With the Feb. 19 trade deadline rapidly approaching, the Phoenix Suns might want to make a trade to solidify their hopes for the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz might have to make a trade now that starting center Enes Kanter says he wants out.
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According to Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune, Kanter said he hopes to be traded by the deadline. With Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert, Trevor Booker and Kanter all on the roster, Utah certainly has had a hard time finding minutes for everybody in the frontcourt. With Kanter frustrated by a lack of minutes, the Jazz may choose to put him on the trade block.
At 22 years old, Kanter is set to be a restricted free agent this summer, so the Jazz technically don’t have to move him. If they intend to keep him, they could always make a move to clear out that frontcourt logjam or they could just keep him with the knowledge he’s unhappy.
But those kinds of scenarios rarely work out for the best and Favors and Gobert are more valuable for the Jazz moving forward. According to Grantland’s Zach Lowe, Kanter’s agents may put a little too much stock in his potential:
Kanter and Kanter's agents think he's a super-duper star MT @basketballtalk: Jazz’s Enes Kanter wants to be traded http://t.co/eOpCnlSaGS
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) February 12, 2015
The Jazz have backcourt needs and a frontcourt logjam. The Suns have frontcourt needs and a backcourt logjam.
The question pretty much begs itself: Should these two teams that are, on paper, ideally suited for a trade make a swap centered around Kanter?
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