By mid-July, most of the NBA Offseason's biggest have been resolved, but there are still some free agents left that teams should take a flyer on. That includes some Utah Jazz alumni. Among the ex-Jazzmen who are still available, one who should still be in the NBA is former lottery pick Trey Lyles.
Lyles, who began his career in Utah, has carved out a niche in the NBA due to his ability to stretch the floor as a big man. There's no love lost between Lyles and the Jazz fanbase, but he has been able to be in the NBA in part because he fits with what teams want from guys that provide what he does.
Jazz fans will remember him best for being the guy who got them Donovan Mitchell, but since then, he has played for multiple playoff teams since leaving Utah, and that includes the Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings.
The irony is that Utah has had significantly more playoff success than Lykes since they parted ways with him, but the fact remains that he has proven himself worthy of being the No. 12 pick. In his 10 NBA seasons, Lyles has a solid percentage from distance, nearly 35%, and has consistently shown himself as a rotation big for the teams he has played for.
He may not necessarily be a starter, but he has consistently been a 20-minute-a-night guy since he figured himself out. There haven't been that many reports tying Lyles to anyone, but now that the dust has settled a bit in free agency, maybe they will start up in the near future.
At the very least, he should get a training camp invite.
No, the Jazz shouldn't bring him back
Even if the Jazz weren't rebuilding, their frontcourt is loaded enough that it doesn't have any room for Lyles. Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Kyle Filipowski, Taylor Hendricks, KJ Martin, and maybe Kevin Love all make up a pretty loaded frontcourt.
Even if Lyles didn't have some really bad history with the Jazz, it wouldn't make sense. However, he could make sense elsewhere. He could be a good addition to teams desperate for frontcourt help. Teams that fit that description are the Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Lakers, all of whom have questions surrounding their roster, particularly in the big man department.
Lyles definitely doesn't solve their problems, but he is a good stopgap until they find someone who is better, and they could provide him with the opportunity to better showcase himself for a better long-term deal down the line.
He may not be the best of the best out there, but he's still good enough that he can help. He's not a game-changer, but teams could do a lot worse than him.