Could the Utah Jazz reunite with this former franchise lottery pick?

The Utah Jazz didn’t exactly have an inspiring trade deadline. To add insult to injury, the NBA’s buyout market didn’t inspire anybody this season. It feels as though the window for this Jazz team to make significant roster additions is closed.

They may or may not regret their inaction. Stop us if you’ve read this before: the Utah Jazz probably could use an extra 3-and-D wing. They didn’t get one. There aren’t many, if any, available.

There may be one player who, if you squint hard enough, resembles one. He’s all-too-familiar to Jazz fans.

Should the Utah Jazz sign Dante Exum?

We’ll start with an apology. We know there are Utah Jazz fans screaming at their computer screens already. It’s hard to imagine a more disappointing tenure than Exum’s in Salt Lake City.

A lot of which was not Exum’s fault. Injuries have plagued his professional basketball career to-date. He played 82 games in his 2014-15 rookie campaign, missed his entire sophomore year, suited up 66 times in 2016-17 and never cracked the 50 game threshold again.

Now, he’s a free agent. Could he be the right one for the Jazz?

The last time we saw Exum in action, he was warming the end of the bench for the Houston Rockets. The rebuilding club released him toward the end of last season. However, the data we got from his 2019-20 run with the Cleveland Cavaliers may be more significant.

Dante Exum could serve some Utah Jazz needs

Some readers may be thinking that the Jazz don’t need another point guard. They already roster Mike Conley, along with two combo guards in Donovan Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson. When factoring in the deadline addition of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the addition of Exum could present a logjam.

Only, what if Exum isn’t a point guard anymore?

In 2020-21, he logged 44% of his minutes at shooting guard, and 54% of them at small forward per CleaningtheGlass. At 6’6, Exum becomes a more intriguing proposition if viewed as a wing who provides some secondary ball-handling and playmaking.

As far as fitting the 3-and-D archetype, Exum isn’t perfect. His defense was never in question. It’s his 3-point accuracy that tends to waiver. Still, he did drill 35.1% of his 1.5 attempts per game in 2019-20.

Granted, the mark came over a 24 game sample, and it’s not elite to begin with. Still, Exum could be a valuable low usage rotation player for the Jazz if he could maintain that accuracy.

Dante Exum will not make or break the Utah Jazz

Let’s put an emphasis on “low usage” here. Dante Exum is unlikely to be the factor that pushes the Jazz into championship territory. Still, he could be an intriguing rotation player with the potential to upgrade their defense.

At this point in the season, that might be the most the team could ask for.

Besides, who doesn’t love a good reunion? Exum’s first stay with the Utah Jazz was disappointing because he didn’t meet the expectations of a lottery pick. If he does join the team for a second tour of duty, those expectations will have to be substantially lowered.