playing time and have a lot of chance to show what he can do. So we think it’s a great situation for him basketball wise.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“He’s thrilled to be going to Utah… we think he can do a lot of great things out there… Omar [Ace’s manager] really focused more on fit, rather than going 3rd in the draft kind of thing.”</p><p>Ace Bailey’s representative, Andrew Witlieb.</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/FOS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FOS</a>)<a href="https://t.co/ZFknEHIfc1">pic.twitter.com/ZFknEHIfc1</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1938638311737713032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Ace Bailey’s camp prioritized fit as questions surfaced about his delayed arrival to the Jazz</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_25377502.jpg"><figcaption>Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Bailey, 18, averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.3 assists per game in his lone season at Rutgers. His athleticism and two-way potential made him one of the more intriguing prospects in the 2025 draft class. However, questions arose earlier in the day when ESPN’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-ace-bailey-situation-receives-update-from-brian-windhorst">Brian Windhorst noted Bailey had not yet traveled to Utah</a>, unlike fellow <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-utah-trades-up-with-wizards-to-land-florida-hero-walter-clayton-jr">Jazz first-round pick Walter Clayton Jr.</a></p><p>Witlieb emphasized that Bailey’s camp had been focused on finding the best on-court situation rather than draft position. The pre-draft process was spearheaded by Bailey’s longtime manager, Omar Cooper, who prioritized basketball fit over going higher in the lottery.</p><p>“This was led by his longtime manager, Omar Cooper, who we’re partnering on this,” Witlieb said. “And Omar really focused more on fit rather than going third in the draft kind of thing. He wanted some place where Ace’s going to have the best possible basketball fit for his game and we think Utah is one of the best places he could’ve got.”</p><p>Bailey is expected to report to the Jazz in time for the start of Summer League training camp on Monday. The team is preparing for the 2025 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where Bailey is anticipated to play a significant role.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ace Bailey’s agent clears the air on recent Jazz rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-rumors-ace-baileys-representatives-made-shocking-request');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Ace Bailey’s representatives made shocking NBA Draft request');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Ace-Bailey-at-the-draft.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Ace Bailey’s representatives made shocking NBA Draft request</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-26T16:38:48-07:00">June 26th, 4:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-26T18:09:18-07:00">June 26th, 6:09pm</time><address><a>Jake Faigus</a>Jake Faigus graduated from the University of Arizona in 2022 and has written for several publications and websites. He has had stops at Catena Media, Playmaker, DraftKings, USA Today, Spike Up, and Spotlight Sports Group. He also writes for Sporting News and works at iHeartMedia in Phoenix when he is not writing for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>One of the biggest storylines coming into the 2025 NBA Draft was what was happening with Ace Bailey. The Rutgers wing was considered one of the best prospects in the draft, but he barely worked out for any teams in the top five and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/sources-ace-bailey-calls-off-76ers-meeting-workout-before-nba-draft">skipped out on his meeting and workout with the Philadelphia 76ers</a>. The Utah Jazz eventually drafted him with the fifth pick in the draft.</p><p>The Jazz’s decision to draft Bailey was a massive shock, considering he did not work out for them during the draft process. To add to Bailey’s bizarre pre-draft process, according to ESPN NBA analysts and writers Jonathan Givony and Tim Bontemps, his representatives informed a team in the top five <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45592247/sources-ace-bailey-reps-told-team-top-five-not-pick-him">that they did not want that team to draft him</a> and that he would not report to team activities if they did.</p><p>“I can control what I can control,” Bailey said, when asked Wednesday night after being drafted, what to say to people who didn’t think he was happy winding up in Utah. “They feel how they feel.”</p><p>“But my team and I, me focusing on basketball and them doing what they’re doing, so it happens.”</p><p>Bailey’s agent, Omar Cooper, pushed back on the notion that anything they did leading up to the draft was out of the ordinary surrounding Bailey.</p><p>“Every NBA team watched him work out in Chicago,” Cooper said. “He did 18 interviews. Everyone got their medical. They watched him run and jump. They got his measurements.</p><p>“No one said anything when Davion Mitchell canceled a workout with the Toronto Raptors. No one criticized Evan Mobley when he didn’t work out for Cleveland, and they drafted him anyway.”</p><p>“There is nothing uncommon about how Ace Bailey’s pre-draft process was handled.”</p><p>How Bailey and his representatives handled the process made many think they were aiming for a specific destination, most likely the Washington Wizards at the sixth pick. The Wizards had a key opening on the wing that would have fit perfectly for Bailey. However, the Jazz had different plans.</p><p>The Jazz kept their plans quiet until draft day, and they lucked out by selecting Bailey fifth, despite Bailey being a projected top-three prospect most of the draft process. The Jazz had the worst record in the NBA at 17-65, but missed out on the top three due to the lottery.</p><p>However, despite falling out of the top three, the Jazz picked Bailey, who was massive for them. The Jazz also <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-utah-trades-up-with-wizards-to-land-florida-hero-walter-clayton-jr">picked Florida Gators hero Walter Clayton Jr.</a> to round out the first round. Despite the confusion, Bailey stands to benefit in Utah.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Ace Bailey’s representatives made shocking NBA Draft request

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-austin-ainge-breaks-silence-on-jaylen-brown-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jazz president Austin Ainge breaks silence on Jaylen Brown trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Celtics-guard-Jaylen-Brown-dribbles-around-Jazzs-John-Collins.jpg"><figcaption>© Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jazz president Austin Ainge breaks silence on Jaylen Brown trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-25T22:07:20-07:00">June 25th, 10:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-25T22:07:20-07:00">June 25th, 10:07pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Earlier this offseason, the Utah Jazz made a change to its executive ranks, hiring away longtime Boston Celtics exec and former assistant general manager Austin Ainge to be the team’s new president of basketball operations. Ainge made waves when he said that fans won’t be seeing the Jazz tank this year, and it looks as though he’s hellbent on fulfilling that promise, as according to ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel, they have been in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-utah-jazz-making-aggressive-jaylen-brown-trade-push">hot pursuit of Celtics star Jaylen Brown</a>.</p><p>However, Ainge, during the night of the 2025 NBA Draft, <a href="https://x.com/andyblarsen/status/1938081166952960079" rel="noopener">denied these rumors</a> and said that there’s no truth to them, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.</p><p>This could end up being a smokescreen as the Jazz continue their pursuit of Brown, or perhaps their previous overtures were rebuffed by the Celtics and he’s simply trying to save face by denying the rumors entirely. Whatever the case may be, it’s clear that the Jazz are going to have to up their offer even further if they were to make Boston think about trading Brown.</p><p>Alas, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-rumors-windy-makes-jaylen-brown-derrick-white-trade-predictions-amid-top-10-offers">Celtics seem to have made it clear</a> that Brown, along with Derrick White, is not available for trade. While the 2025-26 season is shaping up to be a gap year for the Celtics, they have every intention in the world to return to contending ways once Jayson Tatum returns from his Achilles injury — hence their decision to keep Brown and White.</p><h2><b>Assessing the Jazz’s roster</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Ace.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>At the very least, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-ace-bailey-sounds-off-utah-opportunity">Jazz were able to draft</a> one of the most talented players in the 2025 NBA Draft class in Ace Bailey, disregarding his pre-draft antics and betting on his talent. Bailey will be tasked to help turn things around for a Jazz team that’s been stuck without a blue-chip, franchise-altering talent despite drafting in the lottery for two straight years prior to 2025.</p><p>The Jazz still have a talented frontcourt trio in Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, and Walker Kessler, but their backcourt still has plenty of question marks. Isaiah Collier has shown flashes of being a brilliant playmaker which bodes well for his development in Year 2, Keyonte George runs hot and cold, and Collin Sexton is still around, but they don’t have that undisputed number one floor general yet to lead the way.</p><p>It remains an uphill climb for the Jazz to compete for a playoff spot in the stacked Western Conference whether or not they manage to trade for Brown. While they may not intentionally bottom out anymore the way they did over the past three seasons, more likely than not, they’ll find themselves in the lottery anyway come 2026.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jazz president Austin Ainge breaks silence on Jaylen Brown trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-utah-jazz-making-aggressive-jaylen-brown-trade-push');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Jazz making ‘aggressive’ Jaylen Brown trade push');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jazz-making-aggressive-Jaylen-Brown-trade-push.jpg"><figcaption>© Rob Gray-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Jazz making ‘aggressive’ Jaylen Brown trade push</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-25T09:28:30-07:00">June 25th, 9:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-25T09:45:32-07:00">June 25th, 9:45am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics">The Boston Celtic</a>s seem resolute in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-rumors-boston-evaluating-jaylen-brown-derrick-white-trade-interest">not trading either Jaylen Brown or Derrick White</a> this offseason, despite the expected dip with Jayson Tatum sidelined due to injury. But the Utah Jazz are reportedly still trying to change their mind.</p><p>Over the past few days, the Celtics have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-atlanta-acquiring-kristaps-porzingis-3-team-trade-celtics-nets">traded away Kristaps Porzingis</a><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-boston-pulls-off-stunning-jrue-holiday-trade-blazers-anfernee-simons"> and Jrue Holiday</a>, both of whom are set to make more than $30 million next season and are, in Porzingis’s case, a high injury risk, and in Holiday’s case, in his mid-30s with three years left on his deal.</p><p>The same worries do not exist<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/nba-rumors-multiple-teams-have-significant-interest-in-jaylen-brown-trade"> for Brown or White</a>, two of Boston’s three best players. Although there could be reservations about the price they each carry — Brown is entering Year 2 of a five-year, $285.4 million extension, and White begins a four-year, $118 million deal this year — neither has turned 31 yet, both have played at least 63 games a season for the last four years, and they continue to be highly effective players, particularly for a perennially championship-contending team like the Celtics.</p><p>And yet, teams, and the Jazz, in particular, appear intent on <i>really</i> making Boston<a href="https://x.com/BrettSiegelNBA/status/1937901147857313896" rel="noopener"> say no to</a> trading Brown, in particular.</p><p>“The Utah Jazz, who are spearheaded by former Celtics executives <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-utah-hires-danny-ainge-celtics-lead-front-office">Danny Ainge and his son, Austin Ainge</a>, made an aggressive push in the last couple of days for 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, multiple league sources told ClutchPoints,” <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-mock-draft-5-0-76ers-hornets-ace-bailey-destiny-latest-intel">Brett Siegel wrote</a>. “It was speculated that this trade proposal revolved around the fifth pick in the draft and multiple contributing talents in the final years of their contracts, which would provide immediate cap relief to Boston in 2026 to build around Jayson Tatum.”</p><p>Despite the interest, Siegel reported that the Celtics are still not “actively shopping either player to the highest bidder, and there still aren’t any indications that Boston wants to trade them.”</p><p>Boston, which won the NBA championship a year ago and was often predicted to repeat this year, is expected to take a step back in light <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-jayson-tatums-teammate-gives-good-spirits-update-amid-achilles-recovery">of Tatum’s injury</a>, which will likely preclude him from returning to action at any point during the 2025-26 season or playoffs. Without the five-time All-NBA selection and in the wake of the team being sold, the Celtics appear to be ready to utilize next season as a light reset of their cap sheet and roster construction.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Jazz making ‘aggressive’ Jaylen Brown trade push

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/nba-rumors-jazz-john-collins-trade-outlook-amid-lakers-buzz');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Jazz’s John Collins trade outlook amid Lakers buzz');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Jazz-forward-John-Collins.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Jazz’s John Collins trade outlook amid Lakers buzz</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-25T06:49:55-07:00">June 25th, 6:49am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-25T08:13:41-07:00">June 25th, 8:13am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Utah Jazz have a few players on their team that others may be looking to trade for, and one of those players is John Collins. The forward has been with the Jazz for the past few seasons after getting traded from the Atlanta Hawks, and he’s been solid for them despite the team not being quite successful.</p><p>The Los Angeles <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/nba-rumors-lakers-hit-harsh-jazz-trade-reality">Lakers have been a team mentioned in rumors</a> for Collins, but it’s been uncertain if they would make a move for him. For now, it doesn’t seem like <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-nba-trade-talk-free-agency-dc5?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=166778838&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">anything will materialize</a> between them and the Jazz, according to The Stein Line.</p><p>“The Lakers, I’m told, are not pursuing a trade for Utah’s John Collins despite reports suggesting otherwise,” The Stein Line wrote. “Utah is open to trading Collins this offseason, sources say, but his market is apparently still forming and might not take shape until after this week’s draft proceedings. Thursday is the deadline for Collins to activate his $26.6 million player option for next season or bypass it to become a free agent.”</p><p>Collins should still have some teams looking to trade for him, but if he declines his player option, it might be more teams than usual since he’ll become a free agent.</p><h2><b>Lakers still searching for a big man</b></h2><p>Just a few days ago, there were rumors that the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/sources-lakers-jazz-rui-hachimura-john-collins-trade"> Lakers were not only interested in Collins</a>, but also Walker Kessler from the Jazz, according to Anthony Irwin of Clutch Points.</p><p>“Sources close to the Los Angeles Lakers say that internally, they have long been fans of John Collins, who has the ability to stretch the floor both as a deep threat or someone who can finish well above the rim,” Irwin wrote. “Many within the Lakers organization believe Collins would be an especially great fit alongside Luka Doncic.”</p><p>Collins had a nice season for the Jazz last year, averaging 18.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He only played in 40 games, but he’s been healthy and available for most of his career. Though <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/nba-rumors-lakers-linked-to-another-jazz-trade-besides-walker-kessler">Collins would be a good fit</a> for the Lakers, his contract may not work for them, according to Locked On Jazz contributor Andy Larsen.</p><p>“I think, just contract-wise, that doesn’t work out anymore,” Larsen said. “He had a productive enough season last year that there should be interest in the league somewhere for him. I don’t expect the Jazz to get value back necessarily in those deals though.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Jazz’s John Collins trade outlook amid Lakers buzz

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/nba-rumors-lakers-hit-harsh-jazz-trade-reality');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Lakers hit with harsh Jazz trade reality');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Mar-3-2025-Salt-Lake-City-Utah-USA-Utah-Jazz-center-Walker-Kessler-24-dunks-against-the-Detroit-Pistons-during-the-second-half-at-Delta-Center.-Mandatory-Credit-Rob-Gray-Imagn-Ima.jpg"><figcaption>Rob Gray-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Lakers hit with harsh Jazz trade reality</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-24T07:30:26-07:00">June 24th, 7:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-25T08:13:30-07:00">June 25th, 8:13am</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/colinloughran">Colin Loughran</a>Colin Loughran is a NYC-based Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He has spent several years covering sports and has worked for outlets such as the New York Post, AP Radio, and FanSided. Colin is also a three-time NYSBA award winner and a proud graduate of Fordham University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It was evident that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/lakers-news-lebron-james-back-on-court-knee-surgery">the Los Angeles Lakers needed a center</a> as their season drew to a close in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, but finding a true fit could prove to be a difficult task.</p><p>The Lakers have been reportedly interested in Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, but it does not seem as though the 23-year-old will be available. Despite whispers that the Lakers might be interested in Kessler’s teammate, John Collins, insider Marc Stein recently reported that the team was <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-nbas-latest-trade-talk-and-contract?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=166688231&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">not infatuated by this idea.</a></p><p>“Finding a front-line center remains a clear offseason priority for the Lakers, who have maintained a longstanding interest in Utah’s Walker Kessler,” Stein wrote.</p><p>The Jazz, though, have made Kessler unavailable for some time, which might have contributed to reports last week that suggested L.A. has interest in trading for Kessler’s teammate John Collins.</p><p>Collins had a strong 2024-25 campaign, but I’m told any suggestion that the Lakers are a trade suitor for the 27-year-old is a mischaracterization.”</p><p>It should be noted that others have identified a different dynamic <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/sources-lakers-jazz-rui-hachimura-john-collins-trade">as it pertains to the Lakers’ interest in Collins.</a> ClutchPoints’ Anthony Irwin reported that the front office saw the Wake Forest product as a potential fit.</p><p>“Sources close to the Los Angeles Lakers say that internally, they have long been fans of John Collins, who has the ability to stretch the floor both as a deep threat or someone who can finish well above the rim,” Irwin reported “Many within the Lakers organization believe Collins would be an especially great fit alongside Luka Doncic.”</p><p>Kessler and Collins profile differently. The former is taller and plays more like a traditional center, while the latter offers greater offensive versatility.</p><p>The Lakers might have been more comfortable with the idea of a deal for Kessler, given his rebounding and defensive prowess. Across 58 games last season, the Atlanta native collected 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. Although LA’s preferences might not matter when push comes to shove.</p><p>If these latest conflicting reports show anything, it is that the Lakers’ path to acquiring a center will not be easy, and it might require them to become more flexible than they anticipated.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Lakers hit with harsh Jazz trade reality

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-washington-pull-off-similar-bilal-coulibaly-draft-night-trade-jazz');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards rumors: Washington could pull off similar Bilal Coulibaly draft-night trade with Jazz');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Bilal-Coulibaly-of-the-Washington-Wizards.jpg"><figcaption>Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Wizards rumors: Washington could pull off similar Bilal Coulibaly draft-night trade with Jazz</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-23T16:37:21-07:00">June 23rd, 4:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-23T16:37:21-07:00">June 23rd, 4:37pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025 NBA Draft is near, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-washington-draft-plans-corey-kispert-trade-speculation">the Washington Wizards own the No. 6 pick overall</a>. Rumors are buzzing that the team could be involved in a similar trade situation as they were in the 2023 draft when the organization traded up and selected Bilal Coulibaly.</p><p>Reports indicate that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-mock-draft-4-0-latest-intel-kevin-durant-trade">the Wizards are potentially interested</a> in trading up to the No. 5 pick with the Utah Jazz, according to insider Brett Siegel. The word around town is that Utah is interested in point guard Jeremiah Fears, who is someone the Wizards are rumored to be interested in as well.</p><p>“The three names most associated with the Utah Jazz leading up to the NBA Draft are [Tre] Johnson, [Kon] Knueppel, and Jeremiah Fears. In recent days, Fears has been gaining a lot of traction after his second workout with Utah. Perhaps this is just a ploy by the Jazz to try and get the Wizards, who have been widely reported to want Fears, to trade up a spot.</p><p>“For those draft junkies out there, you may remember Washington and Michael Winger making a similar move when they <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/washington-wizards-indiana-pacers-swap-7th-and-8th-overall-picks" rel="noopener noreferrer">moved up from the eighth pick to the seventh pick</a> so they could get Bilal Coulibaly in 2023. This only cost the Wizards two future second-round picks, which is likely what could happen in an offer with the Jazz.”</p><p>If the Wizards are truly interested in Fears, a trade-up scenario may not have to occur. Siegel explains how Fears doesn’t quite fit the bill for the Jazz, considering the club already has two young point guards and likely isn’t looking for a player who needs time to develop. Regardless, it’s a scenario that Washington is likely discussing internally with the NBA Draft approaching.</p><p>“Nonetheless, if the Jazz hold onto this pick, Johnson is the player that makes the most sense given his fit as a shooter on the wing. He is widely considered to be one of the safest picks in this year’s draft, and Johnson can be a long-term building block for the Jazz, who have signaled that they won’t be tanking moving forward.</p><p>“Drafting Fears would supply Utah with a high-potential guard, but they already have a crowded backcourt with young pieces like Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier. Would adding another youthful guard who would need time to develop be beneficial? That thinking is why scouts are expecting the Jazz to decide between Johnson and Knueppel despite Utah’s known interest in Fears’ skills.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards rumors: Washington could pull off similar Bilal Coulibaly draft-night trade with Jazz

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/nba-rumors-lakers-linked-to-another-jazz-trade-besides-walker-kessler');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Lakers linked to another Jazz trade besides Walker Kessler');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/John-Collins-20-celebrates-with-Utah-Jazz-center-Walker-Kessler-24-after-scoring-against-the-Oklahoma-City-Thunder.jpg"><figcaption>© Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Lakers linked to another Jazz trade besides Walker Kessler</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-18T12:41:15-07:00">June 18th, 12:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-18T14:35:50-07:00">June 18th, 2:35pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-will-la-pursue-center-they-long-been-fans-of-in-free-agency">Los Angeles Lakers continue to explore options for upgrading their front court</a>, another Utah Jazz big man has reportedly entered the conversation alongside Walker Kessler.</p><p>According to Locked On Jazz contributor Andy Larsen, the Lakers have also <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-jazz-daily-podcast-on-the-utah-jazz/id390453558" rel="noopener">discussed</a> forward John Collins as a potential trade target.</p><p>“The Lakers-John Collins has been a conversation that’s been had,” Larsen said on the podcast. “The Warriors were interested at the trade deadline before they got Jimmy Butler.</p><p>“I think, just contract-wise, that doesn’t work out anymore. He had a productive enough season last year that there should be interest in the league somewhere for him. I don’t expect the Jazz to get value back necessarily in those deals though.”</p><p>Collins, 27, is coming off a strong season in Utah, where he averaged 18.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game across 40 appearances.</p><p>He shot 52.7% from the field and 39.9% from three-point range while logging 30.5 minutes per game. Collins has one year remaining on his current deal, holding a player option worth $26.5 million for the 2025-26 season.</p><p>Meanwhile, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/sources-lakers-running-into-a-familiar-problem-in-trade-talks">Lakers have also been linked to Jazz center Walker Kessler</a>, who has garnered league-wide interest due to his size, shot-blocking ability, and affordable contract.</p><h2><b>Lakers eye frontcourt upgrade with Jazz’s Walker Kessler, John Collins</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/John-Collins-20-tries-to-keep-the-ball-away-from-Los-Angeles-Lakers-guard-Luka-Doncic-77-and-forward-LeBron-James-23.jpg"><figcaption>Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Lakers senior insider Anthony Irwin reported on Wednesday that the organization continues to prioritize acquiring a starting-caliber center through the trade market with Kessler among several names mentioned.</p><p>“Sources close to the team reiterated that the internal plan is to trade for their starting center – sources say they’ve held conversations with other teams about Nic Claxton, Robert Williams, Walker Kessler and others – then, ideally, use the taxpayer midlevel on his backup – Brook Lopez and Clint Capela are the two names most often linked to the Lakers,” Irwin wrote.</p><p>“It’s a solid plan that they’re considered likely to be able to execute. But because of their clear and desperate need at the position, such an approach is going to be a lot more complicated than it would’ve been had they not neglected the position the past couple of seasons.”</p><p>Kessler, 23, posted averages of 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, and 1.7 assists while shooting 66.3% from the field over 58 games. He is entering the final year of his rookie deal and will earn $4.8 million for the 2025-26 season before becoming a restricted free agent next summer.</p><p>With the Lakers actively seeking size and defensive presence in the paint, both Collins and Kessler could represent solutions from within the same organization. The Jazz, still navigating their own rebuilding timeline, may be open to offers depending on the return package.</p><p>As the offseason progresses, trade talks between the Lakers and Jazz could intensify as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-espn-4-team-trade-sends-giannis-warriors-draymond-green-lakers">Los Angeles reshapes its roster around LeBron James and Luka Doncic</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Lakers linked to another Jazz trade besides Walker Kessler

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-rumors-bill-simmons-hints-lauri-markkanen-trade-availability');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jazz rumors: Bill Simmons hints at Lauri Markkanen’s trade availability');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Bill-Simmons-hints-at-Lauri-Markkanens-trade-availability.jpg"><figcaption>Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jazz rumors: Bill Simmons hints at Lauri Markkanen’s trade availability</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-09T16:49:18-07:00">June 9th, 4:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-09T16:49:18-07:00">June 9th, 4:49pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Lauri Markkanen and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/76ers-news-bill-simmons-brainstorms-paul-george-lauri-markkanen-trade">Utah Jazz find themselves in an interesting situation</a> this offseason. They are rebuilding through the draft, which had Bill Simmons comment on the star forward’s future with the franchise.</p><p>Markkanen became a star player for the Jazz in the 2022-23 season, earning an All-Star selection as a result. Even though Utah hasn’t returned to the postseason since his arrival, Markkanen provides their fans with high-level performances as a quality scorer and shooter.</p><p>His services would be beneficial for teams looking to compete for titles, which had Simmons give his thoughts on what’s going on with Markkanen and the Jazz. According to him on his podcast, he thinks <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-bill-simmons-podcast/id1043699613?l=en-GB&amp;i=1000712054902" rel="noopener">there is a chance he would be available</a> if the right offer appears.</p><p>“Around the league, people seem to feel like Markkanen isn’t not available…I’m on high alert with Utah. Austin took that job. He had a quote in the press conference that I thought kind of gave me one of those where he was just like, yeah, we’re not tanking anymore. He just said it matter of factly. It’s like, all right,” Simmons said.</p><p>“I would not be surprised if they get aggressive and said, okay, let’s start coming up with something here. Like, let’s figure out how to piece two for one. And if the one isn’t a star, at least it’s somebody who raises…But they’re like in that spike. Remember Orlando felt like they were always just the one pick behind in the lottery, forgetting the guy that happened a bunch of years there.”</p><h2><b>What lies ahead for Lauri Markkanen, Jazz</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Bill-Simmons-hints-at-Lauri-Markkanens-trade-availability-2.jpg"><figcaption>Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Since the All-Star selection, Lauri Markkanen hasn’t been able to return to those heights with the Jazz.</p><p>Markkanen has sustained injuries in the last two seasons, missing 62 games combined in that stretch. Meanwhile, Utah was unable to construct a roster that was able to withstand the better teams in the Western Conference. As a result, Utah has remained in the NBA lottery since 2023.</p><p>After three seasons with the Jazz, Markkanen is averaging 23 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He is shooting 47.3% from the field, including 38% from beyond the arc, and 88.3% from the free-throw line.</p><p>The Jazz have solid players in Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Jordan Clarkson, and Colin Sexton among others. However, it is clear they will have to make moves through the draft and free agency to return to playoff contention. If they find a deal that involves moving on from Markkanen to be better in the long term, they might just do it.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jazz rumors: Bill Simmons hints at Lauri Markkanen’s trade availability

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/utah-jazz/nba-rumors-jazz-already-talking-fellow-lottery-team-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Jazz already talking with fellow lottery team on trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Utah-Jazz-CEO-Danny-Ainge-looks-on-.jpg"><figcaption>© Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Jazz already talking with fellow lottery team on trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-04T14:55:49-07:00">June 4th, 2:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-04T14:57:03-07:00">June 4th, 2:57pm</time><address><a>Jake Faigus</a>Jake Faigus graduated from the University of Arizona in 2022 and has written for several publications and websites. He has had stops at Catena Media, Playmaker, DraftKings, USA Today, Spike Up, and Spotlight Sports Group. He also writes for Sporting News and works at iHeartMedia in Phoenix when he is not writing for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Utah Jazz blew up their core of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell in 2022 and have been in limbo as an organization ever since, trying to rebuild and gather as many picks as possible. The 2025 NBA Draft is no different for the Jazz, with Utah sitting at the fifth pick in a draft with talent, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-draft-big-board-3-0-rising-stars-top-10">not many potential stars outside of Cooper Flagg</a>.</p><p>The Jazz have flexibility because of their current roster and future asset collection. That flexibility has also allowed Utah to take the lead in talking to other teams about potential trade options in the draft. According to <i>The Athletic</i>, at least one team in the lottery <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6399102/2025/06/03/whats-next-for-jazz-after-hiring-austin-ainge-as-president-of-basketball-operations/">has already engaged</a> the Jazz in potential trade discussions.</p><p>It seems like the Jazz will try to win this season in one way or another. That could be with an experienced or young team full of talent.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-utah-hires-danny-ainge-celtics-lead-front-office">Austin Ainge, Danny Ainge’s son, was recently hired</a> as the president of basketball operations for the Utah Jazz. When asked about the team’s tanking, Ainge laid it out plainly.</p><p>“You won’t see that this year,” Ainge said via SI.</p><p>The Jazz only won 17 games last season to improve their odds of landing Cooper Flagg. Now that they did not land the top pick, everything seems to be on the table.</p><p>The Jazz aren’t known for landing big fish in free agency, but given the number of assets they have available in picks, could they make a move for an All-Star?</p><p>The draft is the top priority before they decide on what to do. The Jazz are working out several players in the first round, both players who could be available with their fifth-overall and 21st-overall picks. They have all the options ready, and they seem prepared for anything.</p><p>The Jazz can follow the blueprint some smaller-market teams have followed, most notably the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers formulas. Those two teams are not in flashy markets, yet both are in the NBA Finals, preparing for a championship showdown.</p><p>The Jazz have even more relevant history than either of those two franchises, and it would be a smart bet not to count them out based on what they have available to use in their tool chest.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Jazz already talking with fellow lottery team on trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-trade-proposal-for-austin-reaves-offseason-amid-lakers-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jazz trade proposal for Austin Reaves in offseason amid Lakers rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/743156262-jazz-trade-proposal-for-austin-reaves-in-offseason-amid-lakers-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>Jazz trade proposal for Austin Reaves in offseason amid Lakers rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-21T12:28:32-07:00">May 21st, 12:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-21T12:28:32-07:00">May 21st, 12:28pm</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Austin Reaves broke out in a big way this season. The undrafted guard averaged 20.2 points per game, and he was even more productive when he didn’t have to share the floor with LeBron James and/or Luka Doncic. The latter of those two stars was, of course, traded for in one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/the-most-shocking-nba-trades-ever-ranked">most surprising NBA deals ever</a>. While Reaves showed some star potential, his fit alongside Doncic was questionable, regardless of how much <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-trade-grade-luka-doncic-deal">Los Angeles fleeced the Dallas Mavericks</a> in that move.</p><p>Both Doncic and Reaves are ball-dominant guards with defensive limitations. This offseason, the Lakers desperately need to pursue a center, and they might have to trade Reaves away to get one. The Utah Jazz are a team that the Lakers should consider doing business with.</p><h2><b>Jazz trade proposal for Austin Reaves</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/743156283-austin-reaves-jazz.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><b>Jazz receive:</b> Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, 2031 first-round pick</p><p><b>Lakers receive:</b> Walker Kessler, Jordan Clarkson, Keyonte George, two second-round picks</p><p>The Lakers’ need for a center is well documented. In the playoffs, JJ Redick was forced to play Jaxson Hayes and forwards such as Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and James at the pivot spot. While Walker Kessler improved and started to establish himself as a part of the Jazz’s core in his third season, he has often been <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/jazz/news/utah-jazz-insider-shuts-down-lakers-walker-kessler-hopes" rel="noopener">brought up</a> in trade rumors in the past.</p><p>If the Jazz were willing to trade him, he’d be the exact type of big man who would thrive on a James/Doncic-led team. Kessler doesn’t have an advanced offensive game, but he can crash the glass and finish plays inside. He is also an elite rim protector on the defensive end. James and Doncic demand so much attention and are so elite when it comes to playmaking that they need a center who they can pass the ball to down low off of their drives.</p><p>This deal lands the Lakers a lot more than just a center, though. The team also nets Jordan Clarkson and Keyonte George in this deal. Clarkson is a perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate. He is a spark plug scorer who can get hot off the bench. George has shown promise in his first two seasons, but the Utah backcourt is getting crowded after the emergence of Isaiah Collier and with Collin Sexton still on the roster.</p><p>Reaves is one of the best third options in the NBA, and he flashed star potential in his fourth season, so trading him wouldn’t be easy for the Lakers. The team adds both their needed center and even more depth in this deal, though, so they’d have to consider taking it as they try and pursue one more championship before James retires.</p><h2><b>Why could the Jazz trade for Austin Reaves?</b></h2><p>The Western Conference is stacked, and all of the best teams have multiple stars. In the Western Conference Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the likely MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and two more All-Star caliber teammates in Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. The Minnesota Timberwolves, meanwhile, have one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-top-100-player-rankings-2024-25-season">best players in the league</a> in Anthony Edwards. He is joined by a number of other solid players, but most notably, Julius Randle has played in the All-Star game before, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-news-rudy-goberts-immediate-reaction-historic-defensive-player-of-the-year-win">Rudy Gobert is a four-time Defensive Player of the Year.</a></p><p>The Denver Nuggets have Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray; the Golden State Warriors have Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler; and the Los Angeles Clippers have James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. Even an up-and-coming team like the San Antonio Spurs has multiple stars, as Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox should make waves as a duo next season. The point is clear that, while depth is important, the NBA is still a star-driven league.</p><p>Lauri Markkanen has All-Star experience, but the Jazz need another elite player, especially because Markkanen had a down year. Considering Reaves scored 20.2 points on a team with other ball-dominant players, he could become a legitimate star for a team like the Jazz. On top of Reaves, the Jazz might be able to squeeze a future first-round pick out of the Lakers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jazz trade proposal for Austin Reaves in offseason amid Lakers rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-rumors-kevin-durant-lauri-markkanen-linked-paul-george-trade');   ga('set', 'title', '76ers rumors: Kevin Durant, Lauri Markkanen linked to Paul George trade packages');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Kevin-Durant_f10506.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>76ers rumors: Kevin Durant, Lauri Markkanen linked to Paul George trade packages</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-19T07:56:52-07:00">May 19th, 7:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-19T07:56:52-07:00">May 19th, 7:56am</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia 76ers were rewarded for one of the worst and unluckiest seasons imaginable with the No. 3 overall pick in the NBA Draft when the lottery concluded. While the ping pong balls weren’t quite kind enough to land Cooper Flagg, they did give Daryl Morey a top-tier asset to work with this offseason.</p><p>Philadelphia surely has no plans of going into a rebuild. With Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain returning from injury next season, this squad is likely just a move or two away from being a contender in the Eastern Conference when healthy. As a result, Morey and the rest of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/76ers-news-daryl-morey-seems-end-speculation-plan-no-3-pick">76ers’ front office could look to move that pick</a> along with Paul George to upgrade the roster.</p><p>The 76ers will be looking at stars on the trade market, even though it’s unclear which ones may be available this offseason. However, Kevin Durant and Lauri Markkanen are two players that Philly <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45179882/2025-nba-mock-draft-projecting-all-59-picks-post-combine-cooper-flagg-dallas-mavericks" rel="noopener">could be targeting</a>, according to Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN.</p><p>“Some teams expect the Sixers to be active in trade conversations, with names such as Kevin Durant (Phoenix) and Lauri Markkanen (Utah) as potential targets in packages that could include Paul George and the No. 3 pick,” Givony and Woo wrote. “Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has made a career of being active and aggressive on the trade front, but historically, it’s rare to see a top-three pick being traded.”</p><p>Any trade involving the third pick would be a big risk for the 76ers to take, as it would be a bet on a roster that has not been able to stay healthy in recent years. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/76ers-news-paul-george-drops-scrambling-admission-joel-embiids-unavailability">Embiid specifically has seen the injury concerns</a> ratchet up over the last couple of seasons, so mortgaging the future to support this current version of the team is a big gamble.</p><p>On the other hand, adding another star such as Durant or Markkanen to a roster that already includes Embiid and a pair of promising young guards could easily make the 76ers into a contender in an Eastern Conference that will be in flux during the 2025-26 season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

76ers rumors: Kevin Durant, Lauri Markkanen linked to Paul George trade packages

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-rumors-lauri-markkanen-trade-interest-again-theres-catch');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jazz rumors: Lauri Markkanen to draw trade interest again, but there’s a catch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Lauri-Markkanen.jpg"><figcaption>Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jazz rumors: Lauri Markkanen to draw trade interest again, but there’s a catch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-13T14:24:54-07:00">May 13th, 2:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-13T14:24:54-07:00">May 13th, 2:24pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/jazz-news-jazz-dreaming-of-cooper-flagg-after-locking-down-top-spot-in-2025-nba-draft-lottery">Utah Jazz were one of the worst teams</a> in the NBA this season as Will Hardy tried to get his young guys plenty of game experience down the back half of the season. The bet was that the Jazz would be picking high in the NBA Draft as a result of their struggles, but that isn’t necessarily the case.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/jazz-news-dwayne-wade-sends-reminder-after-utah-heartbreaking-lottery-fall">ping pong balls were not kind to the Jazz</a> at all, and now Utah will be picking No. 5 overall despite having the worst record in the NBA in 2024-25 at 17-65. While that is still a good pick in a very good draft class, it is far from the haul that is Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper at the very top.</p><p>Now, the Jazz enter another offseason wondering what to do with their roster, especially star forward Lauri Markkanen. The former Cleveland Cavaliers standout has been the subject of trade rumors for years now, but his value is lower now after a contract extension, some injuries and a down season overall.</p><p>Still, if the Jazz want to move completely toward their young core with whoever they add at No. 5 this summer, they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-mock-draft-1-0-who-goes-no-2-after-mavericks-cooper-flagg">could still look to move off of Markkanen</a> and other teams will be interested, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints</p><p>“Rival teams are expected to once again inquire about Lauri Markkanen, but his trade value has decreased significantly after signing an extension last summer,” Siegel wrote. “The massive haul Utah could have received for Markkanen last summer isn’t expected to be available this time around.”</p><p>While Markkanen’s production may not look like what it did a year or two ago, his skillset would still fit right in with what a contending team would want at the forward spot. The Arizona product is an elite shooter and has some shot creation chops off the bounce, which he has gotten a chance to refine over the last few years on a bad Jazz team.</p><p>Markkanen isn’t elite on defense, but he can slide his feet and has very good positional size, which should make him an asset for any team at the very least. Especially now that the price in a possible trade for him has gone down, expect a lot of very good teams to be calling Utah about its franchise player in the coming months.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jazz rumors: Lauri Markkanen to draw trade interest again, but there’s a catch

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/nba-rumors-what-desmond-bane-santi-aldama-said-during-heated-exchange');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: What Desmond Bane, Santi Aldama said during recent heated exchange');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/What-Desmond-Bane-Santi-Aldama-said-during-recent-heated-exchange.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: What Desmond Bane, Santi Aldama said during recent heated exchange</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-29T13:02:26-07:00">March 29th, 1:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-29T15:28:29-07:00">March 29th, 3:28pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Memphis Grizzlies’ turbulent week extended beyond the sidelines as details emerged surrounding a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-desmond-bane-shoves-santi-aldama-bench-heated-moment-jazz">heated exchange between teammates Desmond Bane and Santi Aldama</a> during the team’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-weathered-storm-amid-late-season-swoon-ja-morant-jaren-jackson-jr-desmond-bane">140-103 blowout win over the Utah Jazz</a> on Tuesday.</p><p>The incident, which took place during a timeout, was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6239543/2025/03/28/why-did-taylor-jenkins-get-fired-grizzlies/" rel="noopener">brought to light</a> in a recent report by The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Fred Katz, and Joe Vardon. According to a league source who witnessed the interaction first hand, the altercation stemmed from a disagreement over defensive effort.</p><p>Bane, visibly frustrated, confronted Aldama during the huddle.</p><p>“Are you gonna f—ing guard anybody?” he shouted.</p><p>Aldama quickly responded, “F— you,” prompting Bane to escalate the confrontation by shoving Aldama toward the bench and shouting back, “No, f— you. Play harder.”</p><p>The exchange did not appear to impact the Grizzlies’ performance on the court. Memphis cruised to a dominant 37-point victory, with Bane leading the way. The fifth-year guard finished with 21 points, six assists, four rebounds, one steal, and one block while shooting 8-of-16 from the field.</p><h2><b>Desmond Bane, Santi Aldama exchange underscores Grizzlies’ internal strain</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Santi-Aldama-7-forward-Jaren-Jackson-Jr.-13-guard-Ja-Morant-12-guard-Desmond-Bane-22-and-forward-Jaylen-Wells-0-huddle.jpg"><figcaption>© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Tensions have reportedly been building within the Grizzlies’ locker room, culminating in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-gm-breaks-silence-on-shocking-taylor-jenkins-firing">Friday’s decision to dismiss head coach Taylor Jenkins</a>. Jenkins, who had served in the role since 2019, led Memphis to the playoffs in three separate seasons and became the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-kendrick-perkins-gets-real-on-memphis-taylor-jenkins-firing">franchise’s all-time wins leader</a> earlier this year.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/nba-rumors-ja-morant-hates-grizzlies-offense-under-new-hc-tuomas-iisalo">organization appointed Tuomas Iisalo as interim head coach</a> as the Grizzlies prepare for the final stretch of the regular season.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/is-ja-morant-playing-tonight-grizzlies-vs-lakers-injury-report">Memphis enters the weekend with a 44-29 record, tied with the Los Angeles Lakers</a> for the fourth seed in the Western Conference. The two teams are set to face off Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. ET in a game with significant postseason implications.</p><p>While internal disputes such as the one involving Bane and Aldama are not uncommon in high-pressure environments, the timing of the confrontation underscores the volatility surrounding the franchise in recent days. With the coaching change and playoff positioning on the line, the Grizzlies are looking to stabilize both on and off the court.</p><p>Aldama, 24, is in his fourth NBA season and has emerged as a key rotation piece. He is averaging 12.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 48.5% from the field and 37.1% from three-point range across 57 appearances, including 16 starts.</p><p>Bane, 26, remains one of Memphis’ most reliable contributors and vocal leaders. Through 61 games this season, he is averaging 18.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 48.1% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the arc.</p><p>With nine games remaining, Memphis will look to regroup and finish the regular season strong under Iisalo’s guidance. Internal unity will likely be a critical factor as the team navigates a competitive Western Conference field.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: What Desmond Bane, Santi Aldama said during recent heated exchange

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/utah-jazz/nba-rumors-lauri-markkanen-future-jazz');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Lauri Markkanen’s future with Jazz uncertain due to failed ‘understanding’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/IMG_1363.jpeg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Lauri Markkanen’s future with Jazz uncertain due to failed ‘understanding’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-14T14:23:01-07:00">March 14th, 2:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-14T14:45:21-07:00">March 14th, 2:45pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>This past offseason, one of the names that seemingly drew some of the biggest <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-rumors-lauri-markkanen-trade-suitors-hit-with-harsh-jazz-reality">trade interest was Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen</a>. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/jazz-news-lauri-markkanen-instant-reaction-238-million-contract-extension">Jazz and Markkanen were able to come to an agreement</a> on a contract extension, but even so, his future with the team may not be all that clear.</p><p>When Lauri Markkanen signed his contract extension with the Jazz, he seemingly affirmed his commitment to Utah’s future by waiting to sign until he wasn’t able to be traded during the 2024-25 season. But agreeing to the contract extension was reportedly <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/44236522/nba-intel-how-7-draft-lottery-teams-jumpstart-their-rebuilds" rel="noopener">with the understanding</a> that the Jazz were going to be a competitive team, as per Brian Windhorst of ESPN.</p><p>With the Jazz in line for another high lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, their path toward relevancy isn’t as clear as it might have been before. Markkanen is trade eligible after the season ends.</p><p>It’s important to note that this is pretty much speculation and there aren’t any concrete signs that either Markkanen or the Jazz would shift towards a change. But even so, there’s bound to be no shortage of trade suitors as there was last offseason.</p><p>Markkanen is entering the prime of his career. He was an All-Star his first season with the Jazz in 2022-23, the same year he won the league’s Most Improved Player Award.</p><p>This year, he’s appeared in 44 games, at just about 32 minutes per game. He’s been averaging 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists with splits of 42.4 percent shooting from the field, 34.7 percent shooting from the three-point line and 87.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-utah-fined-violating-player-participation-policy-lauri-markkanen">Jazz were recently fined by the NBA for failing to make Markkanen available</a> for their recent game against the Washington Wizards.</p><p>As it stands, the Jazz currently hold the worst record in the Western Conference standings at 15-58. The only team with a worse record than them is the Washington Wizards at 14-51. The Jazz are on a seven-game losing streak, the longest active streak in the league.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Lauri Markkanen’s future with Jazz uncertain due to failed ‘understanding’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/utah-jazz/nba-rumors-knicks-lakers-tried-failed-convince-jazz-trade-walker-kessler');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Knicks, Lakers tried, failed to convince Jazz to trade Walker Kessler');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Knicks-Lakers-tried-failed-to-convince-Jazz-to-trade-Walker-Kessler.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Knicks, Lakers tried, failed to convince Jazz to trade Walker Kessler</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-03T12:02:33-08:00">March 3rd, 12:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-03T12:02:33-08:00">March 3rd, 12:02pm</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/bingeable">Sonny Giuliano</a>Sonny Giuliano is an experienced sports writer for ClutchPoints who has been covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and NCAA Basketball for well over a decade. Originally from the small town of Elba, New York, Sonny received his degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Casual fans of the NBA may not be in tune with what’s going on with the Utah Jazz — pun very much intended — but even as Utah stumbles to what will be their third consecutive losing season, the rest of the league is keenly aware of what’s happening in Salt Lake City. As Utah undergoes something of a youth movement, veterans such as Lauri Markkanen, Colin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-rumors-john-collins-becoming-prime-jazz-trade-candidate">John Collins will all receive trade interest this summer</a>. And despite his fit with Utah’s youth movement timeline, teams will continue to call about center Walker Kessler.</p><p>Kessler is averaging 11.4 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in his third NBA season. He’s also the league leader in field goal percentage, shooting nearly 73 percent from the field this year. And when you’re just 23 years old and playing on a cheap contract for the next season and a half, it’s reasonable that contending teams around the league would be inclined to make <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/nearly-a-month-removed-from-the-nba?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=158244571&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">calls about his availability</a>.</p><p>“League sources say that the Knicks were right there with the Lakers in their determination before the trade deadline to try to convince Utah to engage in meaningful Walker Kessler trade talks,” NBA insider Marc Stein wrote in his weekly Stein Line newsletter. “No dice, though. The Jazz made it clear they wanted no part of entertaining Kessler pitches in-season.”</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/knicks-news-isaiah-hartenstein-posts-heartfelt-goodbye-new-york">Knicks lost Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency</a>, and have spent the majority of the season with Karl-Anthony Towns and Precious Achiuwa as the only two bigs in Tom Thibodeau’s rotation. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/knicks-news-mitchell-robinson-welcome-ny-return">The return of Mitchell Robinson</a>, who missed the first 58 games of the season while recovering from offseason ankle surgery, will likely change that, though Kessler would’ve been a much safer bet to give Thibs good minutes than Robinson would’ve.</p><p>As for the Lakers, Los Angeles pivoted from Kessler to Charlotte’s Mark Williams, agreeing to send out rookie wing Dalton Knecht in exchange for the 23-year-old center, but to the surprise of everyone involved, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/hornets-news-mark-williams-questions-failed-physical-killed-lakers-trade">the deal was rescinded after Williams failed his physical with the Lakers</a>. Now the Lakers are in a position where they’ll need to move forward with Jaxson Hayes and small-ball lineups that feature the likes of Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, or potentially even LeBron James as the biggest player on the floor. Whether LA can craft a good enough defense playing without a traditional rim-protecting big remains to be seen.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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