Jazz general manager Justin Zanik said he looked at many possibilities ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, but ultimately decided that trading for Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Juan Hernangomez was the best move for Utah, writes Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. Zanik still believes Utah can compete for a title this season, when healthy and connected.
“I feel really confident in the amount of information we knew about the market and what was going on. And every opportunity that came our way, we were able to look at and understand and make really good decisions from where we stand as a team,” Zanik told reporters. “We’re a very competitive team. When we’re healthy, when we’re connected, we have a chance to contend for a title. … I’m excited about this group. We want to make a bet on this group. We have proof of concept with this group.”
Alexander-Walker has been very inconsistent to this point in his career, but has flashed upside at times as a versatile shot-creator. As a third-year former first-round pick, he’s eligible for a rookie-scale extension this summer. If the sides can’t come to an agreement, he’ll become a restricted free agent in 2023, if Utah tenders him a qualifying offer. The possibility of team control on a young player appealed to the club, Zanik said.
“We look at those opportunities whatever our timeline, in terms of the competitiveness of our team, whether we’re a young, rebuilding team, or a playoff-competitive team, or we’re trying to be a championship-contending team,” Zanik said. “It’s not just, ‘What are we doing for the next four months? What are we doing for the next year?’ Nickeil has a chance to be here on a multiyear timeline, and you always have to have a chance to add some of those guys.”
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