David Locke: The Utah Jazz putting all their eggs in one proverbial basket when it comes to their…

David Locke: The Utah Jazz putting all their eggs in one proverbial basket when it comes to their…

David Lock’s weekly interview is brought to you by Murdoch Auto team David lock good morning and welcome to the show well there’s no better way than I can think of to start my Friday in Los Angeles and being with DJ and PK I bet you can think of a couple of ways well probably there’s a few things but hey hey hey generally I enjoy DJ and P we enjoy having you on because you Enlighten us on what is happening with the Utah Jazz in the NBA and obviously all of our listeners have read and heard a lot of speculation about will the Jazz move marketing and the one thing we all know for sure is well if they do Danny a is gonna back up the truck and he’s going to come back with players and picks and it’s good it’s got to look something like the Donovan Mitchell trade and the Rudy gobear trade beyond that you have any idea where this is going of all the rumors you hear do you think that’s more likely this is less likely what do you think um I think you know Danny I think you’re correct Danny’s track record is pretty clear right and and I think what’s actually most clear about is we’re we’ll think about the Jason Tate and Marquel folz trade or the Donovan trade the r TR but there’s also remember this whole span of time where he’s unwilling to trade those picks remember like he won’t trade for Jimmy Butler and doesn’t trade for Paul George so he’s been very consistent in his career of having a price for something believing that that is the price and then holding to that like that’s his signature it’s not that he’s just always making deals because there were you know he was really heavily criticized in Boston for having not made some you know not not pulled the trigger on some deals um to get players which turned out to be the Tatum and round picks um which he has now proven to be correct he seems to be proven to be correct on most of these um so yeah I think we’re in a similar there is you know the Jazz I think the feeling at least if you listen to most national commentators and this might be accurate um I think the Jazz are feel like that they probably can’t have the same season that they had each of the last two years where you know you’re 18 and 21 or 21 and 18 and then you pull the rip court and I think there’s a little feeling of that that’s not a great spot to be um and from at least the commentators I don’t know if the Jabs feel that way um and so it it’s interesting to me of whether or not we um you know whether or not we we can do that again um and if in any way that forces the jazz hand that they’ve gone big game hunting as we say a few times and haven’t gotten zingus and holiday and bridges and free agency and that therefore they just feel as though we’re still two or three players away um and then that you know that in turn means that the timelines been backed up and so there is a need to clear the deck so that you know you have all your players on the timeline I’m I’m not a timeline believer so I don’t know if I I believe that but there is that argument let me throw this out you and see what you think that they’ve had discussions TJ how often does DJ bring up the fact that he’s the one that asked the question that got the big game hunting and then the real key answer about that the reason we don’t empty the deck is because we want to be ready to run and then the even more key answer that if we get to July without having got it maybe we’ll pivot like how often does DJ bring up to he ask this question you know actually that press conference he and I we went over discussion or questions not discussions we went over questions to be asked we I think we did that on the air if I’m remember if I remember correctly DJ we talked about questions to ask ask and so when he asked those questions we’d already discussed what questions needed to be asked so I wasn’t surprised at all because we literally talked about that stuff about what questions to ask and they were like the both of us to said yeah this and this and this needs to be asked he was the one that asked them so uh you know he’s he doesn’t really brag on himself a lot I thought Jack I do think it’s one of the most so I do want to hear what you had to say PK sorry I I do think it’s one of the great press conference answers because it’s incredibly revealing in the three areas to what like when I hear people say there’s no plan no no Danny actually gave you the entire plan one answer to a question like we’re going big game honey the reason we haven’t emptied the coffers and just been terrible is we want to be able to go get a player or two and be ready to go and not have to wait three more years which I thought was really fascinating and by the way if we can’t go big game hunting then maybe we have to Pivot yeah at some point in time and if we have to Pivot what I don’t the only piece that’s unclear is if we’re pivoting are we still staying in a situation where if we can go big game hunting we’re only one we’re only one or two players away or are we really going to the bottom right right right I got you all right sorry I just you I want to give DJ love yeah we talk I could feel I could feel his Vibes that maybe he needed he needed a little boost today okay uh to me with this marketing stuff is they’ve had discussions with let’s just say three four teams and you know we know about the teams and the Jazz have said here’s the price they’ve had discussions like I believe if you’re going to go with the Warriors I got have kaminga I just happily I have to have him and then that’s the starting point if you’re not willing to include him then we don’t really have a discussion you include everybody else in their dog but I got to have him and then you can go on to OKC and the Spurs and so forth and so at this point it’s just a question of all right I’ve got my parameters for each of these teams here’s what we want and if it’s going to happen you call me back and if it takes a week or two or three we know with Mitchell it was right before the players start to get together in Salt Lake and get to work out informally in uh preparation for training camp so if he gets a call from one of these teams this is what we want and if they say yes then they call them and okay then we can begin to negotiate a deal but if not that’s where we’re at and that I think without any know any particular inside information that this is where they’re at with this what’s your response to that I think that’s probably pretty deduced pretty logically that makes sense so um yeah know I think people know they can probably then ask for one more thing again um so I think yeah that that that makes so sense can we discuss Jonathan Kinga for a second please go ahead so like I get it top 10 pick 68 225 total Powerhouse um look at Sho David you’re very muffled we can’t hear you sorry can we look at the shooting for for a second last refs like I think he takes two threes a game and makes am I better I you’re better now you’re better now okay um I think he makes two I think it takes as of three or four and makes him at 32% and was not a good shooter in the g-league when he sted David we’re losing again you’re you’re going in and out okay let me switch um please switch please do technology it’s fantastic until it’s not that’s really weird I’m literally walking back and forth on a walk and been walking the same exact spot every single time so I don’t know why you P we’re all stunned by that development I know I know well I’m stay I’m I’m stay thank you I’m staying with the I’m staying with the in-laws and they’re all still asleep so I to go and get outside and walk around yep um so uh I I I mean for us maybe we think John John is 22 years old and if you’re taking a shot at trying to find some really good players like I kind of get why we would want Jonathan kaminga kind of I mean I gota be honest not like like when PK says like oh I’d have to have Jonathan kaminga I’m like you know I might actually have to have Mo Moody um or pres or jsky not kaminga I’m not actually convinced that kaminga is the best of the three players but I certainly wouldn’t not go get Paul George for Jonathan kaminga let me tell you like I mean I’m I’m lost on this like when did he become a star and when did he actually become an NBA starter is it about that or is it about potential it’s not what they think he is today it’s what they think he could be in three years okay okay let’s let’s just be all right let’s be totally honest here for a second he might not be that in three years he’s been in the league in three he’s been right he’s been in the league three years right yeah so if Taylor Hendricks in his third year of the NBA shoots two threes a game and shoots 32% how you feeling about it not good because that would be a regression from what he’s already doing wouldn’t it yeah so like just because you play for the Warriors doesn’t mean you’re good like I feel like there’s a little bit of like a market thing going on here I always feel that a little bit with Nicks players too and sometimes Lakers players like you’re in these big markets and they get mentioned enough that everyone decides they’re super good like Jonathan ging is really talented don’t misunderstand me top 10 pick his body’s amazing his power he’s great he absolutely descriptive players that don’t make it in the NBA their overwhelming strength and power for when they’re young suddenly they’re playing guys ass strong and they’re not as good but like I’m I’m super lost on why Jonathan kaminga would be a player you wouldn’t trade for Paul George and why Jonathan kaminga would be the player we have to get if we’re trading Lowry Markin I’m if like the warriors were holding out and saying you can have paj jimsky and Moody and you get three first round picks and a pick swap but you can’t have kaminga oh come on I have to I have to okay good we’ll do it well if once they say you can’t have kaminga that raises my antenna why are they saying you can’t have kaminga I I’m lost on it I mean I think he’s a nice player but not like like if the Warriors roll out Steph Curry um uh DeAnthony Melton Andrew Wiggins Lowry marinan Draymond green buddy heeld Kyle Anderson and some big they’re really good like they’re really good more than six in the west yeah I think I put him in the top four Klay Thompson wasn’t great last year they’re not replacing he was a four in a game but so’s Lowry like Lowry’s the exact same Lowry took more catch and two threes than Klay and hit him at a higher percentage last year Lowry took the most catch and shoot threes of anyone in the NBA and is one of only four players in the NBA who took I believe four or more to make over 41% and Steph Curry Sam Hower and Malik Beasley are the others like arguably Lowry’s top five shooter in the NBA so you add Lowry they get better at that because he always has his shooting window open and there you know there was garbage going on there at times last year if he good why did Cleveland gave him up they missed and because they got Donovan and Donovan’s awesome doin’s super awesome maybe that’s my point let’s make sure that we actually give that our super awesome all the credit in the world and let’s not make guys into being awesome that aren’t right when marke was in Cleveland he wasn’t super awesome yeah well Chicago really mishandle him he was actually pretty fantastic in Cleveland if you go back and look at the last six weeks when guys got hurt and he got some opportunity and he’s been amazing for us he’s great that’s the thing Low’s great I I’m intrigued by what a is thinking because the reason that we went over the questions both on the air and off before that press conference is because a speaks so rarely and there are so many Jazz fans and he holds all their hopes and dreams in his hands and he didn’t talk much I’m curious if ever going to make a deal with the Warriors because I just don’t know that the Warriors have enough and maybe you can and maybe there’s some three-way deal to be made with the Warriors and Spurs and so maybe there’s something there but I just wonder if they’re in the poker game to raise the price of Poker for Oklahoma City because we know who really has the goods we know who’s got a roster full of young players that either are very good or look like they’re about to be very good and they’ also still got a ton of draft picks so if you’re looking to get the most they’ve got the most so really I wonder if the warrior thing is a is a trojan horse here you signed Lowry with the extension you know he’s going to be still available for the next period of time and you’ve already established what the market price is it’s an interesting thought I certainly in Pro signing Lowry to the extension because I like watching Lowry but it has nothing to do with team building um if you remember this the question in the press conference about low Markin and was met by a guy who’d been previously very expansive was met with a big old no comment not getting into that not my favorite topic thanks no thanks and next question right he did not want to go down that road because I I think there were too many options and he didn’t want to be accused of lion later and he didn’t want to tip his hand it’s just easier to yeah no we’re not talking about that right no it’s a good point um I don’t know would do it but do you think Oklahoma City would send us Jaylen Williams for Lowry marketing yes I be super interested and do you think a is asking for draft picks too yes I’m Oklahoma City I think I’m not entirely sure I don’t think Jaylen Williams is just as good as lry Markin at this point and he can handle Oklahoma City has a little lack of ball handling so I think that’s a hard trade for them but I’ll take I’ll take the Williams Brothers as our core for the future The Williams Brothers uh listening to those guys talk the rookies uh I think all three of them were asked basically what do you expect in the summer league here would they start in Salt Lake and then go down to Vegas and I think all three of them said I don’t know I’m paraphrasing and I’m doing a rough interpretation but I thought that was a good answer by all three of them I don’t know we’ll see I’ll do what they say they want me to do and go from there uh is that a good representation of what their attitude should be and their mindset I thought all three of them were fabulous um either they all have good agents good parents good upbringings Derek arduno got to them fast I don’t know what but I thought Cody Williams talked about playing hard which has been the one real criticism if you talk to Scouts about him is whether he understands how hard to play Isaiah Coler talked about passing and winning I thought it was really interesting I asked Isaiah ker how do you evaluate your your year at USC which was his chance to basically give every excuse or explanation I don’t mean it negatively about what the environment was and why he didn’t get to thrive and his answer was we should have won more I thought was pretty great and I thought the idea that Philip howski has struggled in interviews is not possible he was great so um I thought all three of them really answered questions and had been taught or understood themselves of what was important and What mattered and I think you’re right they have no idea what’s coming in summer league and they have no idea what’s coming in the NBA and I don’t expect you know I never I always gotta find a way to change my answer on this I always say you know I don’t expect much from them next year that’s not because I don’t expect much from them it’s because I have such an unbelievable respect for the 300 guys that play regularly in this league and there’s just no chance those guys are ready for that there’s the 300 players that play every night in this league are so unbelievably great and this league is so impossible and it’s a little bit of where we started the separation between those players that like yeah might be good or actually are great is super big to me and um you know I I’m excited to watch Cody and Isaiah and Kyle um I just I wouldn’t like I think they’re going be able do this or that okay well well we we’ll wait and see because I I I think the League’s really really hard and they’re going to have some developing to do it’s going to take some time I think they all have a chance to be really good we have all heard that the 23 draft was going to be great the 24 draft wasn’t as good and the 25 draft was supposed to be great I just read the 26th draft is supposed to be great I don’t have any idea if that’s true or not have you heard or read or been told or believe is a 26 draft loaded because that goes to the question of how long how far down are the Jets willing to go and how long are they willing to stay down a couple of loaded drafts might encourage you that the short-term pain is worth the long-term gain yeah there I mean I’ve heard 20 now yes I’ve heard read the same things you have I don’t have any idea I haven’t seen any players but yeah that is the new murmur right is that 2026 is just as good as 2025 I get really nervous on these things things because kind of one of the LA well obviously Victor web and two things the Victor web and Yama draft was supposed to be great last year like that was supposed to be the most amazing draft okay Victor’s great we really there’s a real chance scoot’s not Aman aour are both amazing athletes who can’t shoot so we’ll see how that plays out and that next group of kids jice Walker Anthony black some of those others still long way to go now go back to I just said a moment ago that like you know rookies are hard so like let’s not get let’s give him some time and give him some leeway the other one I go back to is the Dante exom draft like that was supposed to be the most amazing draft ever if I remember correctly it was Andrew Wiggins Jabari Parker Joel embiid Aaron Gordon and Dante exom and Marcus Smart were the top six picks and Nick stais was like seven like really like that was the draft that we were all tanking for and like whole you know like that was a That was supposed to be a Marky draft and you got Andrew Wiggins who’s a nice rotation player not an All-Star nice starter jari Parker who didn’t pan out toel embiid who’s a superstar Aaron Gordon who’s a nice starter and Dante exom who didn’t pan out or as a rotation player at this point in Sp okay that’s kind of what drafts are so I’m a little hesitant on this idea that there’s this monster draft coming and that you would build your whole life around it plus the lot odds make it really hard to live that way that’s Detroit well we can because now we know somebody in Detroit we can literally ask him Dennis Lind you look good on TV there he was sitting there watching I got it all right David well we’ll let you uh continue to Pace the neighborhood and uh enjoy the time off with family and we will talk to you again well I’d be lucky enough to see either of you at summer leak uh yeah if you’re back sure not me I’ll be in Vegas Big 12 media days overlapping yeah that 2014 draft had nicoa yic so it was an in incredible killer draft right nobody knew it right that goes to the Giannis Rudy draft right like the front the top side of the I think there’s like two other examples of this there’s the Yannis Rudy draft we all know and I think if you look back at the front side of that draft it wasn’t very good and there’s the Klay Thompson Kawhi lonard draft which is Alec Burks yep yeah like yeah that draft was great too was that Anis also yeah that one of those yeah Tristan Thomson Andis caner the top of your draft like oh wow pretty exciting oops y Tunis if you take mean long NBA careers but yeah you know and lots of TV appearances Andis and Alex is one thing clay and kawhai would have been another yeah right so I mean yeah I think it’s really hard to sit here and say that like I mean Dan’s got a pretty good track record and Justin have a pretty good track record of drafting the right guy most of the time so you know I guess if you’re in the position to draft hey there’s a real argument that things haven’t broken as they hoped and you actually have to take a step back and go to5 and 06 and hold that pick for both those years and then I think it goes become second round picks and and by that time you hope Keon is ready to go and if not you know you make adjustments and you go but it’s hard man it’s super I mean I’m sitting here in LA Lakers and Clippers are both in kind of a disaster like they got like literally someone said to me last night like with all the money in the world why can’t Steve Balmer do this better well it’s really hard right it’s really hard but they’re like the Clippers the Clippers are in a mess they have no picks and they’re this if healthy they’re the eighth best team in the west right now and the Lakers I don’t know like what are they six best team in the west and they just basically decided to redo the Kobe Bryan farewell toour with LeBron yeah ouch yeah yeah and when they they did that they missed the playoffs six years in a row so there was a torn Achilles in there too so but stuff goes wrong stuff goes wrong right yeah yeah a superhuman robo man LeBron is ever gonna have a problem it’s me now David we appreciate it as always thanks for joining us yeah see you guys David lock radio voice of the Utah Jazz join us right here on the Zone all right well he left has plenty to talk about we will get to that next DJ and PK it’s 975 the zone

David Locke joined DJ & PK for his weekly visit to talk about the Utah Jazz as they engineer a rebuild and what the options may be for Ryan Smith, Danny Ainge and Justin Zanik.