Utah Jazz: Midseason report card for Royce O’Neale
By Caleb Manser
Overall
O’Neale is set to be a free agent this summer. Other strong 3-and-D players in the NBA such as Danny Green are able to command about 15 million dollars per year on the open market, and keeping Royce won’t be cheap.
But in this case the Jazz would be getting what they pay for, as Royce is only 26 years old and has several good years left to give. The rapidity of trust he’s earned from Quin Snyder in his short career is remarkable and comparable to Joe Ingles.
Like Ingles, Royce was at one point on the fringe of being an NBA caliber player. The fact that he’s been able to find a niche here in Utah has endeared him to Jazz fans, and given that he’s a good friend of Donovan Mitchell’s he should be a high priority for the Jazz this summer.
He’s the perfect fit for the supporting cast of a high-octane offense, and has the type of personality I’m sure several NBA coaches would love to have in their locker room. Low maintenance, team first, winning player.
We’ve seen from previous NBA teams how critical a three point marksman and staunch defender can be in the NBA playoffs. The Golden State Warriors had Andre Iguodala, the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs had Danny Green, and for the Utah Jazz they will hope to see O’Neale contribute to a successful playoffs this spring.