Utah Jazz: Who will and won’t be back next season?
Raul Neto
When Raul Neto was on the floor, he actually had a very solid season. He put up career-highs in field goal percentage and assists and nearly matched his career-best scoring mark from his rookie season despite playing nearly six minutes fewer per game. Neto was steady as a backup and as gritty and reliable as ever when he received opportunities.
Unfortunately, the time that he was able to be on the floor was far too limited as Neto was plagued with an onslaught of injuries for the second straight season, this time limiting him to just 37 games played. Considering that Neto’s contract is non-guaranteed for next season, the Jazz may face a tough decision for him.
As much as I’ve loved having Neto around and appreciate the way in which he plays the game, unfortunately his injury history has rendered him far too unreliable. Factor in that Utah will need roster spots if they are to add upgrades, that they hope Dante Exum will finally be able to play the backup point and that between Mitchell, O’Neale, Ingles and potentially Allen (assuming the latter three aren’t traded) they have plenty of wing depth, and Neto looks far from necessary, especially considering how rarely he’s actually been able to suit up.
He’s been everything you could ask for in a backup point guard, and if the injury gods smiled upon him more kindly, he may very well stay put. Unfortunately, I’m feeling relatively confident that Neto will find himself on the outside looking in as the Jazz aim to upgrade their roster. Though his contract isn’t particularly burdensome, his inability to stay healthy certainly is and his roster spot will very likely be prioritized to someone new – be it an incoming free agent or a player under contract the Jazz prefer to keep.
Verdit: Likely gone