This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
On a day filled with uncertainty for every NBA player, the mood at the Utah Jazz's morning practice was light.
"It was great," forward Joe Johnson said Thursday, shortly before the league's 1 p.m. MT trade deadline. "I didn't get that sense [of worry]. But I've been with teams that right after practice guys have been traded. You never know. You just kind of have to wait and see."
Now, the waiting is over and, for the Jazz, there's nothing to see here.
After exploring multiple trade possibilities, including inquiring about guards Lou Williams and Deron Williams, Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey and company stood pat at the deadline, opting to keep team poised for its first playoff berth in half a decade intact.
"Our players, coaching staff and Quin [Snyder] have developed unique chemistry which are values based," Lindsey said. "Because of these relationships and the players commitment to hard work, we wanted no additions or deletions at this time. We look forward to having a healthy team and gaining more continuity over these next 25 games."
Snyder has said in recent days he wanted to see what his team could do now that it is at full strength, after seeing Rodney Hood, Alec Burks, George Hill, Derrick Favors and Dante Exum all miss extended time with injuries over the course of the season.
"I'd like to see that for a more extended period of time with Dante healthy, Alec healthy, Rodney healthy," Snyder said. "We can go through all that, but I think we know who we are, more individually, and we are finding out more and more collectively. I like our group."
Giving back
Jazz forward Trey Lyles spent part of his all-star break in his hometown of Indianapolis, where he presented his old high school, Arsenal Tech, with a $20,000 donation.
"Tech's my home. It'll always be my home," Lyles said, according to the Indianapolis Star. "A lot of guys don't come back, and that's not how I am at all. I love Tech and I'll do whatever it is I need to do to help the program, help the school out. If that means giving back a little extra here and there, then I'm going to do it."
Agent X
Even with his agent, Rob Pelinka, leaving to take over as the Los Angeles Lakers' general manager, Exum said he plans to stay with Landmark Sports Agency.
"He's been a great agent for me," Exum said. "I look forward to staying with them. I trust the people under him and what he's done to train them to get them to the point they're at now."
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