The Consensus
As I said to start this piece, the Utah Jazz face an extremely tough decision regarding Derrick Favors this summer. There are strong arguments on both sides of whether to keep him or not. And honestly, the unfortunately vague answer here of what Utah should do is that it likely depends on what options become available.
If the Jazz can add a game-changing talent such as Tobias Harris, Kemba Walker or Mike Conley and there’s no other ways that it can be done without letting Favors go, then the Jazz probably have to and will do it. Seeing the longest tenured Jazzman who has been a consummate pro and worked his tail off in Salt Lake City would be a tough pill to swallow. But it’s undeniable that the Jazz need to improve, and getting rid of Favors could be the only route to do so.
With that said, if there’s any way that the Jazz could add those caliber of players without dismissing Favors, then they should absolutely pursue it. And I mean absolutely. Some may disagree with me on this, but outside of Mitchell and Gobert, I’d aim to move any other Jazz player before I’d give up on Favors. And, yes, that includes the likes of Joe Ingles, Jae Crowder and Royce O’Neale.
ICYMI: Derrick Favors says he wants to be back. His teammates want him back. GM Dennis Lindsey said he's "not part of the problem, he's part of the solution." And yet, many believe the Jazz's best way to improve is letting him go. https://t.co/w8JTngtgHB
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) May 4, 2019
It’s in no way a stretch to say Favors is Utah’s third best player, and if his opportunity were greater, he would show that full force. His reliability in the playoffs has been impeccable and the Jazz would be wise to hold on to him if at all plausible. As Dennis Lindsey said, he’s a part of the solution, not the problem.
As I mentioned earlier, I truly believe the Jazz’s ceiling includes keeping Favors on this squad. He brings so much on both ends of the floor that just can’t be overlooked. That said, Utah has to make improvements. And if dealing or releasing Favors is the only way to make something transcendent happen, then, tough though it would be, it has to happen.
But the Jazz should explore every other potential course of action before doing so. Favors is a key piece of this team that has proven he has a right to stay. Moving on from him shouldn’t quite be seen as a last resort, but it should be pretty dang close. If it’s possible to improve significantly in other areas, the Jazz should do so while also keeping Derrick Favors in their midst.