Are the Utah Jazz Interested in Luol Deng?

Luol Deng is one of the latest names swirling around in Utah Jazz free agent rumors, but would he be a wise addition?

With the start of free agency mere hours away, the rumor mill has already begun to heat up significantly. Of course names like Kevin Durant, Al Horford and Mike Conley are among the biggest and most intriguing free agents, but there are undoubtedly others who could significantly alter a team’s fate.

While the Utah Jazz almost certainly aren’t in any sort of contention for one of the three aforementioned players, general manager Dennis Lindsey did make it clear that the Jazz would be active participants in this summer’s free agency.

As a result, a frenzy of speculation and predictions have erupted from Jazz media and fans alike. In fact, I even got in on the craziness myself with some quick thoughts on potential free agent targets that the Jazz should consider pursuing.

However, one name that was left off of my list that is reportedly a target for the Jazz is former Miami Heat small/power forward Luol Deng.

The acquisition of Deng would certainly help shore up a Jazz weakness that I’ve mentioned several times which is their small forward depth. However, at six-foot-nine, 220 pounds, Deng is also capable of playing the power forward spot where he logged many of his minutes in 2015-16, particularly when Bosh was out of the rotation.

With the Jazz’s starting lineup of George Hill, Rodney Hood, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, and Rudy Gobert essentially set (barring any drastic and unforeseen offseason changes), it’s practically a guarantee that Deng or any other free agent addition would come off the bench and bolster the second unit.

This would be quite a change for Deng who has started in all but two games that he has appeared in over the past seven seasons. However, if he was willing to shift gears and play in a reserve role, he could potentially be a great fit for the Jazz.

One positive that I’ve already touched on is Deng’s versatility in switching between the three and the four-spot on both offense and defense. In fact, Deng has a reputation as a solid defender that can guard multiple positions and in this past year’s playoffs he put up an impressive 97.3 defensive rating.

Deng would bring valuable veteran experience to this young Jazz squad and is a play-hard, no-nonsense kind of guy. He has put up solid stats for his career including 15.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. His career shooting numbers leave a little to be desired, but last year he shot a more encouraging 34.4 percent from deep and 51.3 percent on two-point shots.

While there might be some concern regarding investing significant money in Deng given his age (he turned 31 this year), he was an All-Star as recently as the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons as a member of the Chicago Bulls.

Also, although his numbers took a slight dip last season, there’s lots of evidence to prove that Deng still has plenty left in the tank such as his 31-point explosion in Game 1 of the 2016 playoff series against the Charlotte Hornets.

While it remains to be seen whether Luol Deng has any intent or interest to join the Utah Jazz, the idea of adding him is certainly intriguing. His name has circled around frequently in Jazz free agency rumors along with two others: Jared Dudley and Solomon Hill.

Although Deng certainly has the more impressive overall resume of the three, he doesn’t have the three-point touch of Dudley or the upside of Hill. Nevertheless, there’s a strong argument to be made that Deng is the most talented and would be the best addition for the Jazz of the three.

Finally, while Deng would likely be a solid fit in terms of talent and position, the Jazz also have to consider how much he will cost. Deng made just over $10 million last season, but there’s a chance he could earn even more with this season’s increased salary cap.

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While this shouldn’t be too big of an issue for the Jazz who have an abundance of cap space, if players such as Dudley (who would almost certainly demand less money than Deng) or Hill (who reportedly is seeking a surprising $9 million to $13 million contract) were available for less, the Jazz would have to take that into consideration, especially as they look to future years where they’ll have to calculate how to re-sign their core players on expiring contracts.

So the biggest concerns around Deng would be his willingness or perhaps unwillingness to come off the bench, his age, and quite possibly his salary. However, on the flip side his proven talent which includes two All-Star appearances, solid work ethic, and versatility would make him an excellent fit for the Jazz.

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If it turns out that Luol Deng is interested in coming to Utah at a reasonable price, he would be an exceptional pickup for the Jazz and the team’s second unit.

All stats courtesy of basketball-reference.com