Utah Jazz: A way too early look at the 2020 offseason

Emmanuel Mudiay

Unfortunately, I can already see the writing on the wall for Emmanuel Mudiay and the Jazz. He was signed on last summer on the veterans minumum contract, which in other words meant Mudiay was close to being out of the NBA and into a league in Europe or China.

He’s outperformed the expectation set by that small contract, and accomplished what he came here to do. He’s developed his game and basketball I.Q under one of the best minds in basketball, and proved to be ready when his number is called.

It’s a great luxury for the Utah Jazz, and one they ought to enjoy while they still have it. When Mike Conley needs to rest for a game because of a back-to-back, Mudiay is ready to provide. He did so against the Dallas Mavericks.

In the rare case where Donovan Mitchell needs to sit out a game, I have no doubt Mudiay will be ready then too. He was certainly ready against the the Washington Wizards back in January, when he and Joe Ingles made up the starting backcourt and went on to win the game.

I won’t doubt that we will see another big game from the Congo Native during a blowout (perhaps against the Knicks this Wednesday), and/or in one of the last regular season games in mid-April, kind of like how Grayson Allen dropped 40 points last year.

As soon as he’s through with the Jazz’s playoff run this spring, Mudiay should look for a bigger opportunity. There’s a small chance that opportunity opens up right here in Utah if the Jazz and Mike Conley part ways.

But more likely than not, I can see him joining a mid-level team as the third guard in the rotation or even the starting point guard. The Washington Wizards could use him to give John Wall a soft landing back from his major injuries, and he be an upgrade over Ish Smith.

The Jazz can find a way to tie up loose ends on the roster through the NBA draft (they likely get their own first round pick), G-League (Jarrell Brantley has been tearing it up), and by shopping around role players like Ed Davis and Georges Niang.

So while it may not be as exciting as last offseason, there are still some real storylines to pay attention to this offseason for the Utah Jazz. Let’s hope they find a way to raise this current team’s ceiling as the West looks to get even stronger next year. The Warriors are coming!