What will the Utah Jazz do at the NBA’s trade deadline? Breaking down the latest rumors and reports.

Welcome to trade deadline week.

For some NBA teams, this is their final chance to make major adjustments to their rosters before playoff time. For others, it’s a chance to build for the future.

Still unknown: where the Utah Jazz fit in. The team knows it’s far from contention, sitting in the Western Conference’s 10th seed with 30 games to play. But the NBA’s play-in tournament has given the team a chance to make the knockout rounds anyway, and this year’s NBA draft doesn’t have the kinds of prizes at the top that might incentivize a team to lose on purpose.

Future assets in the form of young players or future picks might be in the cards anyway, as the Jazz have several players that could represent an upgrade to the roster of true contenders — if they’re willing to pay the right price.

Here’s a look at the latest reports on what the Jazz might be doing ahead of Thursday’s deadline, along with my take on the situation.

Dejounte Murray

The report: Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Fischer went on Marc Stein’s podcast to talk trade deadline deals over the weekend, including a discussion on Hawks star Dejounte Murray. According to Fischer: “The only teams I’ve really heard actual offers about has been from the Lakers and from Utah.”

Andy’s take: Dejounte Murray is the third point guard with an All-Star nod to his name the Jazz have registered interest in in the last six months — Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday being the others. Murray has disappointed in his time with the Hawks: Never an above-average efficiency guy shooting the ball, Murray’s assist, rebound, steal, and block numbers have all tumbled since Atlanta traded three first-round picks for him in 2022.

How much of that is due to playing next to Trae Young? I think a lot of it. Restoring Murray to point guard status and rekindling his relationship with former Spurs assistant coach Will Hardy could get the best out of the 27-year-old. On the other hand, if this relative rut turns out to be a new level of play, it would be another long-term expensive contract for the Jazz who just acquired one of those in John Collins; Murray is owed $115 million in the four years after this one.

Murray is a good player who would immediately become Utah’s best guard, though. The Hawks are said to be looking for at least two first-round picks in return for him; if the Jazz are able to trade their less-valuable ones, Murray could finally fill that point guard void the Jazz have had since trading away Mike Conley.

Kelly Olynyk

The reports: HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto called Olynyk Utah’s top trade candidate, earning interest around the league. Action Network’s Matt Moore called him “highly sought after,” including by the Miami Heat; The Athletic’s reporters said that Houston was also keeping tabs. HoopsHype said the Knicks also had interest. ESPN’s Zach Lowe said that one executive told him that he’d be surprised if Olynyk was not moved.

Andy’s take: Kelly Olynyk is on a $12.1 million expiring contract, and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. In addition, the Jazz have obvious young players waiting in the wings to use his minutes: last year’s No. 9 pick Taylor Hendricks is playing in the G League now, and Walker Kessler could certainly use more playing time.

But Olynyk is also clearly a playoff backup — and teams rarely pay first-round picks for expiring backups. In the end, it feels as if the most likely scenario is that the Jazz take on another expiring contract in such a deal along with a couple of second-round picks for an upgrade. A team to watch not mentioned above: the Philadelphia 76ers, who could easily trade little-used and expiring Robert Covington and second-round picks to the Jazz for Olynyk.

Jordan Clarkson

The reports: HoopsHype also reported the Knicks had interest in Clarkson. “Whatever team can get Clarkson will be a game changer,” an NBA scout told HoopsHype. “I think he’s the best of the volume scorers available on the trade market.” They also reported the Jazz would be interested in acquiring Quentin Grimes in such a deal. Yahoo Sports! Jake Fischer and The Athletic also reported that Clarkson is available in trade conversations.

Andy’s take: I also have heard about a potential Clarkson deal along these lines, with the Jazz’s ask being large: expiring contract Evan Fournier, Grimes, and an unprotected first-round pick. The Knicks didn’t say yes to that, but they do have some interest in Clarkson as a bench scorer to replace Immanuel Quickley, who they lost in the recent OG Anunoby deal.

Jazz senior director of basketball intelligence Chuck Terrell could be seen having a courtside conversation with Knicks senior vice president Gersson Rosas at the matchup between the two teams last week. Knicks executives were watching as Clarkson struggled in that game. Obviously, they’ll take a larger view of Clarkson’s season than just one game, but it wasn’t a great introduction.

The Jazz’s problem in getting great value back for Clarkson is two-fold. First, any team trading for Clarkson would have to nearly match his current salary ($23.4 million) in outgoing value to the Jazz, which is typically an amount paid to difference-makers contenders would be unhappy with losing. Second, there is an abundance of scoring guards on the market; DeMar DeRozan and Spencer Dinwiddie are also reportedly available, for example.

Quick hitters

• Collin Sexton was certainly on the Jazz’s trade block at various points this summer, but Marc Stein indicated that Sexton was “more unlikely than likely” to be moved at this deadline. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said “he wouldn’t be surprised” if the Jazz sell high. I agree with both takes — I just don’t think the sell high offer the Jazz would take is there given the market.

• ESPN’s Lowe said “there’s definitely teams interested in” Simone Fontecchio, who also has an expiring deal. Fontecchio’s combination of size and shooting may keep him on the floor in playoff games. Unlike most of the Jazz’s other expiring players, though, Fontecchio is a restricted free agent this summer, meaning the Jazz will have the ability to keep him if they so choose.

• Talen Horton-Tucker is available, but there haven’t been any reports of interest. John Collins is, too, but his contract may be too large to trade except in a megadeal. That’s unlikely this deadline.

• Mikal Bridges, the Nets’ star, received interest from the Jazz, according to Moore, but the Nets are turning down even sizable offers for him.

• The Jazz reportedly had contacted Charlotte about Miles Bridges according to Yahoo!, a report that made many a Jazz fan upset given Bridges’ history of domestic violence incidents. I would be extremely surprised if such a deal happened now; Bridges also has a no-trade clause to boot.

• T.J. McConnell was a cheaper point guard option Yahoo! reported Utah had interest in but Indiana rebuffed the offer, Fischer said.

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