The Utah Jazz have been in a tough spot lately. A combination of general injuries and health and safety protocols have left the team ravished. So much so that in their last contest, they were forced to start the 6’5 Royce O’Neale at center.
That’s a particular issue against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who field an unconventional triple towers lineup. Regardless, it’s likely to be a problem against virtually any team in the NBA.
Luckily, there are options. The Utah Jazz have already made avail of the league’s new hardship exception, which allows teams greater leeway to sign players to 10-day contracts. They should do so once again on an expedited basis to ensure they’re not entering games at such a significant size disadvantage.
Readers should note that none of these guys are going to revolutionize the Jazz’s fortunes. That, of course, is why they’re potentially available on 10-day contracts. Regardless, any one of these big men could offer the team size on the interior, and at least a semblance of rim protection and rebounding.
In all likelihood, they won’t get extended either. These Utah Jazz are fairly set in the middle with a rotation of Rudy Gobert, Hassan Whiteside and small-ball option Rudy Gay. These guys would be options for short term relief while none of those 3 are available.
If they contribute enough, another NBA team may see them as something more than that.
Here are 3 potentially available big men the Utah Jazz should be getting on the phone with as soon as possible.
Utah Jazz coax Aron Baynes out of retirement
Aron Baynes is allegedly retired. That’s fine. So was Darren Collison. So was Jay-Z before he dropped Kingdom Come. As a general rule, anyone who retires before the age of 40 should be treated with a degree of skepticism.
We haven’t seen Baynes since last season, when he suited up in 53 games for the Toronto Raptors. Admittedly, he didn’t make the impact Raptors fans were hoping for. He began the year in the starting lineup before getting waived mid season.
Luckily, the Utah Jazz wouldn’t be looking for a starting, or even backup center, in Aron Baynes. They’d be looking for a temporary solution, and he should be able to offer one. Last season, Baynes averaged 12.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per 75 possessions for the Dinos. His -1.1 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM) was subpar, but also well off his sturdy -0.1 career mark.
Similarly, his 26.2% accuracy from downtown was less impressive than the 35.4% he hit over 2019-20. Still, he offers a semblance of floor spacing in addition to conventional big man skills. That’s a wrinkle Quin Snyder has not featured in this season’s attack, as both Rudy Gobert and Hassan Whiteside are non-spacers.
Utah Jazz fans shouldn’t stress his subpar performance on defense and from three-point range last season. This is a 10-day contract. Baynes would have virtually no chance of extending his tenure in Salt Lake City with Gobert and Whiteside already on the roster. This would be short-term relief for the team, and a league wide audition for Baynes.
It’s a long shot. Baynes suffered an injury this offseason that’s supposed to keep him on the sidelines throughout 2021-22. The Jazz should at least pick up the phone and see if his recovery might be ahead of schedule.
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.
Utah Jazz find Moose in headlights
Full disclosure: Greg Monroe is currently on a 10-day contract with the Washington Wizards. We shouldn’t covet another team’s player, but, here we are.
Besides, Monroe’s time in Washington should be coming to an end quickly. His 10-day contract has nearly expired, and the Wizards are returning long-injured, potential starter Thomas Bryant. Between Bryant, Daniel Gatford and Montrezl Harrell, the Wizards have an absolute logjam at that position.
The Utah Jazz, you’ll recall, started Royce O’Neale at center in their last contest.
We don’t need to look back to 2020-21 to justify Monroe’s addition. His basic counting stats from the 3 games he played with the Timberwolves earlier this season tell us all we need to know. He averaged 6.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 blocks in 21.0 minutes per contest over that stretch.
At 6’11 and 265 pounds, Monroe provides the Jazz plenty of the size they’re currently in need of. Monroe is one of the players that the NBA’s 3-point revolution left behind. He entered the league as a back-to-the-basket scorer right as it decided that those players wouldn’t be valued.
He responded by morphing from a prospective star into a role player. Monroe doesn’t light up scoreboards, but he’s a solid positional defender, a plus positional passer, and a generally heady veteran.
He’d more than fill Utah’s temporary needs.
There could be more options for the Utah Jazz on the open market than just these 3 players. They should explore them. One thing remains abundantly clear: there is no reason for the team not to sign a center to a 10-day hardship contract.