As all Utah Jazz fans witnessed last summer, the NBA offseason can be a time of tough decisions and shattered dreams. Fortunately, not only was the decision of former Jazzman Gordon Hayward ultimately countered by the rise of rookie phenom Donovan Mitchell, but this time around, Utah is facing a much less daunting offseason. Most of the decisions they have to make reside in their own hands instead of in the hands of an unrestricted free agent All-Star.
Nevertheless, there’s still some tough choices to be had, especially considering that the team overachieved in its first year since losing its former All-Star. Now Dennis Lindsey and Co. must decide what the best course of action will be to build off their recent success while balancing progressing at the optimal pace but not missing out on any big opportunities.
There certainly will be a lot to weigh and balance, especially in an interesting market that will feature several teams unable to pay talented players what they’re expecting. At the same time, that may also open up opportunities for a savvy team with flexibility, like the Jazz, to make some moves.
With those circumstances as the backdrop, there are plenty of options for the Jazz to consider this offseason, but of all the decisions facing them, the following four are bound to be the most difficult.
made it clear that he would like to stay in Utah</a>.</p>
<p>Now, that may mean Utah is his number one option regardless of circumstance or it might mean something more along the lines of “I want to stay here…if I get paid what I’m looking for.”</p>
<p>And therein lies the question for the Utah Jazz. With Derrick Favors stating his intentions and desire to stay, how do they proceed with him? Do they sign him to a hefty short-term deal, allowing him to get paid now, stay with this exciting core then have flexibility to get back on the market once more teams have a greater amount of cash available?</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">According to a recent Salt Lake Tribune report, Derrick Favors has made it quite clear that he would like to stay with the Utah Jazz. Via <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://twitter.com/jaredwoodcox?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@jaredwoodcox <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://t.co/oIov102LWG">https://t.co/oIov102LWG
<p>— The J-Notes (@TheJNotes) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://twitter.com/TheJNotes/status/995859805020438528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>May 14, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Do they stay true to their longest tenured player and figure out a way to come to a long-term agreement with him? Even if it means sacrificing some flexibility down the road and pretty much eliminates the hopes of signing a playmaking stretch-four, the likes of which has purportedly been coveted by Dennis Lindsey for quite some time?</p>
<p>Or, finally, do they simply allow Favors to walk, thanking him for his time spent in Utah, wishing him well and aim to find a suitable replacement this summer?</p>
<p>See why this is such a hard decision?</p>
<p>In truth, each of these options has its pros and cons. Favors is an undeniably solid talent and keeping him around would certainly benefit the Jazz unless they had a solid backup plan in place. When looking at the current market for playmaking fours, though, it’s hard to see who that backup plan might be.</p>
<p>The short-term deal, such as a 1+1 contract I mentioned in<a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/09/derrick-favors-played-last-game-member-utah-jazz/"> a recent piece focused on Favors</a>, is a great idea for the Jazz in theory, but Derrick may very well want to avoid the drama of playing as an impending free agent for another season, if not two.</p>
<p>Not to mention, he’s had his injury woes in the past, so considering that he just came off his healthiest season in quite some time, he might be looking to get into a long-term contract now and avoid the risk of potential injury hurting his stock down the road.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Derrick Favors' unrestricted free agency will be intriguing to watch this summer… via <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://twitter.com/jaredwoodcox?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@jaredwoodcox.
https://t.co/yh6KnosdRn
<p>— The J-Notes (@TheJNotes) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://twitter.com/TheJNotes/status/994247534460583936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>May 9, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>My personal hope is that the Jazz opt to keep Favors for at least one more year (ideally on a 1+1 contract), then they can really weigh his impact in the summer of 2019 and make a decision from there. I think Derrick will be hard-pressed to find an ideal landing spot this summer with the money, role and winning culture that he would desire and the Jazz may have a hard time finding a suitable starting four and backup center.</p>
<p>With those obstacles facing both parties, it makes sense for them to stay together for at least a little longer. However, the chance still remains that the Jazz will opt to spend the money Favors requires on a different player or that Favors will want a lucrative long-term deal elsewhere.</p>
<p>Regardless of how this situation pans out though, it goes without saying that it will be one of the toughest decisions the Jazz face this summer.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Dante Exum's free agency </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-69143" src=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F954795740-850x560.jpeg" alt="Utah Jazz Dante Exum" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MAY 04: Dante Exum #11 of the Utah Jazz watches from the bench in the second half during Game Three of Round Two of the 2018 NBA Playoffs as the Houston Rockets beat the Jazz 113-92 at Vivint Smart Home Arena on May 4, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Dante Exum’s free agency</h3>
<p>While Favors ultimately has a say in where he ends up in free agency, Utah Jazz guard <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/exumda01.html" ref="nofollow">Dante Exum</a> has less flexibility. As a restricted free agent, the Jazz can match any offer sent his way and keep him on the team if they so desire.</p>
<p>In reality, this so-called tough decision has the potential to not be so tough after all. It appears quite clear that the Jazz are still high on Dante, still believe in his ability to reach his high ceiling, and that they want to keep him on the team. If they’re able to lock him up quick with an agreeable offer or if no hefty offer sheets from opposing teams come his way, then they’ll likely just settle things easy peasy.</p>
<p>However, all it takes is one team sending a big offer his way to totally throw a wrench in things. According to <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://thejnotes.com/2018/03/28/utah-jazz-rumors-two-years-20-million-enough-dante-exum/">a report from about a month ago</a>, speculation around the league is that Exum could receive offers right around two-year, $18-20 million. At $9-10 million per year, I’d venture a guess that the Jazz would be pretty open to matching to keep him on board.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dante Exum, Raul Neto both face offseason decisions with Utah Jazz and free agency<br>By <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://twitter.com/sorny8?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@sorny8 <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://t.co/uVvxvbZazS">https://t.co/uVvxvbZazS <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://t.co/1IMfBAol13">pic.twitter.com/1IMfBAol13
<p>— Deseret News Sports (@desnewssports) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://twitter.com/desnewssports/status/998229530836746240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>May 20, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>But say a team gets daring and goes above that? Then the Jazz have to make the tough decision of whether or not Exum’s reward is worth the risk.</p>
<p>He’s certainly shown potential in his young NBA career despite all the injury setbacks he’s faced. His quickness is an incredible asset and his potential to become a lock-down defender was in full display in the playoff series against the Houston Rockets.</p>
<p>But his ball-handling, offensive control and shooting are all iffy at best. And that’s not even bringing up his shaky injury history. The Jazz like Exum and, particularly with their solid track record for developing players, still believe that he can turn into something special. However, if he’s thrown a hefty offer, the Jazz will have to decide whether keeping him is truly worth potentially handicapping their financial flexibility for years down the road.</p>
<p>The good news is that in a tight market, teams that know Exum far less than the Jazz do will likely be hesitant to throw money at him for the same risks I just brought up. If all 29 teams around the league are gun-shy and don’t feel comfortable making a big gamble on Exum, the Jazz will probably retain him quite easily.</p>
<p>But like I said, all it takes is one team…</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Non-guaranteed players </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-60642" src=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F820175790-utah-jazz-press-conference-jonas-jerebko-and-thabo-sefolosha.jpg-850x560.jpg" alt="Utah Jazz Thabo Sefolosha Jonas Jerebko" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 18: Jonas Jerebko #8 and Thabo Sefolosha #22 of the Utah Jazz attend a press conference after signing with the Utah Jazz at Grand America Hotel on July 18, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Keith Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Non-guaranteed players</h3>
<p>In the aftermath of the Gordon Hayward departure, Dennis Lindsey was forced to scramble to add talent to a crippled Jazz team. He performed exceptionally well by adding under-the-radar players such as <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/sefolth01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Thabo Sefolosha</a>, <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jerebjo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Jonas Jerebko</a> and <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/u/udohek01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Ekpe Udoh</a>, all of which made significant contributions at one point or another throughout the year.</p>
<p>What was even better about those acquisitions is the fact that all of them are on extremely flexible contracts with team options for 2018-19. If the Jazz value them and want to keep them around, they can. If they need to create cap space, they have three easy ways to do so.</p>
<p>The difficult part, though, is deciding which course of action will be best.</p>
<p>As I mentioned, all three of these guys were contributors at some point during the season, but at the same time, none of them was particularly indispensable. Sefolosha was great early in the year (and I think he would have been awesome had he stayed healthy) but the Jazz were still able to thrive even when he went out due to injury.</p>
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<p lang="tl" dir="ltr">Big offseason ahead for Utah Jazz's Thabo Sefolosha, Jonas Jerebko and Ekpe Udoh | <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://twitter.com/hashtag/takenote?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>#takenote</a> <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://t.co/h9c6E7y5X3">https://t.co/h9c6E7y5X3 <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://t.co/OhVvRZ0FLh">pic.twitter.com/OhVvRZ0FLh
<p>— Deseret News (@DeseretNews) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://twitter.com/DeseretNews/status/996772260651388928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>May 16, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Jerebko had some nice moments and was always ready to go off the bench, but his ups and downs led to limited playing time for him this season. Udoh started out the year impressively and is a great insurance policy at the backup center spot, but he was never what you would consider vital.</p>
<p>In other words, all of these players are great to have on the team, but none of them are moving the needle enough to be considered anywhere close to untouchable. The Jazz will have to decide whether to continue on with this trio of players or whether they’d like to waive any of them to clear cap space for a more expensive free agent or to simply replace them with other viable options.</p>
<p>The trade market will be an interesting avenue for several teams to explore this summer as well, and considering the flexibility on each of those three players’ contracts, they could potentially also make nice trade pieces.</p>
<p>Their fate as Jazzmen will likely depend on what other opportunities arise around the league, but the fact remains that the Utah front office will have some tough decisions to make on them. The Jazz have until July 1 to decide on Sefolosha and until July 9 to decide on both Jerebko and Udoh.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sefolosha's date is 7/1, Udoh and Jerebko's date is 7/9 according to Basketball Insiders.</p>
<p>— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://twitter.com/andyblarsen/status/968605817510359040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>February 27, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Make a splash or let core grow? </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-69514" src=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F956283686-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">HOUSTON, TX – MAY 8: Joe Ingles #2, Donovan Mitchell #45, and Royce O’Neale #23 of the Utah Jazz talk with media after the game against the Houston Rockets during Game Five of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 8, 2018 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Make a splash or let core grow?</h3>
<p>Mentioning those three non-guaranteed guys is a perfect segue into the final (and perhaps most difficult) tough decision facing the Jazz this summer. Do they aim to make a big move in free agency or an offseason trade to bring in additional talent to further their push in the Western Conference? Or do they let their promising young core mainly stay intact for one more season to see what they can accomplish before rocking the boat too much?</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>As I said earlier, this team vastly exceeded expectations this past season and certainly are already ahead of schedule of where the Jazz front office thought they’d be at this point. With that being so, they need to balance whether to try and speed things up a little more, or to stay the course and aim to make the biggest of splashes in 2019 when there’s some better options and the Jazz will have better flexibility.</p>
<p>If the Jazz do look to bring in a pretty significant free agent talent, it will likely mean a parting of ways with Derrick Favors as well as with at least one of the aforementioned guys with team options. If the Jazz had suitors, they could potentially look to deal someone like <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/burksal01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Alec Burks</a>, along with others, to get his contract off the books while bringing in another contributor.</p>
<p>There are a ton of different routes they could go that of course all depend on opportunity.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">They aren't the biggest names, but these seven affordable under-the-radar free agents could help make the Jazz better next season. Via <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://twitter.com/jaredwoodcox?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@jaredwoodcox <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://t.co/D8nH8YcXn5">https://t.co/D8nH8YcXn5
<p>— The J-Notes (@TheJNotes) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2018/05/20/utah-jazz-four-toughest-decisions-facing-team-summer/"https://twitter.com/TheJNotes/status/995508814446149638?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>May 13, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>And that’s the thing, if Dennis Lindsey sees a logical chance to make a big change that will lead to vast improvement, I’m sure he’ll do it. If said opportunity isn’t there, I don’t think Utah will have much of a problem focusing on internal improvement and riding this team out one more year.</p>
<p>Any moves that are made would need to make sense financially both short term and long term as well as in terms of fit with the current team. Lindsey is savvy enough to know not to make a risk for risk’s sake, and I’m confident that any changes he does make will be well thought out.</p>
<p>I honestly don’t foresee the Jazz doing anything that will rock the boat too much this offseason. They’ve already separated themselves as a top-four team in the West. They could very well make a few minor changes here and there to add some shooting and playmaking, but it’s probably wisest at this point to see what they can make of what they already have.</p>
<p>Regardless of what they do this offseason, they likely still won’t be able to leapfrog the behemoths in the West by next year. Therefore, they’ll probably be better off growing one more season, then seeing what they truly need to vault into that upper echelon and making those appropriate moves in 2019.</p>
<p>Still, if promising opportunities present themselves this summer, they’ll need to be considered, which could make figuring out the best course of action moving forward the toughest decision of the offseason.</p>
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