If the NBA had a community board, the above sums up what the Jazz would have thumbtacked to a corner of a jumbled corkboard as the trading deadline arrives.
Barring a collapse, Utah will make the playoffs, but the general feeling is Utah needs to shore up its two-spot to make a real run. However, Utah doesn't want to improve in one area while weakening another.
The dilemma has made Kevin O'Connor, Utah's senior vice president of basketball operations, a busy but so far unproductive guy going into the final day of trading.
"There has been a lot of talking going on, that is my job," he said. "But you don't want to put yourself in the position of making a bad trade, either. Then you go from something pretty positive where you have a little room for improvement, to something pretty bad. That's what trading is, trying to find things that work."
O'Connor likes to say he is always open to options, but it is no secret the two-spot is Utah's most vulnerable place.
Derek Fisher is good and has the veteran leadership, but sometimes he lacks the size or speed to stay with some of the lanky hot shooters. Ronnie Brewer is still young and plays like it, and Gordan Giricek is like a lighthouse beacon, fading in and out.
With just a little more umph there, the Utah's playoff chances could improve immensely.
"Everyone says you need a two-guard swingman, but who are you going to get without giving up a lot?" O'Connor said. "It's not that easy."
It seemed easy shortly after John Stockton and Karl Malone retired following the 2002-03 season, as O'Connor made several deals. Some have worked out, including the signings of Andrei Kirilenko and Matt Harpring and the moves that made possible the drafting of Deron Williams.
Others, such as drafting Kirk Snyder and Kris Humphries and acquiring John Amaechi, didn't go so well for the Jazz.
"For us to compete, we had to make some moves," O'Connor said. "We had some huge holes to fill."
The Jazz just need a little caulk rather than a wall patch to make them solid this time around. A few of the names being rumored as piquing the Jazz's interest include Corey Maggette, who was signed to an offer sheet in 2003 that was matched by the Clippers, and Toronto's Mo Peterson.
But unless a really great offer came through, the Jazz aren't going to disturb their core players, leaving guys such as Giricek, Jarron Collins or maybe a promising young player such as Brewer as their prime trade bait.
"The thing you have to think about is that maybe that one stopper you need is Ronnie Brewer next year," O'Connor said. "Maybe it's C.J. Miles or maybe Paul Millsap. We've got a young team and we'd like to see how they mature."
The players, who have tried to avoid all the trading buzz, would rather focus on what is here in Salt Lake right now, too.
"We've got some good chemistry," veteran Derek Fisher said. "I don't know if you'd want to disturb that right now."
lwodraska@sltrib.com
If you had to . . .
Players the Jazz could lose without major pain
* Gordan Giricek: Hasn't taken advantage of chances given and is averaging just 5.9 points
* Rafael Araujo: Has a $2.4 million expiring contract
* Jarron Collins: Veteran has two years and $4.4 million left on his contract
* Ronnie Brewer: Promising young player who could make a deal sweet
