February 19, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) blocks a scoring attempt by San Antonio Spurs center Tiago Splitter (22) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Honorable Mention (a.k.a. “The Untouchables”)
As we here at Purple & Blues strive to be comprehensive in all things, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t mention the top free agents available at the position. Given the young talent the Jazz have in place, the stature of these men as NBA players and a myriad of other factors, the odds of any of them coming to Salt Lake City are probably pretty low.
At the top we have the aforementioned Gasol and Clippers center DeAndre Jordan. Obviously either player would be a game-changer for the Jazz. I would expect that both remain with their current squads or, at the very most, consider a short list of contending teams as possible destinations.
If the Jazz were to make a play for either of these pie-in-the-sky scenarios, I would prefer they throw their pile of cash at Gasol. If we’re truly aiming to become the next Memphis Grizzlies, what better way to complete the process than by nabbing their franchise player.
Meanwhile, Jordan is a Rudy redundancy who will probably be looking for something close to the maximum salary. I expect him to remain with the Los Angeles.
Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic is an intriguing young player who has all the makings of a future All-Star. Magic GM Rob Hennigan would be crazy to let him go and Vucevic would probably be reluctant to sign with a team with two established bigs on the roster. Vucevic will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Brook Lopez, Roy Hibbert and Al Jefferson all have player options for next season.
Oh—Enes Kanter is also available.
Next: 5. Brandan Wright, Phoenix Suns