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SALT LAKE CITY — About 90 minutes before tip off Wednesday, Mike Conley went through his regular warmup routine. He took a few free throws and worked his way around the 3-point line, putting up shot after shot.
On the Jazz bench was Danny Ainge, his phone glued to his ear. When Ainge got up and headed back to the Jazz locker room, Conley soon followed.
Coincidence? Maybe, but a few minutes later, Conley's and the Jazz's season changed drastically.
The Jazz agreed to a massive three-team deal Wednesday night with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers — less than an hour before Utah tipped off against the Wolves.
The Jazz will send Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the Wolves, and Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt to the Los Angeles Lakers, according to multiple media reports.
In return, Utah is getting back former MVP and current Sixth Man of the Year front-runner Russell Westbrook, forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, center Damian Jones, and a top-four-protected 2027 first-round pick from the Lakers (which was the prize the Jazz were after).
The Jazz will also send out three future second-round picks to Minnesota — the lesser of the Wizards/Grizzlies in 2024, and their own picks in 2025 and 2026. The Wolves will send D'Angelo Russell to the Lakers as part of the deal.
Jazz receive:
- Russell Westbrook
- Lakers' top-four protected 2027 first-round draft pick
- Juan Toscano-Anderson
- Damian Jones
Lakers receive:
- D'Angelo Russell
- Malik Beasley
- Jarred Vanderbilt
Timberwolves receive:
- Mike Conley
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
- 2024 lesser of Washington-Memphis second round pick and 2025 and 2026 second-round picks via Utah
The trade created an interesting scene at Vivint Arena as Minnesota and Utah were preparing for tipoff. Suddenly, both teams' injury reports were updated, with all players involved in the deal being listed as "out — personal reasons." Jarred Vanderbilt left the arena, Alexander-Walker walked across the hallway to greet his soon-to-be teammates, and Beasley went down the scorers table to say his goodbyes.
The deal was a clear sign of Utah's intentions this season. Despite their feel-good and surprising season, the front office is taking the long-term approach.
The trade is far from a win-now move, and trading three rotation players away and potentially getting zero in return may just end Utah's playoff chances; it should, however, greatly increase its lottery odds. And it's a bet that the 2027 Lakers pick will be quite valuable down the road.
Conley has averaged 10.7 points and a career-high 7.7 assists as he's helped lead a young roster.
Conley was in his fourth season with the Jazz. He made an All-Star team in 2021 and played a pivotal role in Utah claiming the best record in the league that season. He re-signed with Utah in 2022 to try and help the Jazz win a championship. When that didn't happen and the Jazz went through mass changes in the offseason, he happily took over the role of mentor for a young team and a young coach.
He might not have been Utah's best player this season — that honor, obviously, goes to Lauri Markkanen — but he's arguably been the most important. He's taken Collin Sexton under his wing, and helped teach Walker Kessler how to run a pick and roll.
"He's really good at communicating with me and then taking that communication to the rest of the team when he's on the floor," Jazz coach Will Hardy said about Conley. "He's been a great leader for us this year, and has really helped us sort out our identity as a team."
Conley joked earlier in the season that if the Jazz wanted to tank, they would have to trade him.
Which begs the question: Can the Jazz keep the same identity without him? And do they even want to?
The Jazz have been (and will likely continue to be) in the center of most trade rumors — both now and in the future. They now have 15 first round picks through 2029; it's very unlikely they will make all those selections. At one point, they will turn into buyers. It just won't be this season.
Who are the players the Jazz are getting back?
Westbrook, 2017 Most Valuable Player is averaging 15.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 7.5 assists off the bench for the Lakers this season, but it's likely he'll never get to Utah. The Jazz have no use for a 34-year-old former star, especially now that they seem to be pivoting away from competing for a playoff bid, and he seems destined to be a buyout candidate.
Toscano-Anderson is a fourth-year wing that hasn't been a consistent member of the Lakers' rotation. He has played in 30 games and has averaged 2.7 points this season.
Jones, a seventh-year center, has averaged 8.0 minutes in just 22 games.
Both are unlikely to be part of Utah's long-term plans; though with the mass changes there are rotation spots open in Utah.
The Jazz also got off of Conley's contract for next season, potentially opening up as much as $60 million in cap space for this offseason. With that cap space, all those future first round picks, an All-Star on a team friendly contract, and one of the top rookies in the current class, the Jazz are well positioned for the future.
Wednesday's trade, though, hurt the present.
