NBA teams are taking stock of their rosters at this point in the summer. Some teams may already know what theirs will be for the rest of the season. Some people may want to make some changes. They might have too many or too few players in one spot.
Let’s take a look at the Utah Jazz as an example. Despite already having a surplus of players in the frontcourt, they decided to add another one this summer. Their attempt to acquire John Collins resulted in their roster being overloaded with players in the 4 and 5 positions.
On the other hand, when 2022-23 ended, the Houston Rockets didn’t have a real point guard. They had been trying out Kevin Porter Jr. in that role. They got Fred VanVleet and Amen Thompson this summer. Now, we need to find out Kevin Porter Jr.’s place on the team. They could send him to the Jazz.
The Trade Proposal
The Houston Rockets Get: Kelly Olynyk is an F. Simone Fontecchio, First-Round Pick in 2025 (CLE through UTA)
Utah Jazz Receive: G/F Kevin Porter Jr.
Still, some people don’t care about job overlap in the NBA of today. Isn’t the NBA without a place? What is the problem, exactly?
The places might or might not be the same. Skill Sets can still. For example, Walker Kessler, Lauri Markkanen, Olynyk, and John Collins could be better wing defenders. It’s hard enough for the Jazz to play any two of them at the same time. It might only be possible to play some of the three at the same time.
The league might not have a place. Still, rosters have to make sense. The Jazz are stuck in a rut. They can try out different big ball lines, but they’ll likely have to switch someone. Should they go after Kevin Porter Jr. to make their backcourt stronger?
Why The Utah Jazz Do The Deal
Kevin Porter Jr. and Collin Sexton would be back together if the Jazz made this trade. They used to play together on the Cleveland Cavaliers team. Back then, Sexton usually got more attention than Porter Jr.
In Utah, that wouldn’t be the case. Due to a serious injury, Sexton might not be the same player he was before. Since then, Porter Jr. has grown up. Even though he didn’t work as a point guard in Houston, he still has great skills. Kevin Porter Jr. is an elite passer and shooter, and he can also set up shots well and be a backup playmaker.
That is a good player. The Jazz, on the other hand, have an empty spot in their backcourt. Jordan Clarkson just finished his best season ever, but Utah is still short on guards. Should the Rockets send them a message?
Why The Houston Rockets Do The Deal
The Rockets should think about this move for a while. They have to see how well their present team works together. There are so many young, uncertain players on this team that it’s hard to say what they need.
Still, they need more players for the frontcourt than the backcourt. If Jalen Green didn’t exist, the Rockets would move Kevin Porter Jr. to the starting off-guard position. The new lottery pick has more potential than Porter Jr., so they are probably going to give him more attention. Porter Jr. feels like the odd man out now that VanVleet and Thompson are in town.
Alperen Sengun is expected to be the starting big man. His main backup will be Jock Landale. Still, neither of these two guys is a good floor spacer. Olynyk is a. Bringing him back with this team would give them a new energy that they may need, depending on how they feel about the rest of their team.
