Now What?

Roughly two or three weeks ago, I had a discussion with some friends regarding what the Jazz would do if the Nets offered up the same deal they were reportedly offering the Nuggets. Seems like on some wild plain or universe that no one ever really dreamed of, that trade has come to fruition, much to the unexpectedness of both Jazz fans, and seemingly the national media. After getting over the initial shock of the trade, there are a few things that Jazz fans need to know about the future of the Jazz, what led to this, and where to go from here.

-The NBA is changing, just like the rest of the world. The advent of social media, changing ideas in business and the world economy have forced players to become more self-concerned with what is happening than when Stockton and Malone were stars. Back then, it was simply do your job, and work hard, and things will be taken care of. Now, you have to have the right agent, right system, right coach, get paid top dollar, make some endorsement deals, etc and players have to look out for themselves more than ever, much like any regular consumer does as well. Because of this, the Jazz were forced to do something to protect themselves, regardless of what Deron may or may not have decided.

-Jerry leaving brought us to this point. I don't believe that Deron pushed him out, made any wild declarations, or asked to be traded, but the moment Jerry left, it opened the door for Management to implement a new philosophy. Being a small market team, the only way to survive and continue to win games is to go through a cycle of drafting young guys, signing cheap veterans, and managing to acquire draft picks. Sloan would never have stood for this style, believing instead in consistency and development, rather than massive upheaval, but credit the management for being loyal to Jerry until the end, and then recognizing the need to change, implementing it, and not being afraid to make the deal when presented with it.

-Greg Miller and Kevin O'Connor are two of the smarter, more dedicated owners/GMs in the league. By being proactive, Miller lessened what could have been a devastating loss by trading Deron Williams now for a capable replacement, a terrific asset in Favors, and two potential lottery picks the next two years. Add that to a young core of Millsap, Jefferson, Hayward, Evans, and vets like AK, Earl "The Pearl" Watson, and Raja, and you have a team of hard-working, potential-laden assets to either develop or trade for pieces that help you get better. As Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix said, no team in the league has as many tradeable assets as the Jazz.

-Jazz fans claim to want to win, but they are about to be tested. Are they prepared to deal with the revolving door of players, losing stars to big market teams, and reloading every other year until they find the right mix of guys willing to commit long term, and talented enough to win games year after year and possibly getting lucky one year to win a title, or will they melt down and deal with the fact that small markets are destined to be good but not great.

-Earl Watson may have played the biggest role of anyone in the Deron Williams trade. His play during Deron's stretch of games sitting out with the injured wrist may or may not have enlightened those in power that the Jazz are still functional, and playoff contenders without Deron, whereas last year when Ronnie Price was the full time backup, that wasn't necessarily the case. Devin Harris is a younger, more explosive version of Earl.

-While the playoffs are still a possibility, there are a ton of questions that have zero answers right now for this team. What will be their identity? Who is the leader? How will the players react to losing Deron? What moves will they make still? Is Ty Corbin a good enough head coach to lead these guys to being a great team?

-O'Connor said there are still multiple possibilities as far as trades go, and that the Jazz were listening intently and openly, a stark contrast to the ways of the past. He also mentioned listening to Jazz fans demands for an athletic big man, and abruptly made the move to acquire one "without going through all the pains of losing." Are they going to continue to be this aggressive or will the recent moves potentially be enough?

-Personally, I loved watching Deron Williams play, enjoyed him being the face of the franchise for the last six years, and will miss watching Gr8ness in action in a Jazz uniform. Hard as it is to see my favorite player go, I hope that his career goes well, and that he finds a permanent home where he can be happy, away from the Jazz, of course.

-My final prediction is this; battle for the eighth seed this year, and watch as the Jazz start to assemble more pieces to what is already an interesting championship-push puzzle, where the next few years will be spent near or at the top of the Western Conference. I truly believe that in three or four years, with this new proactive approach, the Jazz could be a championship team. However, I don't envy Kevin O'Connor, or Greg Miller, who have put themselves in front of the buzzsaw. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't trade them places though.