Does Mike Conley Trade Make Jazz 2020 NBA Title Contenders?

By Mark Strotman

Mar 14th, 2024 7:22 AM EST

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Not to be outdone by the Los Angeles Lakers, the Utah Jazz made a significant splash on the trade market by dealing for veteran point guard Mike Conley on Wednesday.

In exchange, the Grizzlies will receive Grayson Allen, Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver and two first-round picks.

It’s clear teams aren’t messing around this offseason given the championship window that has opened in the wake of Kevin Durant’s and Klay Thompson’s injuries.

The Jazz are the latest team to get aggressive, and the move makes them contenders in a wide open West. They’re currently listed as +2500 to win the 2020 NBA Finals, but those odds will certainly shrink after adding a player of Conley’s caliber.

Conley Rounds Out Utah Starting Five

Conley has spent his entire 12-year career with the Grizzlies, but he arrives in Utah on the heels of a career year. He averaged 21.1 points, 6.4 assists and 2.2 3-pointers per game while dealing with the Grizzlies’ rebuilding process.

He gives the Jazz a bona fide star at point guard after Utah rotated through guys like Ricky Rubio, George Hill, Shelvin Mack and Trey Burke the past five seasons.

Conley should be a perfect fit next to rising star Donovan Mitchell, and he’ll be an excellent complement in pick-and-roll action with Rudy Gobert, much like he was with Marc Gasol in Memphis.

Conley gives Utah a strong scoring punch for a Jazz team that ranked 14th, 16th and 12th in offensive efficiency the last three seasons despite having one of the league’s best defenses in that same span.

Conley’s no stranger to the postseason, either. Despite Memphis’ tanking the last two seasons, Conley averaged 24.7 points and 7.0 assists in the Grizzlies’ Round 1 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in 2017.

Add Joe Ingles and Derrick Favors and the Jazz have one of the most balanced starting units in the league.

Their bench takes a hit with the trade, but they’ve still got role players in Royce O’Neal, Georges Niang and Tony Bradley who all got valuable postseason experience against the Rockets last season.

Ja Morant locked in at No. 2 to Memphis

There was never any doubt that Ja Morant would be the second pick off the board. And now that the Grizzlies have traded their longtime franchise point guard, Memphis also has a need at the position.

That means Morant will go the Memphis and join Jaren Jackson Jr. as the faces of the team’s newest chapter. He’s -5000 to be the second player chosen on 888Sport.

About the Author

Mark Strotman

More About Mark

Mark is a veteran sports betting journalist who has covered the Bulls and the NBA since 2012. His work has appeared on ESPN.com, FoxSports.com, The Chicago Tribune and Yahoo Sports. He regularly provides NBA betting picks, as well as in-depth sportsbook reviews and the latest promo codes for all the major sports gambling operators, including Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel and more.

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