LeBron James has inadvertently helped the Utah Jazz more than he likely would have intended, and he might do it again. His departure from the Los Angeles Lakers made it easier for Utah to trade Walker Kessler there. Plus, if he relocates back East, the Jazz wouldn't have to worry about him playing for a different playoff contender out West.
But it gets better. On the most recent episode of "The Hoop Collective," Brian Windhorst revealed that among the 30 NBA teams LeBron has the chance to join, the Jazz wouldn't be last on his list.
“I think Boston would rank 30th on his list; I really honestly do. He hates Boston.”
The Jazz haven't necessarily been a hotspot for free agents over the years, but while they have done a solid job destroying that reputation once and for all, it's a W for them that James would (apparently) rather play for them than the Celtics.
No, he's not coming to Utah. I would say Jazz fans shouldn't get their hopes up about that, but Jazz fans probably weren't already. All indications are that LeBron won't be Utah's problem this season, and Utah is already more than happy to take that.
Ironically, LeBron would be awesome with the Jazz
In all fairness, even at 41 years old, plug LeBron into any team and he would change their outlook dramatically. He's not the big fish, but he is a big fish at this stage. He's still capable of putting up All-Star and All-NBA numbers when you ask him to, but just not as consistently.
In Utah, he'd be a fantastic grab. He could be easily inserted into the starting lineup, help run the offense, and be a presence on the boards. The Jazz already project to be a playoff team even without Kessler this season, but adding LeBron with no strings attached would vault them up a level.
That's not going to happen, and the fanbase knows it. Sure, Utah has two of LeBron's old teammates affiliated with the organization now (Dwyane Wade and Carlos Boozer), but that won't be enough to sway him.
When it comes down to it, James has never been an issue for Utah. If anything, they have been an issue for him when they plucked Boozer away from Cleveland in 2004. In fact, Utah has benefited from adding quite a few of his old teammates both before after he left Cleveland the second time, like Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver, Jordan Clarkson.
By virtue of being top dog in the NBA, James has made plenty of enemies for over two decades, but the Jazz have not been one of them.
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