Utah Jazz re-signing free agents is reason for celebration, not criticism

The Utah Jazz roster will look quite similar next season which, considering how well they ended last year, should be reason for great excitement.

Saying that the Utah Jazz exceeded expectations last season is more than a fair statement, it’s an undeniable truth. After losing their top two leading scorers including All-Star Gordon Hayward, nearly everyone thought the Jazz would take a major step backwards in 2017-18. Instead, just like they had the year before, they ended up in the fifth seed in the West and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

What was even more impressive about the year was the way that the regular season wound up. In late January, the Jazz found themselves an abysmal 19-28 and had all the look of a sure-fire lottery team. But then, things suddenly clicked and the Jazz closed out the year on a 29-6 run.

The Jazz appeared to be one of the best teams in the league during that stretch. Their chemistry and cohesion were second to none and they had all the looks of a foe that could push any team to the brink.

And with that being the case, Jazz brass has decided to let that team that finished off the year so strong give it another go. Utah had three free agents heading into this summer (excluding their team option guys) in Derrick Favors, Dante Exum and Raul Neto. The team’s first order of business this offseason was to bring them all back, which, as of Tuesday, they have accomplished with ease.

The Jazz band is back together and ready to make sweet music once again.

Some fans have complained that the Jazz weren’t bold or daring enough by just bringing back the same squad as last year – one that was bounced by the Houston Rockets in five games. However, to think this way is to err significantly. There’s a fine line between boldness and imprudence and Utah’s commitment to its players should be celebrated, not criticized.

The Jazz may have very well been able to seek out a player that would have served to make a bigger splash such as Jabari Parker as some fans wanted. However, considering Utah’s success to end last season, keeping their roster intact was far and above the wisest move. There were no clear and easy shortcuts that would have vaulted the Jazz to another echelon, and this squad that ended last season so well deserves a shot to run it back and show what else they can do.

With all of last season’s early chemistry hiccups out of the way, this tight-knit group should be ready to come in and pick up where they left off – plowing their way through the competition. Figure into that as well that each of these three free agents the Jazz are bringing back, along with other key players such as Donovan Mitchell, Ricky Rubio, Royce O’Neale and Rudy Gobert, to name a few, will continue to improve this offseason and into next season, and there’s a lot to be excited about with this group.

Rather than improve by throwing new faces into the mix, the Jazz have decided to improve by keeping their incredible unit intact and trusting in the individual improvement of each of them. Mark my words, so long as the Jazz stay healthy, they’ll be an even better team in 2018-19 than they were in 2017-18 due to the mere improvement of their individual players.

Will that improvement be enough to make them better than the league’s elite, the Houston Rockets and especially the Golden State Warriors? Probably not. But it’s certain to get them close. And if anyone has a suggestion for what they could or should have done differently to instantly surpass those two teams, I’m sure that Dennis Lindsey would love to hear it.

What I mean to say is, there’s no realistic clear path for the Jazz to get past that incredible Warriors team at this time. But by being patient, methodical and persistent by keeping their group together, they’re going about it the best way. And the best part is, Utah is still doing so expertly so that they can maintain as much financial flexibility as possible for the offseason of 2019 when there will be ample opportunities in free agency.

Derrick Favors’ two-year contract is worth $18 million per season. However, as Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune reported, the second year is non-guaranteed. The Jazz get to run it back with Favors for 2018-19, evaluate how things go, then decide on his and the team’s future. $18 million is likely an overpay for Favors for one year, but providing both he and the Jazz with that sort of flexibility makes it a heck of a deal.

Neto’s deal is constructed the same way, with the second year being non-guaranteed. Though his contract is much lower than that of Favors – two years, $4.4 million – being able to clear the space he’ll take up in 2019 if the Jazz so desire it to bring in a big-time free agent is, again, a huge win.

The Jazz may not have had a clear path for reaching title contention this summer, but they’ve improved themselves in the best way possible while also leaving the door open to achieve that illustrious goal with flexibility for next summer.

Dante Exum’s contract is the lone exception. There are no options in the young Aussie’s deal as he is set to make a guaranteed $33 million over three years.

Some fans are less than pleased with what they view as a massive overpay for Exum. Based on what he has produced thus far in his career, it isn’t hard to see why. Dante has struggled to find a footing in the NBA as he’s struggled with injury after injury.

Nevertheless, Dennis Lindsey and Jazz brass clearly believe in him and that’s a welcome sign of encouragement. Remember that this is the same organization that saw something in guys like Joe Ingles, Rudy Gobert and Royce O’Neale, and that hand-picked rising star Donovan Mitchell. If they like Exum, I would lean towards trusting them more than my own understanding.

And he’s certainly shown flashes that would justify that he could be a long-term fit for the Jazz. His defense against James Harden in this past year’s playoffs was sensational. His quickness towards the basket is nearly unmatched. He’s had games when things are going his way where it just feels as if he’s about to break out.

If he stays healthy this year, he may do just that. And by so doing, he’d make the contract that some are balking at look like an absolute steal. By year three of this deal, we may very well be praising the bargain that the Jazz were able to keep Exum at and loving the flexibility it still provides the Jazz while they roll out a formidable young guard.

Next: Utah Jazz Summer League Roundup Day 2

So while the Jazz could ultimately make a couple minor changes in the coming weeks, their steps thus far in free agency have made it clear – the team is going to look pretty similar next year. But considering that the latter half of last season was one of the most exciting stretches of Jazz basketball in recent memory, I don’t see how anything could be wrong with that.

The Utah Jazz will be back just as we remembered them next season. Except with the team’s renowned player development program, they ought to be even better, all the while maintaining ample flexibility for 2019.

No matter how you look at it, it’s an exciting time to be a Jazz fan.