3 available big men the Utah Jazz should consider
Utah Jazz offer Thon Maker a second chance
Before you ask: yes, we’re serious, and no, we are not on Thon Maker’s payroll.
There was a time when the idea of the Utah Jazz offering Thon Maker a 10-day contract would have felt unrealistic for opposite reasons than it does today. The safer money would have had him as a vital cog on a contending Milwaukee Bucks team. That’s surely what the Bucks envisioned when they selected him with the 10th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
Unfortunately, Maker hasn’t lived up to his draft position. In fact, he’s no longer on an NBA team. He is a player fraught with issues. His slight frame leaves him unable to tussle with the league’s giants on the interior. His combination of length and quick feet should make him an elite defender, but his tendency to find himself out of position has nullified those natural gifts.
He was also supposed to be a floor spacer, but his 32.7% career accuracy from downtown doesn’t suffice in light of his various limitations. He is, admittedly, more of an idea than an actual product.
How convincing of a case has this been so far?
Let’s start over. Maker is the owner of a career 0.2 DBPM. That’s a solid mark. The last time we saw him in action, he averaged 14.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per 75 possessions over 8 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s not going to be the star player that Bucks hoped they were getting (or that countless memes suggest he is), but he probably deserves a place in the NBA.
The 24-year-old Maker likely agrees. He’d presumably pounce at the opportunity to suit up in Salt Lake City. The Jazz would be getting a hungry young player with a wide range of physical tools. He may be able to help them add a win or two to their ledger while they wait out the absences of Gobert and Whiteside.
Who knows? One of the NBA’s rebuilding squads may be willing to give him a longer term look if he delivers throughout his 10-day contract. The Utah Jazz could be the Maker of dreams; if they landed the Maker of their dreams on a temporary basis.