Does Mike Conley Have a Future With the Utah Jazz?

Mike Conley’s days as a member of the Utah Jazz are growing short. With trade rumors heating up around Donovan Mitchell, the face of the franchise, and the recent trade of star center Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves, it is almost definite that the Jazz are heading towards a rebuild. It is unlikely Mike Conley, 35, will stay with the franchise through a rebuild, with his career coming to an end. It is mutually beneficial for the organization and Conley to find a trade partner since Conley will look to play for a playoff team, and the Jazz will want to receive as many assets as possible for their rebuild.

Utah Jazz: Where will Mike Conley end up in 2023?

Conley is coming off a season where he started and played in 72 games, averaging over 28 minutes a game, scoring 13.7 points, and dishing out 5.3 assists per game, all while shooting almost 41% from three. Conley will be able to have a meaningful impact on a team contending for the NBA title.

Before the 2021 season, Conley signed a 3-year $68 million contract. His cap hit next season is $22.68 million, and the year following it will be even higher at $24.36 million. Most contenders do not have the salary cap space to bring in a player like Conley without giving up essential assets, something they are not willing to do, which creates a market for Conley that is not as big as Utah is hoping.

Danny Ainge, the new CEO of the organization, will seek young players who can play a role in the rebuild and/or a first-round pick in return for Conley, a price many teams will not be willing to pay, shrinking Conley’s market even further. There is a good chance that Conley is on the Utah Jazz to begin the 2022 season, but as the trade deadline approaches and teams are dealing with injuries or looking for that player to take them to the next level, teams will be more willing to give up draft capital for Conley.

Given other teams’ expectations for 2022 and their current cap situation, I have come up with a few potential landing spots for Conley. The Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, and Dallas Mavericks are the most likely destinations, given their championship pedigree roster and trade packages that work with the salary cap rules.

Let’s examine three possible trades that could send Conley to either Miami, Phoenix, or Dallas.

The Miami Heat Package

Jazz Get

Duncan Robinson

Ömer Yurtseven or Haywood Highsmith

2024 First Round Pick

I expect Miami to be willing to give up Duncan Robinson after his lack of…