The phone lines are busy at Utah Jazz HQ.
guard Mikal Bridges. Fischer wrote about the matter in a piece that came out just two days before the draft.
"So, what could be the next big swing on the Jazz’s radar? Brooklyn Nets swingman Mikal Bridges, according to league sources, is a player to monitor among Utah’s most aggressive aspirations. The Jazz are said to be right in the mix with Houston, holding the No. 3 pick, and New York, where three of Bridges’ college teammates currently play, among the teams that continue to check with Brooklyn about the availability of its 27-year-old swingman.
If the Jazz did attempt to acquire Bridges, they would need to be fairly confident that they could eventually re-sign him to his next contract. His current deal expires after the 2025-26 season when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. It most likely would take a max contract in order to retain his services.
Also, it wouldn't be cheap to get Bridges in a trade. Fischer mentions Clarkson and Collins as being pieces that could help facilitate an exchange, but it would take much more than that. Neither Collins nor Clarkson's contracts are considered team-friendly, and the Nets would be on the hook for the amount owed for two years. It would take considerable draft capital coming from Utah for Brooklyn to consider a deal.
If a trade did come to fruition, the Jazz would have a formidable 1-2 punch in Bridges and Lauri Markkanen. This would certainly take any aspirations of tanking the 2024-25 season to bed. However, would an upgrade with Bridges even get them out of the first round of the playoffs? This would hinge on how Utah's 2023 draft class develops. Keyonte George and/or Taylor Hendricks would need to take an enormous jump in development to make Utah a contender.
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