Untouchable to expendable: Where does each Utah Jazz player rank?

A look at each member of the current Utah Jazz 15-man roster and where the players fall on a scale of expendable to untouchable.

The 2017-18 season has come and gone for the Utah Jazz and it certainly was a campaign to remember. Between one of the greatest turnarounds witnessed in Jazz history to an exciting playoff run, Jazz fans won’t soon forget this year and undoubtedly have every right to be excited for the what lies ahead.

And while each and every member of this Jazz roster has found a way into Jazz fans’ hearts, there’s no denying that the team still needs further adjustments in order to overcome the behemoths in the West such as the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets.

Sure, some of that will come in the form of internal improvements – something the Jazz have done exceptionally – but a few roster changes are definitely in order be it this summer or next in order for Utah to take an additional leap and close the gap between themselves and the giants. As hard as it may be to accept in some cases, not every current Jazzman should be considered an absolutely vital piece of Utah’s core and future success moving forward.

Then again, in other cases, the Jazz should do everything they can to hold on to key guys. And, of course, several fall somewhere in between. As such, let’s go ahead and take a look at each player on Utah’s 15-man roster and evaluate their status with the team and how they should continue to be viewed moving forward.

Ricky Rubio

The only thing more impressive than the Utah Jazz turnaround from 19-28 on the season to advancing to the second round of the playoffs was the turnaround of starting point guard Ricky Rubio himself. After a dismally slow start to the year, Rubio essentially became a different player in the season’s latter half by revolutionizing his game and playing some of the best basketball of his career.

From February 1 until the end of the regular season, Rubio put up 16 points per game on 45.6 percent shooting from the field and 43.1 percent from deep while chipping in 5.1 rebounds and 6.0 assists. He developed an awesome chemistry with his entire team and proved that he is every bit capable of being a playoff-caliber starting point guard.

Considering how well he and his Jazz team ended the season, I can almost guarantee that Utah has every intention of seeing how he can do next year now that he’s acquainted with the team. His improvement this season was phenomenal and could very well only continue to ascend as he elevates the team to new heights. He’s expressed nothing but love for the Jazz and that feeling has been mutual.

He has one year remaining on his contract at a reasonable amount and that may be when the Jazz are faced with a tough decision. Rubio will certainly have a lot to prove in 2018-19 before reaching unrestricted free agency. For now, though, every indication is that he’s their man at the point moving forward.

On the odd chance the Jazz received some sort of crazy trade offer this summer that helped them land a star talent that included Rubio, they may consider it, but I find that far from likely. You can pretty much count on it, Rubio isn’t going anywhere this offseason. And based on what he and this team showed us to close out the year, that’s a very good thing.

Verdict: Not quite untouchable, but pretty dang close (at least for now)

Donovan Mitchell

Do I really even need to go into this one? Donovan Mitchell has exceeded expectations in every way and is already a star that just so happens to be on a remarkably affordable rookie contract. Talk about a bargain.

Mitchell has the potential to be one of the league’s best players in the very near future. His rookie season was phenomenal, but it was likely just the tip of the iceberg. There’s no way the Jazz are going to move him. Plan on him being the face of the franchise for years to come.

Verdict: Untouchable, absolutely untouchable

Joe Ingles

Joe Ingles’ contract was the subject of some distress among Utah Jazz fans last summer. However, after an incredible year, I’m pretty sure it’s clear now that he earned every penny. He’s surprisingly the third-highest paid Jazzman, but with a contract that decreases each year, he’ll become more and more of a bargain with each passing season.

As a knock-down three-point shooter and a solid perimeter defender, Ingles is an absolute commodity for the Jazz, the likes of which is rare and highly sought after across the NBA. Factor in his undying loyalty to the organization and how much the Jazz have come to love what he brings to the table and he’s another guy that I don’t see going anywhere.

Once again as I said in the instance with Rubio, if Ingles were a required piece in some monumental trade that made the Jazz significantly better, the Jazz may feel forced to deal him. But that’s highly unlikely on all accounts. Ingles has endeared himself to this franchise, and between a highly valuable skill set at a favorable rate, don’t count on the Jazz having any intentions of parting ways with him.

Verdict: Not quite untouchable, but pretty dang close

Derrick Favors

Now here’s an interesting one. Derrick Favors is approaching unrestricted free agency, so even if the Jazz had every intention of keeping him on board, there’s a chance that the talented big man that has seen drastic changes in his role during his time as a Jazzman may very well want to leave for greener pastures.

For my complete thoughts on Favors, be sure to check out the article accessible via the link in the tweet below:

For this exercise, let’s just assume that Favors wants to return to the Jazz. Even if he does, Utah has several things to consider. First of all, while he has been a vital part of the team’s success and co-existed extremely well with Rudy Gobert in the latter part of the season as well as in the series against OKC, he struggled to find a groove against Houston.

That series loss may cause the Jazz to wonder, is Favors at the starting power forward spot the recipe for success over the league’s elite teams such as the Rockets and Warriors? At the end of the day, you have to get past them in order to be a true title contender, so is investing a significant amount of money on D-Favs the best option for the Jazz?

That honestly depends on a lot of factors, including who else the Jazz may want to pursue in free agency, such as a potential play-making stretch-four, and how Favors’ contract plays out. If they’re able to bring him back on a one-year deal, even one they overpay for, it might be worth it to keep a solid player in tow.

However, though Favors deserves credit for Utah’s success, I feel like they could find a way to fill the void left by him if they absolutely had to. That may become the reality for the Jazz if he opts to exercise his free agency and go elsewhere. Or the Jazz could very well opt to make a change rather than dish out a significant amount of money to him.

I truly believe Favors makes this team better and is a piece they should aim to hold on to, at least for 2018-19. However, whether he forces Utah’s hand or not, there’s no guarantee that he’ll be back next year.

Verdict: About midway between untouchable and expendable, but Jazz could find a way to survive without him (and may very well have to)

Rudy Gobert

Rudy Gobert finds himself in the same boat as Donovan Mitchell. Although his Western Conference Semifinals performance wasn’t exactly ideal, he was also playing without his starting point guard and his teammates put him in some unfavorable situations.

Not only that, but judging Gobert off one series (one in which he was far more impactful than many people realize) is far from wise. Gobert’s defensive impact was one of the primary reasons for Utah’s late season run and playoff push. He’s under contract for the next three years and the Jazz aren’t looking to move him anywhere. Rudy is the anchor of the defense and he’s here to stay.

Verdict: Untouchable

Dante Exum

Here’s another tricky one. If Dante Exum were still under contract for a while, the Jazz would probably be wise to plan on nothing other than holding on to him. Despite some injury setbacks, he’s still just 22 years old, has shown plenty of flashes and has a ton of potential. That’s not to say he’d be untouchable, but there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic about his future and so there would be no reason to simply aim to punt on him.

However, the fact that he’s a restricted free agent makes this one a little more challenging. The same truths I explained above reply, but when factoring in how much Exum could cost, it changes his status somewhat. Exum still has the potential to be a vital part of this team, but if he receives a surprisingly high offer sheet in free agency, the Jazz may be wise to take a hard pass.

If that were to happen, they’d definitely need to shore up their guard depth and hopefully letting him go wouldn’t come back to bite them down the road. However, while Exum is a nice and promising piece to keep around, losing out on him certainly wouldn’t sink this team in the immediate future.

Verdict: Should aim to retain him, but losing him wouldn’t be the end of the world and would be better than over-paying

Royce O’Neale

In a season full of nice surprises for the Utah Jazz, Royce O’Neale was one of the nicest. As an undrafted rookie who had been playing overseas prior to joining the Jazz, no one thought originally that he would have that big of an impact in Utah. Instead, he found himself in the rotation most of the season and in the starting lineup for the second round of the playoffs in place of the injured Ricky Rubio.

O’Neale has proven himself as a lock-down defender and if he improves on offense, he could very well be a force for the Jazz. And the best part about that? He’s a rotation player who’s owed less than $2 million each of the next two years. What an incredible bargain.

Unless the Jazz are approached with a mind-blowing trade in which O’Neale is necessary to tip the scale in Utah’s favor, they’d be crazy to deal him. Expect O’Neale to remain a part of this team for the duration of his favorable contract.

Verdict: Not untouchable, but absolutely no reason to move him

Alec Burks

Alec Burks is an interesting case. Leading up to the trade deadline, he was viewed as one of, if not the most expendable player on the Jazz roster. Having worked his way out of the rotation due to his out-of-control play and questionable decisions, his nearly $11 million contract felt like an immense burden.

Then during the playoffs, Burks actually showed some of the reason why he received that payday in the first place. He put up 9.1 points and shot 46.9 percent from the field and 45 percent from deep while serving as one of Utah’s more prolific offensive threats and a better than average defender.

All of a sudden, he had some folks questioning why he was ever out of the rotation in the first place!

Still, I’m not entirely convinced that Burks’ future is with this Jazz team. He had his moments in the postseason, but it was a small sample size after a regular season full of evidence that he wasn’t deserving of a spot in the rotation. His playoff performance may lead the Jazz to see how well he can contribute next season, but at the end of the day, the hope is likely that he can raise his trade value to help the Jazz either shed his contract or get value back in a deadline deal.

Maybe Burks has turned a corner and can still prove helpful for this team, but if history is any indicator, that’s likely not the case.

Verdict: Still pretty expendable, but not as much of a burden as he was formerly thought to be

Thabo Sefolosha

The Jazz got bit bad by the injury bug in this year’s postseason with Ricky Rubio, Dante Exum, Derrick Favors and Donovan Mitchell all dealing with health woes at one point or another. But beyond those guys, another injured player that could have made a key impact is Thabo Sefolosha who had to have knee surgery earlier in the year.

Sefolosha is a lock-down defender and savvy vet on offense that surely could have helped the Jazz in a number of ways. If he’s able to come back healthy next year, I think he still could provide them with an important lift.

However, he also has a team option on his contract, meaning the Jazz can decide whether to keep him or not. It also could make him a valuable trade piece if the right opportunity arose. My guess and my hope is that Utah wants to keep him around, particularly to see what he can do with a team that excelled in his absence but could have certainly used his help.

But depending what happens in free agency or in the trade market this summer, the Jazz could be in for some tough decisions regarding Sefolosha.

Verdict: Far from expendable, but Jazz could be open to dealing him

Jae Crowder

Joining the Jazz midseason, Jae Crowder played a large part in pushing the Jazz to their phenomenal late season run and into the playoffs. He has some kinks to work out, especially offensively, but hopefully after a full offseason and training camp as a member of the Jazz, they’ll be able to get him even more integrated into Quin Snyder’s system.

If he can improve in terms of his shot selection and overall offensive decision making, he already has the tools on both ends of the floor to be an awesome piece for this Jazz team as a versatile power forward. Not to mention, considering that he is on an extremely valuable contract of just over $7 million in each of the next two years, it would be hard to find a player as gifted at his price range.

The Jazz brought Crowder in for a reason this season, clearly loving the versatility he offers them both on the court and in their pocketbook. Thus, I expect it would take an extremely rare situation for the organization to look to deal him.

Verdict: Not untouchable, but considering his contract value, it wouldn’t make much sense to move him

Jonas Jerebko

Jonas Jerebko personified a Jazzman this season. Through highs and lows, stints with lots of playing time to DNP’s, he always stayed ready and was prepared when his number was called. Like his teammates Thabo Sefolosha and Ekpe Udoh, he has a team option on the second year of his deal, meaning the Jazz will ultimately decide whether he stays with them or not.

There’s no particular reason for the Jazz to get rid of Jerebko – he’s a nice role player on a good contract – unless a trade scenario arises or cap space needs to be cleared for a free agent acquisition. If such were to occur, Jerebko may be one of the first to go, though. He certainly has value, but with the likes of Sefolosha and Crowder ahead of him on the depth chart, the Jazz wouldn’t be too hurt if they had to part ways with him.

Verdict: Valuable and far from detrimental, but expendable

Ekpe Udoh

Ekpe Udoh was important to the Jazz when Rudy Gobert was out with injury, and as insurance, he could continue to be down the road. Just like Jerebko and Sefolosha, he’s on an affordable contract with an option next season, so while he’s not hurting the Jazz financially, they can certainly be flexible with him.

And I suspect that’s exactly how they’ll look at him. If they don’t have any replacements in mind, they’ll simply keep him around. But if the Jazz need an extra roster spot, cap flexibility, or perhaps if they feel that Tony Bradley is ready to take the third string center torch, they might be willing to part ways with Udoh.

However, particularly if Favors leaves, the Jazz may like his light contract and simply have no problem retaining him for another year.

Verdict: Valuable and could be useful if Favors leaves, but still expendable

Raul Neto

Raul Neto has consistently been a reliable player for the Jazz. His playing time has come and gone, but when injuries have hit (and he hasn’t been hurt himself), he’s been steady. However, he is an unrestricted free agent this year and he may very well opt to pursue other opportunities.

Among other things, Neto is a great friend to Rudy Gobert, so the Jazz may be interested in retaining him at the right price. However, if Neto is able to find a sizable deal elsewhere, don’t expect the Jazz to break the bank to try and keep him. They’re well-stocked with talented guards and spending too much on Neto would be irresponsible.

Verdict: Has some value, but is expendable

Tony Bradley

Tony Bradley is still largely a question mark for the Jazz. They knew he’d be largely a project coming into the league and only time will tell whether or not he ends up being a factor for them. He had some nice stints in the G-League, but it’s far too early to know whether or not he can blossom into an impact player.

Still, the potential is there and his contract isn’t doing a thing to hurt the Jazz. Unless they think trading him helps bring in some significant talent, it wouldn’t make much sense for the Jazz to aim to deal him.

Verdict: Expendable, but not much reason to look to trade him

David Stockton

David Stockton’s play for the Jazz was certainly one of the feel-good stories of the season. He deserved the opportunity to prove his worth and it was awesome to see a ‘Stockton’ don a Jazz jersey once more.

That said, while he was likely a good locker room presence and a solid addition in practices, Stockton didn’t add anything to the team on the court other than in garbage time. The nostalgia has been fun, but don’t expect the Jazz to place retaining him long term as too high of a priority.

Verdict: Expendable

Next: Utah Jazz alumni: Rodney Hood apologizes for fourth quarter antics

The Jazz are fortunate this offseason to have a nice core in place, few impactful free agents and flexibility with several of their guys. With all that adding up, it will be intriguing to see how their 2018 offseason, including the draft, free agency and trade market, ultimately shapes up.