Utah Jazz: Five free agent options at the center spot
By Ryan Aston
To conclude our five-part free agency series, here’s a look at five free agent centers who the Utah Jazz could consider as options to back-up Rudy Gobert.
There’s a growing belief that the Utah Jazz may not have many big moves in them this summer. Barring a trade, their big offseason plan is likely to work to re-sign free agents Derrick Favors and Dante Exum.
They do have decisions to make on the second-year contract options for Thabo Sefolosha, Jonas Jerebko and Ekpe Udoh, and Raul Neto is also a restricted free agent, but most or all could be back in a Jazz uniform next season.
It seems the big move for the Jazz this summer could be to wait for next summer, when they’ll have more money coming off the books.
Still, the Jazz will have their cap exceptions intact, and will likely have at least a spot or two to fill, so there may be at least some work to do even if they “stand pat.” Of all the position groups they could look to tackle in free agency, though, the one we’re looking at today feels like one of the less attractive.
Other free agency fives —
The big man market isn’t exactly brimming with names that jump out at you. After DeMarcus Cousins, Clint Capela and DeAndre Jordan (who aren’t coming to Utah; the latter two would be particularly redundant), there’s a pretty steep drop-off among centers.
And, really, the Jazz may be set at the position.
2018 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert has the starting spot locked down. I would also say that the odds are in favor of Udoh being retained as a back-up. If the Jazz re-up with Favors, he’ll be sliding up a lot, too.
And then we have a wild card in second-year man Tony Bradley.
Nevertheless, there are definitely a handful of players on the market that could step in behind Gobert, or even slide between the four and the five spot as needed. Some of them actually bring intriguing talents to the table, too. So if the Jazz do something unexpected or Favors and/or Udoh aren’t back, they’ll have options.
Here are five of them…
Next: Amir Johnson