Possible Utah Jazz addition: Tyler Johnson
If the Utah Jazz do offer Tyler Johnson a contract, its value probably won’t be enough to elicit the sort of visceral reaction Johnson has had to a payday in the past. Still, he’s a solid combo guard that should be comfortably worth the equivalent of a fourth guard’s salary.
Versatility is Johnson’s calling card. He epitomizes the jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none cliché. In 2019-20, Johnson posted a VORP of 0. In other words, he was a precisely average NBA player.
Playing behind the triumvirate of Mitchell, Conley Jr. and Clarkson, that won’t be an issue. His usage rate of 13.3% last season squares nicely with the Jazz’s wealth of playmakers, and his career three-point percentage of 36% bodes well for his fit with the squad as well.
A true combo guard, Johnson can play alongside any of the 3. While he’s unlikely to significantly boost the effectiveness of any backcourt combination, he’s equally unlikely to have an adverse impact on any lineup he’s slotted into.
Johnson may not be the most exciting option for this Utah Jazz club, but he’s more reliable than young guns like Trent Forrest, Elijah Hughes, Matt Thomas or Miye Oni. For a contending squad looking for a third string guard, reliability trumps excitement.
Utah Jazz fans in Salt Lake City and abroad will enter the 2021-22 NBA season with an abundance of optimism. There are few question marks left surrounding this team, but a fourth rotational guard is one of them. Any of these 3 players would be a solid option to provide an answer.