Utah Jazz trade rumors include ‘testing the market’ for Derrick Favors, according to report

The Utah Jazz have “tested the market” for power forward Derrick Favors over the last several weeks, reports ESPN’s Zach Lowe. His availability could shake up the NBA trade deadline after one of the league’s biggest fish, DeMarcus Cousins, was dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.

Favors, 25, is one of the Jazz’s most important players, but Lowe reports that the Jazz trying to plan to ensure that Gordon Hayward can sign a contract extension this year. By trading Favors, who has a $12 million salary for the 2017-18 season before becoming a free agent, the Jazz would free up extra flexibility to avoid any problems with Hayward.

Lowe says it’s “unclear” how serious the Jazz are about moving Favors now, and it’s possible they’re just trying to lay the groundwork for a trade around the draft in June. Utah could potentially get a better return then, when teams might be more comfortable pulling the trigger on a major deal.

Losing Favors now would also be a blow to the Jazz. His numbers are down across the board compared to a year ago, but he’s still averaging 9.2 points and 6.1 rebounds in 40 games, including 32 starts, this season. That’s production the team would need to replace while looking to make its first playoff appearance since 2012 and convince Hayward to stay.

The Jazz have one of the league’s top young players in Hayward, and cannot afford to let him walk as a free agent. He’s got a player option for 2017-18, and could potentially sign a designated player extension starting in 2018-19 if he improbably makes an All-NBA team this year, but no matter what, he’s gonna be paid.

Rudy Gobert is already set to get a massive raise from $2.1 million to $21.4 million next season, Joe Johnson and Alec Burks are set to make more than $10 million, and starting point guard George Hill is a free agent this summer, too. If the Jazz want to retain Hill and lock up Hayward, moving Favors is probably their best chance at maintaining flexibility.

Favors is also the most replaceable big-money player from the Jazz’s current core. He only plays 10-12 minutes per game next to Gobert, and his numbers have taken a dip since coming back from a knee injury. If Utah management wants to clear salary in order to have more breathing room in the summer, trading Favors soon is the most obvious way to do it.

The Jazz are currently fifth in the Western Conference with a 35-22 record, just a half-game behind the Clippers for the fourth seed. Homecourt advantage for the first round of the playoffs is firmly within reach, and that’s something the franchise should want after years of building to this point.

Favors may be expensive and expendable, but he’s still an effective, 25-year-old big man with upside. The Jazz would need to turn to Trey Lyles and Boris Diaw as his replacements, and that’s not exactly a one-two punch that screams, “We can match up against Blake Griffin in the postseason.”

Maybe the Jazz could trade him in a deal that brings back a piece or two capable of helping the team now, but it would be hard to move Favors without hurting the team’s playoff run aspirations. Even with a championship out of reach this year, the franchise would probably love to win a playoff series or two to gain experience for the players and rile up the fans.

Favors could be on the move, but the odds are against a deal getting done prior to the trade deadline. It might be more likely that a deal would happen around the 2017 NBA Draft, which would allow the Jazz to have Favors for the playoff run before trying to recoup value for him. That seems like the most logical outcome if Utah is resigned to moving Favors before next season.

Probability a trade gets done: 3/10