Utah Jazz Impending Free Agents Have Plenty To Prove in Playoffs

George Hill

There’s no debating that Hill has been a godsend this season. The point guard position was an extreme weak point for the Jazz last year and his addition has been a major driving force behind Utah’s transformation from a lottery team to a Western Conference powerhouse. However, one valid concern that exists is that at Hill’s high points, perhaps he’s been almost too good and he may end up costing more than the Jazz feel comfortable spending.

After Hill and the Jazz were unable to come to an agreement in contract extension talks, it was reported that Hill’s camp will be seeking a max contract next season. As solid as he’s been this season, that seems like a steep ask for a guy who’s averaged just 11.8 points and 3.3 assists for his career.

I hate to seem down on Hill, because I truly love him as a member of this Jazz team and think that he fits seamlessly with this squad. However, the thought of having both he and Hayward on max contracts would make it hard to afford the additional help that Utah will certainly need if they hope to leapfrog the likes of the Spurs or Warriors in the Western Conference.

However, if he’s able to shoot even remotely close to the 50 percent from deep and around 55 percent from the field that he was at to start out the season, then the concerns about extending him a max contract lessen significantly. Yet while he had flashes of utter brilliance this season, two things that were often called into question were his durability and his consistency.

Thus he’ll have a lot to prove in these playoffs if he wants to show that neither of those concerns are valid. If Hill truly is worth max money, then he should be able to display it on the biggest of stages and where it counts the most – in the postseason.

Obviously I hope he does so, not only so that the Jazz play at the peak of their potential, but also because it may make the organization’s decision to do whatever it takes to keep him around much easier this offseason.

The trouble comes if he has a mediocre postseason. Then Utah will have to decide whether the concerns that surrounded him this past season, particularly his health, combined with a less than formidable postseason make him worth such a lucrative contract.

Because even if Hill is less than stunning in the playoffs, it’s a near-guarantee that there will be plenty of teams desperate enough out there that will be willing to throw massive amounts of money at the much-improved point guard. And based on how well or poorly Hill performs in the playoffs, the Jazz could potentially be in an extremely difficult situation when deciding whether or not to match any offers.

Of course, as an unrestricted free agent himself, Hill will be able to control his own destiny. I’d like to believe that the competitor in him would be willing to take at least some degree of a pay cut to stay with a Utah team where he has fit so well rather than play for a team such as the Brooklyn Nets for max money. But, as they say, “money talks”, so we probably won’t know where Hill’s focus is until the free agency period hits.

One thing is for sure, though, his performance in the upcoming playoffs will very likely determine whether he stays with the Jazz or winds up somewhere else next season.