The Utah Jazz didn't extend Walker Kessler when they had the chance last summer primarily because they want to be free agency players and still re-sign him this coming summer. All indications are that Kessler will stay a Jazzman, but who would the Jazz specifically target with their max cap room? The pretty clear option is Austin Reaves.
Reaves has ascended into an All-Star level player with the Lakers, making his NBA story all the more inspiring if it wasn't enough already. Locked on Jazz's David Locke made the case for why Utah should use their cap room on him.
In short, he discussed how good Reaves is in the pick and roll, revealing that Reaves among the NBA's very best at executing pick and rolls while including that doing such is one of the NBA's most valuable skills. He also acknowledged that plucking him from Hollywood would not be easy, especially since it appears the Lakers and LeBron James are on the outs.
Reaves is not only an excellent scorer, but he would give the Jazz a little more versatility. Pairing him with prime Lauri Markkanen, the ascending Keyonte George, and the promising Ace Bailey, the Jazz suddenly have one of the league's most dangerous offenses.
Locke also acknowleged that paying him and Kessler would make their cap situation a little hard to maneuver. However, in all fairness, that's a bridge the Jazz will cross when they come to it.
At the very least, the Jazz will force the Lakers to pay up
As Locke alluded to, trying to sway Reaves away from LA will be quite a daunting task, but he has shown he is an absolute building block worth every penny. It's fair to suggest that the Lakers would not be where they are right now had it not been for Reaves, as they went through the first month of the season, give or take, without LeBron.
The Lakers were already aware of the commodity they have in Reaves, but him taking yet another step towards legitimate All-Star consideration should give them more motivation to give him every last dollar he deserves. Even if the Jazz don't wind up with Reaves, they will certainly remind the Lakers of what players like him deserve.
The only conundrum is that if the Lakers get Reaves to stay, and a betting man would say that's the likeliest outcome, the other free agents in next year's class aren't much to brag home about. The Jazz will be on the lookout for a game-changer on the free agent market. Reaves fits that to a tee, and while he may not become a Jazzman, fans should expect Utah to go down swinging.