In the hours before Monday’s loss in Miami, the Jazz traded oft-injured lottery pick Dante Exum and two future second-round draft picks to Cleveland for scoring guard Jordan Clarkson. And in the minutes after that game, the team released veteran forward Jeff Green — a player thought to be a critical component of the team’s bench unit when he signed in free agency this summer — and handed out a guaranteed deal to undrafted rookie Rayjon Tucker.
On Thursday night, less than an hour before the team tipped off an eventual win against Portland at Vivint Smart Home Arena, executive vice president of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey and general manager Justin Zanik sat down with select members of the media to explain their thinking behind the moves.