Utah Jazz rumors: Two years, $20 mil. enough to land Dante Exum

This summer will be decision time for Dante Exum and the Utah Jazz. Rumor has it that the former lottery pick could be pried away without breaking the bank.

Given the way the Utah Jazz lost in the clutch to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, gleaning any positives from the performance would probably be a tall order for diehard fans. Still, good things definitely happened; chief among them was the play of Dante Exum.

Once again, the former No. 5 overall showed flashes of the game that helped him own draft boards back in 2014. Like when he attacked the Celtics’ D and scored two big-time buckets during the fourth quarter. Or when he shot up to the stratosphere to reject a Shane Larkin lay-up attempt.

Despite his injury woes over the years, his elite physical attributes remain intact. And it may still be a question of when, not if, Exum can be a high-level contributor for an NBA team.

One has to wonder, though, if that team will be the Jazz. A report by The Sporting News’ Sean Deveney suggests that the Jazz and Exum could potentially come to a parting of the ways this summer.

Or that a team looking to take a gamble on him won’t have to break the bank.

The 22-year-old will be a restricted free agent then and, according to Deveney’s source, there’s a feeling that he could be had for a relatively meager sum. Check it out —

"One front-office executive estimated that Exum could warrant a two-year deal in the range of $18-20 million (with an option for a third likely) to get him away from the Jazz, who would have two days to decide whether to match."

Now, I may be the guy that was absolutely certain that Gordon Hayward was returning to Utah last offseason, but I am absolutely certain that the Jazz would match a deal in that range. And, barring something crazy becoming available to them, doing so would be a no-brainer.

Exum’s speed, length, athleticism and defensive instincts clearly remain top-shelf stuff. And $9-10 million per year isn’t much to pay in this day and age for a player you’ve already invested multiple years of work and dollars into. Especially if he has star potential to boot.

That said, while myself and others remain bullish on Exum, he clearly still has a lot to prove (showing an ability to stay healthy tops the list). But he’s definitely not the draft bust some purport him to be. Or the player who was timid with the ball and afraid to go to the rack as a rookie.

He’s a man on a mission to show the world that hoops pundits that compared him to the likes of Penny Hardaway and Kobe Bryant on draft night four years ago weren’t wrong.

Related Story: Exum was a difference-maker against the Warriors

I don’t know whether he’ll get there, but if two years and $20 mil. ends up being the going rate to find out, the Jazz need to pony up and bring back the Ex-man.