Utah Jazz 2018 offseason checklist: Bigs, Burks and wing scoring

By Ryan Aston | May 15, 2018

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MAY 4: Coach Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz discusses a gameplay with his team before the game against the Houston Rockets during Game Three of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 4, 2018 at the Vivint Smart Home Arena Salt Lake City, Utah. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /

8 of 9

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 10: Thabo Sefolosha #22 of the Utah Jazz handles the ball against the Washington Wizards on January 10, 2018 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

A diamond in the rough via free agency

When Hayward decided to hit the road last July, it left the Jazz in a pretty rough spot. The team was suddenly without its All-Star and, by that time, all the players with the potential to replace his production were off the market.

Doom and gloom reigned along the Wasatch Front.

Lindsey didn’t panic, though. He went to work signing Sefolosha, Jonas Jerebko and Ekpe Udoh; players that didn’t move the needle at the time, but who would ultimately prove extremely valuable over the course of the ’17-18 season.

This summer, with the Jazz facing long odds to bring in a marquee free agent (and likely lacking the cap room to do so anyway), he’ll need to find a hidden gem on the discount rack once again. The 2019 offseason will be a better time for making a splash; right now it’s all about incremental upgrades on a budget.

Maybe that’s where a Hezonja, a Wilson Chandler or a Kyle Anderson type comes in.

Next: Good health

Home/Jazz News