Utah Jazz: One potential free agent target at each position

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PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 30: Montrezl Harrell #5 of the LA Clippers looks on during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 30, 2018 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Center – Montrezl Harrell

When you have an All-NBA center and probable Defensive Player of the Year on your team as the Jazz do with Rudy Gobert, you don’t typically look at his position as an area of focus. Utah doesn’t have a need to replace Gobert and if they keep Derrick Favors and Ekpe Udoh, they don’t really have the need to add a center at all.

Nevertheless, if they lose Favors in free agency or decline Udoh’s option, then the opposite will be true – they’ll need to shore up their frontcourt with some size. Although Montrezl Harrell is undersized as a center, he does have experience playing at that position, so he could be a solid pickup. Not only that, but aside from starter-caliber centers, the likes of which are too expensive and unnecessary with Gobert on the roster, the free agent center market isn’t all that appealing.

But Harrell could be one of the lone exceptions to that. He showed great promise in the latter part of the year with the LA Clippers this past season. In the final two months of the year, he averaged 14.4 points on 66 percent shooting from the field. He could use some improvement in the rebounding department, but has all the scrappiness and hustle that Jazz fans would want, making him an ideal fit and spark plug off the bench.

In situations where Utah needs to go big, he could form a potent duo alongside Rudy Gobert. Or against smaller lineups where Gobert has struggled, Harrell could be a nice backup at the center position.

He made just $1.4 million this past season and certainly should still be available at a reasonable price heading into next year. He won’t single-handedly boost the Jazz into another echelon, but he could be a nice extra piece off the bench that would add versatility without breaking the bank.

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Facing an interesting market this offseason, it’s going to be absolutely intriguing to see what the Jazz decide to do regarding both free agency and trades. While there may not be that many big name free agents realistically available, there is certainly no shortage of players that could be difference makers for the Jazz.

And it’s nice to know that no matter what position they find themselves aiming to shore up, solid options abound.

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