Should the Utah Jazz look overseas to find their 2024 version of Dante Exum?
By Chad Porto
The Utah Jazz may need a veteran presence on the bench for the 2024-2025 season. The Jazz is rumored to be making moves this offseason that could upend the entirety of the team. Danny Ainge is going "big game hunting" for one if not two major names to add to Lauri Markkanen and company. If that's the case, then the Jazz may need to say goodbye to quite a few names on the roster.
Not only that, but the expenses that come with acquiring major names would limit what the Jazz could do in free agency to help expand out the roster. That's why it's best to not trade every young player and every draft pick you have. You need to preserve as much as the team as possible in order to make a run at an NBA Championship.
You are going to have to give up something, however, and you'll have to replace that "something" somehow. We think the Jazz should follow the Dallas Mavericks of this past season, who signed ex-Jazz guard Dante Exum to help fill out the roster. He was relatively inexpensive and added a much-needed defensive presence on the Mavs.
The Jazz is in a similar situation, with several needs, mostly on the perimeter, but also down low under the hoop. The hope is that Walker Kessler will start next season, and if that's the case he'll need a backup. Why not someone like DeMarcus Cousins?
Cousins hasn't been the same player since his Achilles injury in 2018 and was further taken down a peg when he tore his ACL. After two seasons of bouncing around the NBA, playing for four teams across that span, Cousins went out to Puerto Rico for the 2022-2023 season to ply his craft for the Guaynabo Mets. In 27 games, he put up 19 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and shot 52% from the floor and 42% from three.
Now, playing in Taiwan for the Taiwan Beer (yes) Leopards of the T-1 League, he's played in six games so far, and put up some impressive figures, averaging 22.3 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists, while shooting 48% from two, and 32.5% from three.
It's obvious that Cousins still has something to offer and if the Jazz are in need of a talented, yet inexpensive backup, Cousins may be the man for the job.