Five Reasons the Utah Jazz Should Pursue Jared Dudley

Willingness to Play in Utah

Those of you who have followed me may have noticed that this is a key trait that I bring up quite often when discussing players and their relation to the Jazz. However, I feel that it is an important characteristic that cannot be understated.

The Jazz have had good teams that have been torn apart by bad attitudes and discontent with their current situation (pretty much the Williams-Boozer era up until the departure of Ty Corbin).

While I’ll admit it pains me to think that the Jazz couldn’t get more out of Enes Kanter, it truly was a relief to see Jazz brass not even bat an eye at eliminating a player from the roster that could have caused discontent across the locker room.

With Salt Lake City unfairly carrying the stigma of a less than favorable market, the fact that Dudley expressed an interest and desire to play with the Jazz from the get-go is enormously reassuring and a fact that can’t be overlooked.

The Jazz are truly on the cusp of becoming a playoff contender, but veteran leadership is a trait that the team is noticeably lacking. If the Jazz hope to add and maintain that precious experience to their team, they’ll need to focus on bringing in players that are excited to be a part of the team and willing to stay focused and content in Utah.

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While the Jazz aren’t the only team that Dudley has shown interest in joining, the fact that he has expressed open and clear interest in the possibility of coming to Utah combined with all the positive traits surrounding him as a player should be a strong signal to Jazz brass to make a push for him.

While adding Dudley wouldn’t instantly push the Jazz to an elite status, it would clearly be a solid and important step in the right direction.

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