5 more blockbuster trades to help the Jazz after the Jaren Jackson Jr. deal

The Utah Jazz are officially done rebuilding.

According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the Jazz plan "to build a dynamic frontcourt around Jackson, Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler" moving forward. Throw in third-year guard Keyonte George, who's been playing at an All-Star-caliber level this year, and rookie forward Ace Bailey, and the Jazz might be cooking with gas soon enough.

But what if they aren't done yet? 

The Jazz are about to become prohibitively expensive once Kessler and George are off their rookie-scale contracts. It's fair to question how sustainable the Jackson-Markkanen-Kessler-George core will be long-term. But what if that isn't the plan after all?

With the help of Spotrac's trusty trade machine, we've cooked up five more blockbuster trade ideas that the Jazz could swing between now and Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

Michael Porter Jr.

Utah Jazz acquire: Michael Porter Jr.

Brooklyn Nets acquire: Jusuf Nurkić, Ace Bailey, Svi Mykhailiuk

In mid-January, one source told John Hollinger of The Athletic that Michael Porter Jr. was "a lock to move by the deadline so the Nets can sell high on his career year." Although longtime NBA insider Marc Stein and ESPN's Brian Windhorst have since poured cold water on his availability, the Jazz could make the Nets think twice about that.

The Jazz have plenty of picks that they can offer Brooklyn, including the best of their own, Cleveland or Minnesota's first-rounders in 2029. But the rebuilding Nets might prefer a blue-chip prospect instead.

Since the Jazz already shipped out Kyle Anderson and Georges Niang, they're now light on salary-matching chips. Jusuf Nurkić's $19.4 million expiring contract would basically have to be included in any trade for a star unless the Jazz are willing to move Markkanen ($46.4 million). 

To get up to Porter's salary, the Jazz would also have to include Bailey, which would be a tough pill to swallow. The No. 5 pick from this past year's draft hasn't hit the ground running like classmates Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel or VJ Edgecombe, but he's shown flashes of the scoring upside that made him such a highly coveted prospect.

If the Jazz are looking to accelerate their rebuild, they might not have the time or patience to usher along Bailey's development. Porter, who's averaging a career-high 25.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.8 made threes and 3.2 assists per game in Brooklyn this year, is far more ready to contribute to a win-now squad.

If the Jazz trotted out a supersized starting lineup with George, Porter, Markkanen, JJJ and Kessler next season, they should be right back in the playoff mix.

Jaden McDaniels

Utah Jazz acquire: Jaden McDaniels

Minnesota Timberwolves acquire: Jonathan Kuminga, Ace Bailey, best of UTA/CLE/MIN 2029 1st

Golden State Warriors acquire: Jusuf Nurkić

The Minnesota Timberwolves likely have no interest in moving Jaden McDaniels unless they're landing a superstar in return. But what if their best available package isn't enough to land them that superstar?

The Timberwolves are reportedly in hot pursuit of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, and they're "recruiting third and fourth teams to try to improve their offer," according to Windhorst. The Bucks want "blue-chip young talent and/or a surplus of draft picks," according to ESPN's Shams Charania, neither of which the T-Wolves can offer at the moment.

What if the Jazz could give them the blue-chip young talent who could help land them Antetokounmpo? Giving up Bailey and a first-round pick for McDaniels might seem like a steep cost, but McDaniels would fit like a glove in Utah.

McDaniels has long been one of the NBA's more impactful wing defenders, which is a hole the Jazz desperately need to fill to get back into title contention. The 25-year-old has also taken a step forward offensively this season, as he's averaging a career-high 15.2 points per game while shooting a career-best 51.9 percent overall and 45.6 percent from deep.

Giving up on Bailey's upside this quickly might be a tough pill for Utah to swallow, but a five-man core of George, McDaniels, Markkanen, JJJ and Kessler could do serious damage in the West starting next year.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Utah Jazz acquire: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks acquire: Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, best of UTA/CLE/MIN 2029 1st

What if the Jazz bypass the Timberwolves entirely and jump into the Giannis fray themselves?

To be clear: This is highly unlikely. Antetokounmpo can become a free agent in 2027, so the Jazz would presumably need assurance that he'd stick around long-term before they considered giving up Markkanen, Kessler and a first-round pick for him. 

However, the Jazz could blow most packages from the Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat or New York Knicks out of the water. 

This framework falls apart if the Jazz aren't willing to include Markkanen. They need to throw him in for salary-matching purposes. But since the Bucks would be getting an All-Star-caliber forward in return, that should reduce how much else they're able to demand. 

Getting a high-upside young center in Kessler and a distant first-round pick is still better than most teams can offer at the moment. The Bucks could always re-route Markkanen for additional assets, too.

Given the ages of George and the rest of their young players, the Jazz would be better off targeting stars who aren't on the wrong side of 30. But if they want to splash in the Giannis pool, they could quickly vault to the front of the line depending on how much they're willing to offer.

Mikal Bridges or OG Anunoby

Utah Jazz acquire: Mikal Bridges or OG Anunoby

New York Knicks acquire: Jusuf Nurkić, Ace Bailey, best of 2029 UTA/CLE/MIN 1st 

The Knicks are another team that's reportedly interested in Giannis but can't put together a super compelling trade package for him without another team's help. Enter Utah.

The Jazz should have interest in taking on either Mikal Bridges or OG Anunoby, neither of whom would make as much sense on a rebuilding Bucks squad. The Knicks could redirect the assets that Utah sent for either player directly to Milwaukee for the Greek Freak.

Bridges just signed a four-year, $150 million extension this past offseason that takes effect next season, while Anunoby is under guaranteed contract through 2027-28 and has a $48.4 million player option in 2028-29. Since Bridges is under contract for longer and is earning roughly $10 million less than Anunoby in each of the next three seasons, he figures to have the higher trade value of the two.

The Jazz may be reluctant to give up Bailey, who has star upside, for Bridges or Anunoby, who are more complementary starters than future superstars. But between their three-point shooting and defensive acumen, either one would fill a ton of gaps for Utah.

The Knicks wouldn't need Nurkić unless they're offloading Karl-Anthony Towns or Mitchell Robinson elsewhere, but they could try to flip him for additional compensation as well. They presumably won't break apart their roster unless it's for a superstar, but the Jazz could help them lure Antetokounmpo or someone else of his ilk with their collection of picks and/or prospects.

Jalen Suggs

Utah Jazz acquire: Jalen Suggs

Orlando Magic acquire: Jonathan Kuminga, Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, best of UTA/CLE/MIN 2029 1st

Golden State Warriors acquire: Jusuf Nurkić

Franz Wagner likely would have been Utah's dream target from Orlando, but the JJJ deal negates the need for another power forward. Instead, they could turn their attention to a backcourt option who shouldn't be quite as expensive.

Injuries limited Jalen Suggs to only 35 games last year, and he's already missed 20 this season as well. When healthy, he's a genuinely disruptive defender, but his mediocre three-point shooting makes him a questionable long-term fit alongside Wagner and Paolo Banchero.

Adding Suggs alongside George would give Utah a standout point-of-attack defender. The Jazz have by far the league's worst defense this season, but Suggs and Kessler would help fix that next year.

Nurkić would have to be included in the outgoing package for salary-matching reasons, but the Magic don't need another center. They already have Wendell Carter Jr. and Goga Bitadze signed through at least next season, while Moe Wagner is on an expiring contract. Perhaps the Magic and Jazz could loop in the Warriors, who would reroute Kuminga to Orlando for Nurkić?

The Jazz might have to include Collier to replenish Orlando's backcourt following Suggs' departure, but that should drive down how much else they'd need to offer. Kuminga, Cody Williams, Collier and one first-round pick is solid value for Suggs, particularly since Orlando would be gaining some much-needed long-term financial flexibility from this framework.

More NBA news and analysis: