Utah Jazz becoming more attractive to players, for the right reasons

Not too long ago, it was a well-known fact around the NBA that Utah was not a “destination.” Players weren’t lining up to play here, and overpaying free agents was the norm for the Utah Jazz. Well, it seems as though Salt Lake City is becoming more attractive to players.

Utah is a bit of an enigma to most basketball fans as well as to some younger NBA players. Most know we have mountains and snow due to the simple fact that they were on the Jazz jerseys of the late ’90s and early 2000s. When asking “what do you know about Utah?” to a basketball fan, the most common answer is Karl Malone and John Stockton.

There’s even a fair amount of Utahns who couldn’t tell you who is on the team as of now.

In 2010, Bob Evans of Bleacher Report made a list of the top five cities players didn’t want to play in; Salt Lake City tied for fourth. It’s important to note that at the time in 2010, Utah’s record was 39-43, ranking fourth in the Northwest division.

From 2010 to 2014, the Utah Jazz win/loss record was 181-213. Needless to say, even if the nightlife was Vegas mixed with Mardi Gras, players would still hesitate to come to a struggling team. In 2014, the Jazz hired Quin Snyder as their new head coach and he ushered in a new philosophy and culture.

The change was clear from his first season with the team. And with each passing year since, Utah’s record has gotten progressively better, culminating in a trip to the playoffs this season where the Jazz knocked off the conference rival Los Angeles Clippers in the first round, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since the 2009-10 season.

Coincidentally, as the Jazz have gotten better every year, players from around the league have taken notice. Most recently, Weber State alum Damian Lillard answered a question on Twitter about which teams would he like to play for if he were a free agent. His response — the Utah Jazz or L.A. Lakers.

The latter makes sense because Lillard is from California; the former since his alma mater is Weber State and he was in Utah for an extended amount of time. However, the Jazz have also become more attractive as an organization. Another player that has commented on playing for the Jazz is Donatas Motejiunas.

Again, neither of these players would have probably thought twice about playing in Utah a few years ago, but as the adage goes “winning cures everything.” Rumors sprang up over the spring that Euro-league star Milos Teodosic might make the jump from CSKA Moscow to the NBA, and the Utah Jazz were one of his preferred spots.

Not only are players saying that they would like to play for the Jazz, they’re making it happen. This past offseason the Jazz signed Joe Johnson as a free agent. A few years ago, such a move would’ve been unthinkable. Moreover, Boris Diaw seemed to have instantly fallen in love with the state after getting dealt to the Jazz.

This is further proof that Utah has become a spot that players prefer over others to play.

The knock on Utah is and has been the nightlife, or lack thereof. Salt Lake City is a pretty mild town compared to other NBA cities, which may turn away some of the younger players in the league. During the second round of this last year’s playoffs, there was a joke that Golden State didn’t want to play here because of the lack of nightlife, which prompted Jazz fans to make shirts with the hashtag #Nightlife on them.

While some may not want to play here because of the lack of thrill outside of the basketball court, others are taking note. All the while, the Jazz have made themselves relevant again.

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They’ve done so not through promises of shining in the limelight or soaking up the sun on beaches, but by showing that all they want are men who commit to winning and improving each day. They want players focused on buying in and not worrying about who they walk into the arena with, but rather being able to come away with the W when they leave it. That’s why players want to play here — for the right reasons.