Utah Jazz: Several potentially fitting free agents snatched up in early hours
Trevor Ariza
This was perhaps one of the oddest moves of the early hours of free agency. In a complete “show me the money” kind of move, Trevor Ariza inked a one-year, $15 million deal with the Phoenix Suns.
This has big implications on the Utah Jazz for a few reasons. First off, many thought Ariza would be an ideal fit in Utah due to his hard-nosed defense and shooting capabilities. That’s obviously off the table now. Also, rather than pursue a championship, Ariza is clearly embracing a high-paying mentor role on a young Phoenix team that doesn’t figure to be a threat at all this season. In doing so, he’s also definitely hurting the West-leading Houston Rockets.
The Rockets manhandled the Jazz in the playoffs this past year, but if they begin to decline at all, it could open a nice window of opportunity for Utah moving forward.
Last of all, the Suns were a team that purportedly could have interest in Utah’s pair of key free agents Derrick Favors and Dante Exum. This acquisition would seem to slam the door shut on Exum and likely make things a bit too crowded for Favors (especially after drafting Deandre Ayton).
Ariza is off the Jazz’s target list (assuming he was ever there to begin with), but is also off a Western Conference rival. And now the Suns have next to no chance of being able to poach one of Utah’s free agents.