5) He Comes Cheap
While Teague and Lawson were the names lighting up the Jazz blogosphere and social media ahead of the trade deadline, a deal to acquire either player wouldn’t have come cheap. The Jazz undoubtedly would have needed to ship off Trey Burke and potentially other assets to complete a trade.
In the move to acquire Mack, the Jazz needed only to part with a future second-round pick (acquired in 2013 in a three-way deal with the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets). It wasn’t quite a something-for-nothing trade, but it was pretty close.
Moreover, Mack’s contract is incredibly reasonable. He’s due $2.4 million this season, while the Jazz hold a team option on his contract for another $2.4 million next year. If he continues to impress the club, they have the option to retain him on the cheap. If not, it won’t be hard to cut their losses.
Any time you can add depth without burdening yourself financially or hemorrhaging assets, it’s a good thing.
Next: No. 4: Trey Burke's Uncertain Future