Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell are gone, but the Utah Jazz’s teardown may not be done.

Veterans Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Rudy Gay are still on the roster. Even the recently acquired Malik Beasley (25) may be a little old for the Jazz's rebuild timeline.

All of the above can help win-now teams to varying degrees, one of which may be the Los Angeles Lakers.

NBA

Jazz Reportedly Still Talking To Lakers About Potential Trade

"League sources indicate a market for Bogdanovic at the very least, of which there is significant interest for the 6-foot-8 shooting forward," The Athletic's Tony Jones wrote on Wednesday. "But, the Jazz at this point don’t appear to be particularly close to a trade that could land them even more assets and consolidate the roster, although there are ongoing talks with the Los Angeles Lakers."

For weeks (maybe even months), Utah and L.A. have seemed like natural trade partners.

Russell Westbrook proved to be a terrible fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis last season. The Jazz have at least two players in Conley and Bogdanovic that seem tailor-made for the Lakers roster, and playing for a team at the outset of a rebuild makes no sense for either.

The oft-rumored Indiana Pacers deal that involves Myles Turner and Buddy Hield may offer the Lakers more long-term upside, but a trade with the Jazz would almost certainly make them better, too. And even if Jazz CEO Danny Ainge has driven hard bargains all summer, the fact that the two sides are still engaged suggests something may happen.

There's a sliding scale for what that "something" might be, though. We'll look at three points on the scale below.

 

Best-Case Scenario: Pacers Relent

Jones covers the Jazz, so he made no mention of whether the Lakers are still engaged with the Pacers as well. It wouldn't make sense for the Lakers to shut down communication with the team that can offer a slightly more enticing trade, though.

L.A. should be negotiating with both Utah and Indiana. If it reaches the threshold of an agreement with Utah, it should call Indiana and tell the front office it has one more chance to take a draft pick and the financial flexibility that acquiring Westbrook can provide.