Utah
New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends BI to Utah, Pelicans Rework Backcourt, Defensive Ace Returns to ATL
On the surface, the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz do not seem like natural trade partners. Utah is firmly in the midst of a rebuild and finished last season as the fourth-worst team in the conference. New Orleans is trying to build a sustainable playoff contender around Zion Williamson. Yet, both teams have something that the other should be interested in.
For Utah, the goal should be respectability. Lauri Markkanen blossoming into an All-Star forward who any team would be lucky to have is an excellent step in that direction. Ditto Keyonte George, who quietly had a encouraging rookie season for the Utah Jazz. He’s a 6’4 point guard who averaged 13 points and 4.4 assists on 39/33/85 shooting splits while taking six three-pointers a game. Amid a season with plenty of upheaval and little to play for, his playmaking chops provide optimism that he can be the point guard of the future. However, there’s much more uncertainity with the rest of the roster. At some point, Utah has to create some semblance of a stable basketball environment to allow their young talent to flourish.
Furthermore, recent reporting indicates that the Jazz are interested in keeping Markkanen rather than shipping him out for more picks. Per NBA insider Marc Stein, part of that is because they have not gotten the return they want for Lauri:
“Golden State, to date, has pursued Markkanen without including Brandin Podziemski orJonathan Kuminga in trade packages laden with future draft compensation. Obviously no team, to this point, has met Danny Ainge‘s asking price.”
If Stein’s comments today are true, then the Jazz have no incentive to trade Markkanen for what they view as an inadequate package. Markkanen certainly is not forcing his way out of Utah – he’s doing the opposite. Tony Jones of the Athletic, who covers the Jazz, had this to say about Markkanen’s desire to remain in Utah during a radio interview with ESPN 700 today:
“Lauri has really taken to Utah. His family has taken to Utah. Obviously the Jazz can trade him between now and August 6, and Lauri knows that, but Lauri has forged a really close relationship to (coach) Will Hardy. And Will has really found a way to unlock his career.”
If the Jazz keep Markkanen, they need to improve their roster in order to actually compete in the West. Currently, they are short on capable defenders (worst defensive rating in the NBA) and turns the ball over regularly. To fix some of their ball-handing issues outside of George and strengthen their shooting (20th in three-point percentage), they should consider a trade for Brandon Ingram.
Ingram’s desire for a $200+ million dollar contract and New Orleans’ reluctance to give it to him have been a subplot of the entire offseason. The Pelicans have a problem on their hands – Ingram is a good player, but they cannot afford to give him that deal with an extension for Trey Murphy III looming on the horizon. The best thing they can do is trade him now and re-fit their team around Zion Williamson. However, that means significant changes are in store for their rotation.
The Hawks can benefit from those changes. Although their defensive rating was not as bad as the Jazz, Atlanta still had a bottom-five defensive rating in 2023-24. They need capable defenders and could stand to add more three-point shooting, finishing 16th in three-point percentage despite taking the sixth-most attempts from deep.
Given the Pelicans’ need to resolve the Ingram situation, the Jazz’s need to add more talent and Atlanta’s need to add more defense, a three-team deal could make some sense. What would the deal look like?
It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks should do or will do. That is all.
Here is the trade.
Hawks get: Jose Alvarado, Johnny Juzang
Pelicans get: John Collins, Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, Garrison Mathews, 2025 2nd round pick (via Atlanta), 2027 first-round pick (via Minnesota/Utah, top-10 protected by Utah)
Jazz get: Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Cody Zeller
Why the Hawks would do this trade: After playing his college basketball at Georgia Tech, Jose Alvarado returns to Atlanta as a backup guard who can provide the point-of-attack defense the team has lacked for years. He is only 6’1, but finished with an impressive steal percentage of 2.8% and a three-point percentage of 37.7% on four attempts a game. He’s a solid passer, but fortunately will not have to be much of a playmaker in Atlanta. Trae Young and Jalen Johnson should be able to take on the majority of those responsibilities. As a backup two-way guard who can set the tone on defense, Alvarado is a great piece for this roster and provides insurance for a Kobe Bufkin injury. Juzang’s potential as a shooter mitigates the loss of Mathews in this deal. In the 20 games he played with Utah last season, however, he shot an impressive 41.6 percent from three-point range on four attempts a game. It’s a very small sample size, but it could indicate real upside as a shooter with size. Juzang needs to develop as a defender – time in College Park could help him learn how to utilize his 6’7 frame and take on wing defensive assignments. Atlanta would also send out a fourth-string center in Zeller, giving them more flexibility under the salary restrictions of the new CBA.
Why the Hawks would not do this trade: Taking on another small guard and finding minutes for him while also developing Bufkin could be a challenge Atlanta shies away from. Alvarado had his struggles in the first round of the 2024 playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder, so there is a chance that he is unable to stay on the court during post-season basketball. However, the Hawks should not be worried about that. Alvarado can definitely help them in the regular season as they make a push towards the playoffs. From a financial and roster perspective, taking on Alvarado and Juzang is a good mix of meeting roster needs and searching for upside.
Why the Pelicans would do this trade: If they completed this deal, the best starting five for New Orleans would likely be Dejounte Murray – Trey Murphy III – Herb Jones – Zion Williamson – John Collins. Sexton and Clarkson slot in as competent bench pieces that can provide offense. At 6’9, Collins is undersized as a center, but can take advantage of the increased attention on Williamson, Murray and Murphy. He quietly had a great season down the stretch for Utah, finishing the year with averages of 15.1 points and 8.5 rebounds on 53/37/79 shooting splits. Going from a non-shooter in Jonas Valanciunas to a legitimate threat from deep in Collins could unlock a new gear for a Pelicans offense that faltered in the post-season. Sexton was even better as a shooter, hitting 39% of his attempts from deep on five attempts a night. He hustles on defense and has grown into a solid two-way player. Murphy and Jones are already great defenders, so Sexton can be more of a complementary part of the perimeter defense as opposed to a primary defensive option. He can play with Murray as the off-ball guard and should be able to scale down into a reduced role with New Orleans. Last season, Clarkson became one of the Jazz’s go-to options down the stretch and that hurt his overall efficiency numbers. He likely would not be relied upon to shoulder the same burden in New Orleans and can return to more of the effective sixth-man role he’s occupied for much of his career. Mathews is a solid bench shooter who improves the back part of the Pelicans’ rotation. In short, this deal would allow the Pelicans to weather a Zion injury, reduce their dependence on imediate contributions from rookie center Yves Missi and cement themselves as a top-six seed in the West.
Why the Pelicans would not do this trade: Collins played well last year for Utah, but one could argue that his numbers were symptomatic of having more responsibilities and touches. The lack of a real seven-foot center in the lineup also makes the Pelicans very small, which could be a problem against teams like the Thunder and Nuggets. Furthermore, Clarkson’s struggles last year might be indicative of a decline. He shot a career-worst 29.4% from three-point range and recorded 2.7 turnovers per game, which was part of the Jazz’s proclivity for turnovers last season. If his shooting continues to decline, this would be a significant blow to the Pelicans’ rotation.
Why the Jazz would do this trade: Ingram and Markkanen would be one of the best wing duos in the league. Overtaxed as a primary option, the Jazz could run their offense through George and Markkanen while keeping Ingram as a third/fourth playmaker who can space the floor. He recorded 5.7 assists to 2.5 turnovers, executing complex skip passes and find corner shooters with ease. Last season, Ingram posted 20.8 points, 5.7 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 stocks on 49.2/35.5/80.1 shooting splits and a true shooting percentage of 57.8% in 2023-24. If he ups his three-point volume, those splits could improve to a 38-40% percentage from deep. McCollum is still an effective player and could thrive in Utah as a volume scorer who can take on some playmaking duties. They also open up more minutes for Walker Kessler, who did not fit with Collins during last season.
Why the Jazz would not do this trade: They need to figure out what they have in Taylor Hendricks, who they drafted with the ninth overall pick in 2023-24. Hendricks played in 40 games for the Jazz last year, mostly developing in the G League. It would require some experimentation to get him the minutes needed alongside Ingram and Markkanen. There’s also the question of what the price of an Ingram extension would be and if the Jazz would want to give him the deal he is looking for.
Ultimately, I think this is a deal that has some chance of going down. The longer this situation drags on, the more both teams will feel pressure to get something done. New Orleans could hold onto Ingram for the season and let him walk, but they would lose him for nothing. If Utah keeps Markkanen, they will need another move in order to make any sort of noise in the West. Keeping Lauri and then doing nothing would ultimately be pointless as his value is currently at its zenith.
Utah
‘Now’s our time’: Utah Jazz fans rejoice as Darryn Peterson gives them something they’ve been missing
The rookie guard is already dreaming of a championship in Utah.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Jazz fans celebrate as the Utah Jazz pick Darryn Peterson in the 2026 NBA Draft during a watch party at The Shops at South Town in Sandy, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
Utah
Utah mother charged with international kidnapping claims she was saving kids from ‘end of times’
SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah mother, who believed she was saving her kids from “the end of times,” is facing federal kidnapping charges after she fled to Croatia with her four children.
Elleshia Anne Seymour, 35, of West Jordan, is accused of traveling to Europe with her four children without court approval or permission from the fathers of the children. On Jan. 28, she was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of international parental kidnapping and passport fraud. She made her initial federal court appearance Monday.
West Jordan police started urgently searching for the four kids in December after Kendall Seymour — father to the three oldest children — realized something was wrong when they didn’t show up to daycare. He had last seen the children a week prior when he dropped them off at school the week of Thanksgiving, which was the start of the mother’s scheduled custody time.
“Seymour did not notify the father of her intent to travel internationally with the children as required by the custody order,” federal prosecutors said.
The father told police he believed Seymour may have taken the children out of the country and forged his signature on the passport applications because he found passport-related envelopes in the trash at her apartment and other evidence that indicated she had left the country.
Elleshia Seymour was charged in 3rd District Court on Dec. 16 with four counts of custodial interference, a third-degree felony. A warrant was issued for her arrest as, according to charging documents, she “recently discussed obtaining passports and leaving the country, expressing concerns about biblical events and the ‘end of times’” with her ex-boyfriend.
Investigators located surveillance footage at the Salt Lake airport showing Seymour and the kids boarding a one-way flight to Croatia with a layover in Amsterdam. In a voicemail to her other ex-husband — the father of the youngest child — she claimed she was in France looking for a permanent residence.
“Seymour reminded him she had to get the children out of the country because the ‘end time is coming.’ Seymour allegedly told her ex-husband and father of the fourth child she wanted him to join them and asked him not to let the three children’s father know where she was,” federal prosecutors said.
Kendall Seymour said he was initially unaware of any of these beliefs and was concerned “she’s not in the right mind.” While there were no signs of the “doomsday” beliefs when they were married, he found a TikTok account where she was posting increasingly extreme religious messages.
With posts titled “Urgent Word,” “Brace Yourself,” “Zombies,” and “US Decimated,” she spoke of darkness consuming America, urged followers to “get provisions,” and warned that Salt Lake City would soon be destroyed. Police said witnesses they spoke to indicated Seymour had “previously suffered from emotional breakdowns and hallucinations.”
On Jan. 16, Seymour was arrested by Croatian authorities. The children were found in a state-run Croatian orphanage.
“It sounds like she met this other American citizen in Croatia under the pretense that she was bringing the kids here legally,” Kendall Seymour said. Once the American citizen living in Croatia heard the news about the children, the police were called, and their mother was taken into custody by Croatian authorities, the father said.
He was then contacted by Croatian police, who were holding the kids in a children’s home in the country. Croatian police at first would not release his children until documentation from the U.S. had been checked and rechecked. He stayed in the country for eight days trying to get them released.
On Feb. 1, he announced on a GoFundMe* that he and the four children were on their way home.
Seymour was extradited to Utah from Croatia on June 12 and was booked into the Davis County Jail. She has a detention hearing scheduled next week in federal court and an initial appearance for the state charges on July 13.
“The safe return of the children remains our highest priority. We are deeply grateful to our federal and international partners for their tireless efforts in bringing about this successful outcome,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah. “Our work is not finished — we will continue to pursue justice in the case against Seymour.”
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
The Utah Jazz are just hours away from the 2026 NBA Draft to determine who will be their franchise’s next cornerstone piece to add into their exciting core with their second-overall pick on the board.
And in the lead-up to the Jazz’s selection, there’s been tons of buzz surrounding who will be the one landing at that No. 2 slot. Between AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer, each has seen various connections to Utah as being the guy they’ll end up with.
However, as we continue to get closer to when the Jazz are on the clock, we’re starting to get some clearer intel on who their selection ultimately might be. And in reality, it might just be a two-man race, rather than three.
Darryn Peterson Remains in the Driver’s Seat at No. 2
ESPN‘s Jeremy Woo recently released his final 2026 mock sorting out how each of the draft’s 60 picks are going to go. When it came to the Jazz, the pick would be none other than Kansas guard Darryn Peterson; someone that Utah has reportedly shown “strong interest” in leading up to the draft.
If Peterson ends up going first to the Washington Wizards, though, AJ Dybantsa seems like the most likely outcome for the Jazz at two.
“Sources say the Jazz have shown strong interest in Peterson throughout the process, and the expectation from rival teams has been that Utah will pick whichever of Peterson or Dybantsa falls to them,” Woo wrote.
“Peterson’s initial decision to only visit Washington was more reflective of his confidence in his security as a top pick and desire to hear his name called first.”
Despite the noise that had surrounding Peterson, his canceled workout, and any possible disinterest in landing with Utah, that buzz has since been shut down in the days leading up to Tuesday night’s first round.
Not only did Peterson confirm he has met with the Jazz before coming to New York following his canceled draft workout, but he also made it clear at Monday’s media day that he’s not dodging any team that’s willing to select him.
That, of course, would include the Jazz. So no worries on that front.
But even if Peterson does end up going ahead of the Jazz’s slot in what would be a surprise pickup for the Wizards at the first pick, Utah’s decision looks like it could be a relatively simple one. BYU’s AJ Dybantsa would be sitting up for grabs, and would be an ideal fit on the wing to Utah’s two-guard spot for the future.
So if Woo’s intel is a sign of anything, it seems like, even with the appeal that might be had in Duke’s Cameron Boozer as a potential option at number two, he’s looking more and more like the odd man out when it comes to being the guy for Utah.
Both Peterson and Dybantsa have a projected ceiling that tops what Boozer brings to the table, and fits better with this current Jazz core as their future two-guard. In a draft where all three prospects are seen as franchise-changing talents, those factors might just be what’s narrowly separated the top two as the targets to watch for Utah.
All of the chatter that’s ensued before the draft surrounding who the Jazz are going to take with their highest pick on the board in over 40 years will officially come to an end Tuesday night. But with the time quickly approaching before that decision becomes final, the writing might be on the wall for who they’ll be landing on.
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