Jan 2, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) dribbles the ball while being guarded by Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum (11) during the third quarter at EnergySolutions Arena. Atlanta Hawks won the game 98-92. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Utah Jazz: NBA Draft and Lottery Odds Become the New Focus by Ryan Aston

While fans were underwhelmed when the team failed to pull off a major trade at the deadline, Utah Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey says that he agreed in principle to two potential deals.

With another Utah Jazz season officially in the books, the team held its player locker cleanout and final media sessions of the campaign on Thursday. Although much of what was said by players, coaches and management was business as usual and coachspeak, there was at least one interesting news item.

Most notably the revelation of Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey that the team had reached agreement with other teams on two proposed trades that would have netted the Jazz a veteran player to help the team get over the hump in the Western Conference playoff race.

Lindsey said the Jazz had two different trades that were agreed upon but couldn't be finalized that would've brought Utah a veteran player. — Jody Genessy (@DJJazzyJody) April 14, 2016

Lindsay’s statement on the team’s roster-building philosophy–

“We erred towards chemistry, continuity, continued development because we felt like the players and, in particular, the coaching staff showed great progress.”

On potential deals with other clubs during the season that was–

“The opportunity cost of that is was there a veteran that could’ve helped us stabilize? I think we did fairly well with Shelvin (Mack) at the trade deadline, but there were two particular deals that were actually proposed to us and we said yes to and, for whatever reason, we weren’t able to consummate that were more short-term oriented.”

Concerning the pieces involved in these ill-fated deals and the aftermath–

“I was willing to give up a first-round pick, multiple picks, a very significant salary slot, because we had built that into the equation. For whatever reason, we weren’t able to consummate. I’ve got to go through all those post-mortems and see if there was something else that we could have done that would allow us to augment the team where it needs to be augmented.”

While the team’s sole deadline deal, the swapping of a future second-round pick for soon-to-be starting point guard Shelvin Mack, looks like a stroke of genius now, it failed to ignite the masses at the time and wasn’t enough to secure a return to the postseason.

The more impatient among Jazz Nation decried it as further proof that the organization is unwilling to pull the trigger on big trades. Lindsey’s statements on locker cleanout day would indicate otherwise.

Exactly which player(s) almost ended up in Salt Lake City for the stretch run may never be known. Atlanta Hawks’ point-man and former All-Star Jeff Teague was long linked to trade talks with the Jazz in advance of the trade deadline. So too was embattled floor general Ty Lawson.

In any event, it’s an indication that the team is looking to explore every avenue to improve the roster.

With multiple future assets in the coffers and Trey Burke almost certainly having played his final game in a Jazz uniform, Lindsey will likely continue to be willing to deal on draft night, during free agency and in the years ahead as the Jazz continue to their ascension from perennial lottery team to postseason contenders.

Who do you think the Jazz were looking to acquire? Would it have been enough to get into the playoffs? Which obtainable player would have been worth a large salary and multiple draft picks? Leave a comment below or hit us up on Twitter @PurpleandBlues1.