2018-19 Utah Jazz

2017-18: 48-34 (5th in the East, lost in the 2nd round)
Draft picks: 21,52
Signed for next season ($89.3m): Rody Gobert, Ricky Rubio, Joe Ingles, Alec Burks, Jae Crowder, Thabo Sefelosha, Jonas Jerebko, Ekpe Udoh, Donovan Mitchell, Tony Bradley, Royce O'Neal

This summer's free agents: Derrick Favors, Dante Exum, Raul Neto, Erik McCree, Georges Niang
The Jazz have money to spend but let's start with a pointless trade idea: Crowder and Sefelosha to the Bucks for Jabari Parker (sign and trade); why do this? It allows Jabari to maximize his money, it gives the Bucks two defensive vets to put along side Giannis with the same salary as the guy they were gonna let go for free and it allows the Jazz to bring in a new guy without adding salary. (Kinda convoluted but I feel like it works for everybody) They then use the rest of their money to give Favors and Exum a raise (I'm not the Jazz, but I'm certain they have decided whether they want to keep Exum or not; if so, they'll pay him good money and if not, they won't give him shit). I guess they could spend their money on Demarcus Cousins but that's quite a cultural gamble; I think I'd rather keep it going with Favors and Exum. McCree and Niang are on 2-way contracts. And I like Neto as a 3rd string PG, if they let Exum go maybe they could bring back Neto on a reasonable deal. At any rate, they've got options but I suspect they'll choose continuity over new blood--the trade I suggested gives them new blood for minimal outlay.

I saw a mock draft that had Utah taking two Pac-12 combo guards: Troy Brown (Orgeon) and De'Anthony Melton (Southern Cal). I dunno either of those guys but sounds good to me, if they can score, they'd be welcome additions.

I think they'll bring back Favors, Exum and Neto. I can see them making Burks and Sefeolosha available to the trade market (I think this'll be a busy summer for trades, don't be surprised to see filler coming from the four corners of the earth). As for free agents, I think they've long coveted (is that the word?) Jabari Parker and I would suggest taking a run at Avery Bradley: a defensive minded tough guy that can knock down 3's and be a protector for young master Mitchell. Since I think they'll re-up most of their current roster, it feels like they'll only have enough for one decent addition. But if they wanted to go for a big money addition, how about JJ Reddick? Or if they're looking for an exciting young contributor, how about Jerami Grant? And for a Summer League-level last chance, how about Wade Baldwin?

I expect next year's lineup to look pretty similar to this year's. They do have money for at least one or two additions, especially if they choose to let go of current free agents. This is Donovan Mitchell's team now; flanked by Rubio and Ingles, with Gobert for up-the-middle defense, the core if firmly in place. Traditionally Utah has been forced to keep their current players because SLC is not much of a free agent destination. But perhaps Donovan Mitchell and Coach Snyder have changed that equation.

NBA Draft recap: Utah Jazz

I suspect I'll do a ton of these over the next few days, just wanted to pick out which teams I thought did the best.

Utah has a lovely collection of young talent and I guess the hope is to replicate the amazing growth of the Suns last season.  If every guy on that roster is just a little better than last year, with Exum and Hood giving above average rookie efforts, then they'd be fighting for 8th spot at least, wouldn't you say? But in the NBA you need a star, a horse, a guy that's going to answer all the questions at the press conference, a guy that takes the big shots and attracts the ire of the sports talk crowd.  A team with a lot of nice young players just becomes a feeder for the next free agent class.

Put Lebron on that team and they'd battle with OKC and San Antonio, don't ya think?  Well, Utah could re-sign Gordon Hayward, bring in Dante Exum and Rodney Hood and still have $15m or so for Lebron.  Haven't heard any 'Lebron to SLC' rumors but it is intriguing.  From Lebron's POV the Jazz roster must look pretty good compared to the Heat: Exum is an upgrade over Chalmers, Burke is an upgrade over Cole, Hayward is an upgrade over Wade, Favors is an upgrade over Anderson, Burks and Hood are an upgrade over Allen and Lewis; Kanter is not an upgrade over Bosh but with all the extra productivity, Kanter doesn't seem like a substantial step down.  At the moment Utah's entire roster is trade bait, if they could turn that nice looking nine into a dangerous seven then they got something.  With Lebron I'd keep the supporting cast as it is, let Lebron decide which positions need to evolve, let the play on the court determine which improvements need to be explored.

I know, I know that's not gonna happen.  Lebron won't leave Miami (at all, IMO) for a middle of nowhere team with a bunch of unproven pups.  Utah needs some veteran presence but unless they sign-and-trade Hayward (50/50 possibility, I'd say) for a big name (Jeff Green, maybe?)*, then its only the locker room that needs the leadership, not really the court.  They've got good talent and decent depth at every position, they don't need a player to remake the team concept (oh god, not Evan Turner!), they need a veteran that will guide them, show them, someone the youngsters look up to and root for.  My suggestion: Danny Granger.  I wouldn't give him Lebron money but for 2 years you can afford to give him an opportunity to have one last shot of awesomeness or become a cautionary tale.  Either way, it should have a bracing effect on a young team like Utah.  Its early, free agents have even begun to fly, but I'm already looking forward for the 2015 Jazz to be like the 2014 Suns: exciting, unpredictable with a whole raft of guys improving at the same time.

Still, though....Lebron.

(* A minimal trade idea: sign-and-trade Gordon Hayward to Charlotte straight up for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.  Hayward gives the Hornets another scoring option on the wing and MKG gives the Jazz a defensive stopper in an otherwise defense-less lineup.  That's not really the big trade the Jazz are looking for, indeed its just re-shuffling the youth.  But the Jazz would get 2 affordable years of MKG to see if he can truly do the defensive stopper thing and the Hornets would have a decent offensive upgrade that doesn't break the bank.  Ehh, this is one of those deals that's so innocuous it'll never happen, but...just a thought)