11 Free agents Utah Jazz must resist overpaying this summer

Lonnie Walker IV

Lonnie Walker IV had an interesting year with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was in the rotation, playing a big role, and then completely fell out of the rotation for a while in the latter portion of the season after the NBA Trade Deadline. Then, in the NBA Playoffs, Walker had one moment in Game 4 against the Golden State Warriors that will be remembered forever (scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter to help the Lakers cement the win).

Heading into free agency, it’s safe to say that his value is somewhat confusing. Though he did just average 12 points on 37 percent shooting from 3-point range, Still, at just 24 years old, there will be a market for Walker this summer. The Utah Jazz seem like a team that should be interested. He fits what they should be looking for in free agency: he’s young, talented, he hasn’t hit his ceiling, and (after this season) he is experienced.

However, because of all that, his contractual demands could be high. Even though Walker seems like a great target for the Jazz, without much star potential, they should pass on him. Especially if they’re looking at paying him upwards of $15–20 million per year. That’s a huge overpayment that they should avoid completely.