Utah Jazz: 2 free agents they should have pursued this offseason

The Utah Jazz signed Rudy Gay with the obvious goal of maximizing their positional versatility. The Los Angeles Clippers eliminated the Jazzmen in the Western Conference semi-finals with their consistent use of small-ball, five-out spacing lineups, using Nicolas Batum frequently at the center position. Gay was acquired primarily to counter similar lineups as a small-ball 5 option.

Gay is qualified for the role, but Paul Millsap may have been better.

A head-to-head comparison of the two veteran forwards certainly suggests as much. Millsap’s Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 16.4 from 2020-21 is indicative of a slightly above-average rotational NBA player, whereas Gay’s 14.7 mark is slightly below the adjusted league average of 15.0. Meanwhile, Millsap’s 0.2 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM) is also a superior mark to Gay’s -0.2.

Reuniting with Millsap over signing Gay wouldn’t have just had more sentimental appeal: it may have produced a better on-court impact, as well.

Utah Jazz faithful need not sound any alarms: Gay was a strong signing. His 38.1% three-point accuracy from 2020-21 surpasses Millsap’s 34.3%, and three-point shooting is an integral component of the role he’ll be asked to play. Still, it’s worth noting that Millsap shot a blistering 43.5% in 2019-20. Furthermore, beyond DBPM, Millsap’s reputation as a defender is definitively stronger than Gay’s.

Paul Millsap is still looking for his next NBA home: the Utah Jazz should have offered him a place in his first one.