The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz: The four toughest decisions facing the team this summer

By Jared Woodcox

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MAY 4: Derrick Favors #15 of the Utah Jazz is introduced 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. 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 Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MAY 4: Derrick Favors #15 of the Utah Jazz is introduced 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. 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 Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Utah Jazz Thabo Sefolosha Jonas Jerebko
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 18: Jonas Jerebko #8 and Thabo Sefolosha #22 of the Utah Jazz attend a press conference after signing with the Utah Jazz at Grand America Hotel on July 18, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Keith Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Non-guaranteed players

In the aftermath of the Gordon Hayward departure, Dennis Lindsey was forced to scramble to add talent to a crippled Jazz team. He performed exceptionally well by adding under-the-radar players such as Thabo Sefolosha, Jonas Jerebko and Ekpe Udoh, all of which made significant contributions at one point or another throughout the year.

What was even better about those acquisitions is the fact that all of them are on extremely flexible contracts with team options for 2018-19. If the Jazz value them and want to keep them around, they can. If they need to create cap space, they have three easy ways to do so.

The difficult part, though, is deciding which course of action will be best.

As I mentioned, all three of these guys were contributors at some point during the season, but at the same time, none of them was particularly indispensable. Sefolosha was great early in the year (and I think he would have been awesome had he stayed healthy) but the Jazz were still able to thrive even when he went out due to injury.

Jerebko had some nice moments and was always ready to go off the bench, but his ups and downs led to limited playing time for him this season. Udoh started out the year impressively and is a great insurance policy at the backup center spot, but he was never what you would consider vital.

In other words, all of these players are great to have on the team, but none of them are moving the needle enough to be considered anywhere close to untouchable. The Jazz will have to decide whether to continue on with this trio of players or whether they’d like to waive any of them to clear cap space for a more expensive free agent or to simply replace them with other viable options.

The trade market will be an interesting avenue for several teams to explore this summer as well, and considering the flexibility on each of those three players’ contracts, they could potentially also make nice trade pieces.

Their fate as Jazzmen will likely depend on what other opportunities arise around the league, but the fact remains that the Utah front office will have some tough decisions to make on them. The Jazz have until July 1 to decide on Sefolosha and until July 9 to decide on both Jerebko and Udoh.

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