Kris Dunn may not be around long term with the Utah Jazz

Kris Dunn could be the first Utah Jazz player on his way out.

The Utah Jazz have a log jam at point guard. They have at least four players, maybe even five, who are trying to win the starting position. You have Collin Sexton, Talen Horton-Tucker, Keyonte George, and Kris Dunn. Then you have Jordan Clarkson, who is also in the running, but also has the shooting guard spot locked down in the event the Jazz don’t want to go down that route.

The Jazz are at 15 players on their main roster heading into the regular season, with three players on two-way contracts. That’s not to mention any last-second interest in a player like John Wall or Christian Wood. If there is, that would mean the Jazz would likely part ways with either Luka Samanic or Dunn, as both have partially guaranteed contracts only.

Dunn did showcase some good passing last season for the Jazz, and his defense may be the best of any guard on the team, but his long-term tenure with the Jazz isn’t guaranteed. Dunn’s contract makes him very expendable, and unless he blows away the coaches during camp, it’s unlikely he’ll be around Utah for long.

What may save him, however, is the team deciding to go defense first. Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy has been on record in the past talking about the defense, specifically the many-to-man defense. Hardy was quoted as saying it was “horrendous”, and that’s not going to get any better with Sexton or Clarkson running point.

That’s sort of the issue with not just playing them, but playing them together. They are not great defensive players, and it’s unlikely they’re going to become such in the future.

So while it makes sense to hand the reigns to one so they can run the offense, it could be a situation that Dunn makes the most sense to start for the team. Then again, Dunn may not get the chance if a trade happens, or if the Jazz end up being rumored to be interested in one of the more prominent free agents that are left.