The Utah Jazz may be winning more than anyone anticipated they would this season, but they are still in the midst of a rebuild.
They want a clean shot at Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA Draft, not the eighth seed in the playoffs.
As such, the team has little use for a 35-year-old point guard like Mike Conley Jr. who would clearly be better served on a squad trying to compete for a title.
With the NBA Trade Deadline rapidly approaching, Conley has quietly turned into one of the most sought-after names on the market.
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, two frontrunners have emerged for Conley’s services at the moment.
“The [Minnesota] Timberwolves and [Los Angeles] Clippers are expressing interest in Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr., league sources say.
“Conley, a well-respected veteran in Utah and across the league, has averaged 10.3 points, 7.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds this season. The Jazz are 5-7 without Conley this season and 18-17 with him in the lineup.”
Conley would fit nicely with both the Wolves and the Clippers, albeit in different ways.
In the case of Minnesota, D’Angelo Russell clearly desperately wants out of town. The front office is eager to oblige. Conley could provide the sort of stabilizing veteran presence for the Jazz that Patrick Beverley did last year in Russell’s stead.
Should that deal not materialize, L.A. would be a great landing spot for Conley as well. Clearly the John Wall addition hasn’t paid dividends in the way everyone hoped it would, and the Clippers need a more traditional point guard to run the show.
The photos speak for themselves. https://t.co/TLuWhEMZNO
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 17, 2023
Conley is definitely that.
One way or another, is clear that Conley likely won’t be playing Utah past the NBA Trade Deadline.
Where will he ultimately end up? Time will tell.
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Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
