The NBA’s trade market is a market like any other. The value of any given player won’t be universally agreed on. Teams will overvalue their players, and if they’re not smart, they’ll undervalue them as well.
Fans of the Utah Jazz don’t need to worry about that. General manager Danny Ainge is not known for undervaluing his players. If anything, Trader Danny has a reputation for being difficult to make deals with. Leading up to this year’s deadline, we may see if he lives up to that reputation.
After all, the Jazz are one of the league’s few potential sellers. Meanwhile, it’s being reported that Kelly Olynyk has a “robust market”. Should the New Orleans Pelicans make a move for him?
The Trade Proposal
Utah Jazz receive: C Jonas Valanciunas, 2025 First-Round Pick (Lottery Protected – NOP)
New Orleans Pelicans receive: F/C Kelly Olynyk
Undervaluing players has obvious drawbacks. Taking a below-market return for a player is a cardinal sin. With that said, overvaluing your players can pose its own problems.
Look at the Toronto Raptors. They just traded O.G. Anunoby. We’re not saying that RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley weren’t a solid return. Still, if it’s true that the Raptors once declined three unprotected firsts in exchange for Anunoby, they overvalued him. In the end, they’d receive less than that for him.
So, for Jazz fans, we hope Ainge isn’t truly so difficult to deal with. If he’s overvaluing these guys, he’s likely to hang onto them until their value declines. Should the Jazz accept this return for Olynyk?
Why The Utah Jazz Do The Deal
Meanwhile, some players are a bit difficult to put a value on. Olynyk is a role player – he probably won’t net an unprotected first. Is he worth a protected one? Or, is this a player you move for a bundle of second-round picks?
Either way, the Jazz should move him for the best offer they receive. This team is out of the playoff picture, and they have a crowded frontcourt rotation. There’s no shortage of incentives for the Jazz to move on from Olynyk.
So, they should accept this offer if it’s on the table. A lottery protected first is likely the marker value for Olynyk. Taking on Valanciunas’ expiring deal won’t hurt either. Should the Pelicans give that much up for Olynyk?
Why The New Orleans Pelicans Do The Deal
It’s long been rumored that the Pelicans would like to replace Valanciunas with a defensive big. Olynyk may not fit their vision. He’s more mobile than Valanciunas – Olynyk will be an upgrade on that end. Still, he’s not necessarily a dominant rim protector.
Yet, an upgrade is an upgrade. The Pelicans would still have assets following this deal – they can land their rim protector. Once they do, Olynyk is a combo big who can play next to that player while also backing them up.
In the meantime, the Pelicans still deploy a wider range of defensive schemes with Olynyk in the middle. He also replicates Valanciunas’ floor spacing while providing more playmaking. In other words, he’s a valuable player – no matter how valuable you think he is.
