Utah Jazz looking to trade Devin Harris and Paul Millsap – NBA Update
In a rather surprising trade twist, reports have surfaced that the Utah Jazz are open to trading two of the better players on the team. Paul Millsap and Devin Harris are the players in question, who until very recently, were considered
important in the club’s long term plan. However, the fast approaching NBA Draft 2011 seems to have changed the scheme of things.
Paul Millsap is a forward and stands 6-foot-8. He was a vital part of the Utah team last year and started 76 games. The player averaged a very respectable 17.3 points per game on a 53 percent shooting. Millsap was also good from
beyond the arc. However, the emergence of rookie forward Derrick Favors apparently means that the Jazz can afford to offload the productive Millsap.
Devin Harris on the other hand is even more impressive than Millsap. The point guard averaged 15.2 points per game in the 2010-2011 season. Standing 6-foot-3, the player is one of the better playmakers in the league, a fact borne
out by his 7.1 assists per game in last year and 7.6 since joining the Jazz from the New Jersey Nets.
The Jazz don’t have a great backup point guard at present and if Harris is indeed being put on the market, then Utah must be looking at picking a point guard in the draft. The Utah Jazz have the 3rd overall pick in the
2011 NBA Draft. If the rumour about Devin Harris is true then the Jazz might be looking at Brandon Knight or Kemba Walker as their pick. Knight and Walker are both point guards and had terrific seasons playing for their respective colleges last year.
Still these are just rumours at present and no names have been mentioned in terms of who the Jazz would want in return for their players. It might as well be that the Utah franchise decides to keep the players for next season.
However, since the departure of Deron Williams to the New Jersey Jets, the Salt Lake City franchise is in a rebuilding phase and moving on Devin Harris and Paul Millsap could be part of the process. Derrick Favors is already lined
up to replace Millsap and the Jazz can pick out a quality point guard in the Draft.
The Utah Jazz endured a losing season last year and missed out on the playoffs. Carlos Boozer left the team in the summer to join the Chicago Bulls and star point guard Deron Williams was traded in mid season. The team could therefore
be looking to bring in some established players at other positions and look to structure the side around them and the two youngsters - Favors and whoever they pick on Draft night.
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