Make a splash or let core grow?
Mentioning those three non-guaranteed guys is a perfect segue into the final (and perhaps most difficult) tough decision facing the Jazz this summer. Do they aim to make a big move in free agency or an offseason trade to bring in additional talent to further their push in the Western Conference? Or do they let their promising young core mainly stay intact for one more season to see what they can accomplish before rocking the boat too much?
As I said earlier, this team vastly exceeded expectations this past season and certainly are already ahead of schedule of where the Jazz front office thought they’d be at this point. With that being so, they need to balance whether to try and speed things up a little more, or to stay the course and aim to make the biggest of splashes in 2019 when there’s some better options and the Jazz will have better flexibility.
If the Jazz do look to bring in a pretty significant free agent talent, it will likely mean a parting of ways with Derrick Favors as well as with at least one of the aforementioned guys with team options. If the Jazz had suitors, they could potentially look to deal someone like Alec Burks, along with others, to get his contract off the books while bringing in another contributor.
There are a ton of different routes they could go that of course all depend on opportunity.
They aren't the biggest names, but these seven affordable under-the-radar free agents could help make the Jazz better next season. Via @jaredwoodcox https://t.co/D8nH8YcXn5
— The J-Notes (@TheJNotes) May 13, 2018
And that’s the thing, if Dennis Lindsey sees a logical chance to make a big change that will lead to vast improvement, I’m sure he’ll do it. If said opportunity isn’t there, I don’t think Utah will have much of a problem focusing on internal improvement and riding this team out one more year.
Any moves that are made would need to make sense financially both short term and long term as well as in terms of fit with the current team. Lindsey is savvy enough to know not to make a risk for risk’s sake, and I’m confident that any changes he does make will be well thought out.
I honestly don’t foresee the Jazz doing anything that will rock the boat too much this offseason. They’ve already separated themselves as a top-four team in the West. They could very well make a few minor changes here and there to add some shooting and playmaking, but it’s probably wisest at this point to see what they can make of what they already have.
Regardless of what they do this offseason, they likely still won’t be able to leapfrog the behemoths in the West by next year. Therefore, they’ll probably be better off growing one more season, then seeing what they truly need to vault into that upper echelon and making those appropriate moves in 2019.
Still, if promising opportunities present themselves this summer, they’ll need to be considered, which could make figuring out the best course of action moving forward the toughest decision of the offseason.
Next: Utah Jazz ’17-18 review: His name is Jonas (Jerebko)
Despite some difficult choices facing this Utah Jazz team, the good thing is that the future is undeniably bright. Not only that, but minus Favors’ flexibility as an unrestricted free agent, the Jazz are largely in control of their own fate.
Where that fate takes them this offseason, though, is what’s going to be an absolute thrill to watch.