The dog days of summer are here, and with them, much of the NBA offseason grinds to a halt. Most players of significant value have signed with their teams, and others are about to find out the hard way that holding out for more money doesn't always pay off.
For the Utah Jazz, August isn't always a busy month - some years nothing happens at all. For the players they have acquired in that month, many never make the opening-night roster; others don't last much longer. But at times, a diamond in the rough emerges - guys who make All-Star teams or are in the running for Sixth Man of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, All-NBA or other honors.
Here are the four best August transactions in Utah Jazz history (1979-present):
2002 - Matt Harpring, free agent signing
Near the end of the Stockton/Malone era, the Jazz took a flyer on Harpring, who had been a starter in Cleveland and Philadelphia, but only a modest one. The Jazz were an older team (average age of the five starters was 33 that year), so having Harpring and 21-year-old Andrei Kirilenko was vital to keeping some spring in their step.
Harpring had a career year in Stockton and Malone's final season in Utah, averaging 17.6 points on 51/41/79 shooting splits, along with 6.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists. It was a slam dunk for a guy that was on his fourth team, and he would remain in Utah until 2009.
2000 - Donyell Marshall, acquired via trade
The NBA FInals years were in the rear-view mirror by the summer of 2000, and with the retirement of Jeff Hornacek, the Jazz needed another scoring option who could start or play off the bench.
Marshall was a former top-five pick who had toiled away for some bad teams in Minnesota and Golden State. He stepped in and helped the Jazz maintain the Stockton/Malone era for a few more years, averaging 14.1 points, 7.3 boards, and 51% shooting from the field during his two years with the team.
1996 - Andrei Kirilenko (first round pick in 1999 acquired via trade)
This one is a stretch, since Andrei Kirilenko wasn't drafted until 1999 and didn't play for the Jazz until the 2001-02 season. However, the Jazz acquired the draft pick that became AK-47 on August 9, 1996, so it counts!
Kirilenko became one of the most exciting rookies in Jazz history when he debuted, due to the fact that he could guard players all over the court, make steals, block shots, and play amazing weakside defense near the rim.
Oh, and he was pretty good at the other end too, averaging 15.8 points, 7.6 boards, 3.6 assists, 1.7 steals, and 3.0 blocks over a three-season span (2003-04 to 2005-06) and is still beloved by Jazz fans today.
1993 - Tom Chambers - Free Agent
One of the highest-flying dunkers of the 1980's and early 1990's, Chambers had played his college ball at the University of Utah and grew up in the state.
He was excited about the Jazz's prospects as a team for the 1993-94 season and publicly lobbied for the Jazz to sign him that summer.
Chambers averaged 11.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 23 minutes a game, mostly spelling Malone at the four spot, for a Jazz team that improved by six games to 53-29 and made the Western Conference Finals, where they fell short to the Houston Rockets.
1980 - Rickey Green - waiver wire pickup
And last, but definitely not least, the Jazz found luck in picking up a player who was in the CBA at the time. Rickey Green was a blazingly fast point guard with a penchant for steals and an above-average passer.
Green averaged 13.8 points, 8.4 assists, and 2.4 steals while starting 309 of 317 games over a four-season span. He made an All-Star appearance in 1984 and led the NBA in steals that season (2.7 per game).
He was eventually unseated as the starter by some scrawny kid from Gonzaga University named John Stockton. Green was left unprotected in the 1988 NBA Expansion Draft, where the Charlotte Hornets selected him, ending his Utah tenure.
The Jazz have had some good luck in August over the years, and with a team that has playoff aspirations, no moves should be off the table. History shows it can be done!
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