It’s hard to imagine how this offseason may play out for the Utah Jazz. If they make a trip to the Conference Finals or further, there’s a decent chance they’ll upgrade on the margins. If not, it’s possible we’ll see this team blow it up. Here, we’ll assume the nuclear option is off the table. We don’t have a solid reason for doing so. We’re simply assuming that you, as a Utah Jazz fan, don’t want to consider that possibility in-depth.
With that assumption in mind, we’ll note that the Jazz project are fairly cap strapped: they’ll probably be working with little more than the MLE. If they accomplish enough this year to keep their core together, the front office will live with that.
Maybe the Jazz do make that run, or maybe Donovan Mitchell decides he’s happy in Salt Lake City regardless. Don’t stress the hypotheticals: just be glad the Jazz are sticking with the Mitchell and Gobert pairing.
Here are 5 free agents in the upcoming offseason who could strengthen it.
Utah Jazz Free Agent Target #5: Josh Okogie
Okogie’s tenure with the Minnesota Timberwolves probably hasn’t gone as either party had hoped. Now in his fourth season, he’s averaging a career-low 11.6 minutes per game.
Shaky three-point shooting is probably the culprit for his ever-decreasing role. Okogie is a career 27.4% long distance shooter. As a 6’4 wing in the three-point era, that’s not ideal.
He still has the tools to be a productive NBA player. Armed with a nice wingspan and good, quick instincts, Okogie is a solid defensive wing. He’s posting a 0.8 Defensive Box Plus Minus (DBPM) this season.
There is no good reason to assume Okogie can’t improve on his three-point shot. If he does, he’ll become exactly what this Utah Jazz squad needs. Otherwise, he should be gettable at a price point that would justify keeping him at the end of the bench.