The Minnesota Timberwolves have extended a qualifying offer to Nemanja Bjelica, who some have considered a potential Utah Jazz free agent target.
Although it’s always fun to dream about new players who could potentially join a team’s fold in free agency, in the case of the Utah Jazz, it appears that their focus is primarily on bringing back their own free agents – Derrick Favors, Dante Exum and Raul Neto. Such wouldn’t be a shocking move considering that the Jazz ended the year as one of the most successful teams in the league last season and running it back could very well bring about major dividends.
However, that doesn’t change the fact that there are players out there that the Jazz organization may have their eyes on, and that Jazz fans most certainly are pining for. Considering that Utah will have some amount of cap space this summer, particularly if they waive a non-guaranteed player or are unable to retain a free agent, and they have their mid-level exception available, there’s certainly room for them to add to their ranks.
One particular free agent that has been on the radar of several fans, if not the organization itself, is Minnesota Timberwolves stretch big man Nemanja Bjelica. Earlier in the summer, Bjelica and Donovan Mitchell spent some time together at the Adidas/EuroLeague Next Generation Tournament in Serbia. Later, Jazz point guard Ricky Rubio appeared to low-key recruit Bjelica with a comment that read, “Teammates next year??”
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This got several Jazz fans pretty excited, especially considering that Bjelica shot 41.5 percent from deep last year. He has the shooting touch and size to be a formidable stretch-four threat off Utah’s bench, which would fill a significant area of need for the team. There haven’t been any reports that the Jazz are officially pursuing him, per se (they’re usually tight-lipped about such matters anyway), but it makes sense that they could be and Rubio’s seal of approval seems to further that theory.
However, Bjelica is a restricted free agent and, as it was announced on Thursday, is set to remain that way. Per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, Bjelica’s Minnesota Timberwolves team, which has the right to match any offer sent his way, has indeed extended a qualifying offer to the big man out of Serbia.
This isn’t much of a surprise, but it does confirm that Bjelica will likely be hard to pry away.
Then again, although Minnesota head coach Tom Thibodeau reportedly would like to see Bjelica back, the qualifying offer by no means guarantees that he will be. Reports indicate that Bjelica will still seek to test his market. If an offer greater than the roughly $4.9 million he’d be guaranteed based on what the Wolves have initially agreed to comes in, then the Timberwolves may find themselves hesitant to match.
This makes Bjelica a restricted free agent. Bjeli is expected to test the market. Wolves hopeful they can retain him but bracing for an offer that would be too pricey.
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) June 28, 2018
They have quite a hefty payroll in front of them, and Bjelica’s coveted skill set could very well help him land more lucrative offers. If he does, don’t be surprised if Minnesota decides to back away from the price and simply let their sharpshooter walk.
It will be interesting to see whether or not the Utah Jazz are one of the teams with which Bjelica has discussions about potentially joining. The Jazz have been viewed as an excellent destination for international players due to their style of play and already diverse backgrounds on their roster, so initially a fit and interest seem quite logical.
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The Jazz like to keep their cards close to their chest, though, so even if Bjelica is on their radar, there’s no telling what other opportunities they have in their sights. But one thing is for certain, when free agency begins on Sunday, there’s going to be a lot to watch for across the league, and the Utah Jazz are certainly no exception to that.
The Jazz need to add shooting and Bjelica most definitely fits that bill. So don’t be surprised if, unless other unexpected options emerge, Utah winds up being one of the squads attempting to steal Nemanja Bjelica away with a promising offer.