Utah Jazz: Could standing pat be the best path forward?

With major questions surrounding the rest of the division, could a focus on cap flexibility and internal development be the best way for the Utah Jazz to take over the Northwest?

You could make a pretty strong argument that, top to bottom, the Northwest Division was the strongest in the NBA this season. They sent four teams to the playoffs and all five finished above .500 in the regular season. However, if you look even a year or two out there’s a very real chance this landscape looks vastly different.

Despite the strong showing this year, there is some rot at the foundation. The Northwest Division is littered with gross overpays, disgruntled stars and teams asking themselves very hard questions about their rosters and identities.

This is all good news for Utah Jazz fans — because basically none of it applies to their team.

A scan of the cap sheets across the division shows that the Jazz are very well positioned compared to their rivals. Outside of their impending Derrick Favors decision, the Jazz are in for a relatively drama-free couple of offseasons.

They aren’t swimming in cap space, but they have the flexibility to get it if needed. They have Rudy Gobert locked up and Donovan Mitchell on a rookie contract. They have a strong supporting cast without any egregious contracts among them, as well as all of their future draft picks (and then some).

Finally, the Jazz possess a strong identity that is supported from the top down and shows on the floor. They lead with defense, play methodically and execute well. That side of team building is obviously less fun to talk about, but is critically important; especially as we look at a few of their division rivals.

On that note — let’s examine the rest of the Northwest and see how easy it could be for the Jazz to take over the division by simply developing their talent and maintaining their cap flexibility.