Yogi Ferrell
Yogi Ferrell isn’t going to be the ultimate difference maker for the Utah Jazz, but with Ricky Rubio slated as the starter and Dante Exum the presumed backup point guard, let’s keep things in perspective. If Utah were to make a splash this summer, it likely wouldn’t be at the point. Instead they need affordable depth which is exactly what Yogi would provide.
Say what you will about Ferrell – he’s undersized and went undrafted to name a few knocks he’s undoubtedly heard before. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a scrapper and has been highly effective for the Dallas Mavericks when his name was called. He appeared in all 82 games this past season and put up 10.2 points per game while also shooting a respectable 37.3 percent from deep.
In his first season with Dallas, he shot over 40 percent from behind the arc, so his prowess as a deep-ball threat is certainly there. His size will likely never allow him to come anywhere close to resembling a force defensively, but there’s no questioning Yogi’s heart, hustle or effort. In that regard, he’d be a perfect culture fit with the Jazz. And as a quick backup point guard who would serve as a scoring and three-ball threat, he could be a nice under-the-radar addition.
He is a restricted free agent and the Mavs may see no need to part with him, but then again, Dallas tends to be aggressive in free agency and if they can land a star and need to create space, Yogi could very well be seen as expendable. Likewise, as a restricted free agent he probably won’t be high on Utah’s list of targets initially, but if they detect that Dallas is going to let him walk, they could very well swoop in.
Ferrell would by no means take the Jazz to a new level, but in terms of serving as a potential Neto replacement, I love the idea of adding his moxie and determination to the Jazz ranks.