Utah Jazz: Five power forward options in free agency

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HOUSTON, TX – MAY 14: Luc Mbah a Moute #12 of the Houston Rockets boxes out against the Golden State Warriors in Game One of the Western Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 14, 2018 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. 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 Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Luc Mbah a Moute – Houston Rockets

Utah Jazz fans who really only know Luc Mbah a Moute from the Jazz-Houston playoff series, may be surprised to see this name on the list. The problem is that we only saw post-shoulder surgery Mbah a Moute, and that is definitely not the player the Rockets got for the majority of the year.

His numbers definitely do not jump off the page, but he absolutely fits the mold of the Utah Jazz. He is a defense first, hard nosed player, who on the offensive side of the ball will simply make the right play. He only averaged 7.5 points per game last season, and his career high in points is just 7.7.

He has worked hard to get where he is today. In the first six years of his NBA career, he never attempted more than 37 threes. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he attempted 202 in the 2014-15 season, shooting 30 percent on those attempts. He has attempted over 100 three-pointers during each of the last two seasons for a cumulative 37.5 percent

He is an elite defensive player who has transformed himself into a capable three point shooter.

A big question is, what kind of contract can the Jazz get him on? I don’t think you want him to be a starter on your team for an entire season. Last year with the Rockets, he started 15 games out of 61. He’s a situational starter. Over the last three NBA seasons, he has only commanded about $2-4 million on average.

Money is not the issue with him, because the Jazz could realistically re-sign Derrick Favors and sign Mbah a Moute. The biggest issue here is fit. The Jazz are invested in Jae Crowder over the next two seasons, and the two may be a bit repetitive.

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