Utah Jazz: One potential free agent target at each position

Small Forward – Tyreke Evans

Although Tyreke Evans often plays at the shooting guard position, he’s more than capable of sliding to the three and likely would do so if he were to become a member of the Utah Jazz. A lot of Jazz fans are likely going to disagree with me including Evans on this list, and that’s OK. Between his injury history, money concerns and questions about his willingness to come to Utah, he certainly is somewhat of a risky pickup, so I totally understand why fans would be wary of him.

However, high risks can sometimes bring about high rewards, and I think there are solutions to each of the concerns regarding Evans.

To backtrack a little, though, let me remind you that Evans had an explosion of a year this past season with the Memphis Grizzlies as he put up 19.4 points per game. He’s been considered somewhat inefficient in the past, but that certainly wasn’t the case in 2017-18 as he shot 45.2 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from deep. Once again, he’s even better above the break at 40.5 percent.

However, while Evans’ three-point shooting is a nice touch, the more important thing about him is that the guy can flat out score. Evans proved this past season that he’s a versatile offensive player that can contribute in a number of ways. Having a second guy alongside Donovan Mitchell who’s more than capable of putting up 20-point games on a consistent basis would be an absolute luxury for the Jazz.

But what about those concerns I mentioned earlier? The first of those is definitely money related. Coming off of injuries, Evans was a bit of a mystery heading into this past season which resulted in him landing just a $3.3 million contract. That’s next to nothing to pay for a 19.4-point-per-game scorer. In other words, he’s likely in for a nice little raise this summer.

He’s certain to be highly sought after as well. Although Memphis wasn’t ultimately able to find a suitable deal for him, he was originally thought of as one of the most likely to be dealt at this year’s trade deadline. With that being so, let me make one thing absolutely clear – the Jazz SHOULD NOT overpay for Evans. While I’m all for taking risks, if other teams are forking over major cash to him, then the Jazz should just stay away.

However, the Jazz won’t be the only team aware of the risks surrounding Evans. And in a market that, as I said, is strapped for cash, Evans may have a hard time finding the kind of offer he wants. Several teams will wonder about his injury history and whether or not this past year was a fluke or if he really has turned the corner.

If there’s hesitancy across the league to offer him, then the Jazz could take a risk and use their mid-level exception to sign Evans without handcuffing themselves too much financially. According to NBA.com, the mid-level exception heading into the 2017-18 season for non-taxpayer teams (such as the Jazz) was $8.406 million. It will be about $8.8 million for the upcoming season.

$8.8 million (assuming Utah used their entire MLE) is certainly an upgrade from the $3.3 million Evans was at with Memphis. If that’s the ballpark of offers he receives, he may be convinced to go for it in Utah. After all, the Jazz have built a reputation of developing players and while I don’t know how Evans currently views joining Utah, he has to have seen how close they are to being legitimate contenders in the West and I have a feeling that would interest him.

If fit and financial questions were worked out, his injury history would still remain a troubling concern. However, if he’s able to produce as he did in Memphis for most of the year, he could potentially be a bargain pickup for the Jazz who actually has the potential to be a difference maker. He’s shown a willingness to both start and come off the bench, so there’s plenty of ways he could contribute.

I’ll be honest, I think there’s too many obstacles for this pairing to actually come to fruition. But I still love the idea of Evans joining the Jazz as a dynamic offensive threat to pair along with Donovan Mitchell if he can be had for the right price.

The small forward position is one I’d really like to see Utah shore up. If they do so, they’ll likely go for someone a little more affordable and less risky (as I mentioned in my recent under-the-radar free agent piece, I’m a huge fan of Glenn Robinson III). Still, the idea of Evans remains an intriguing one.