Utah Jazz Newsfeed
Active Member
Baseball's trade deadline and the first football game in what must have felt like years draw the attention, but in the background NBA teams continue to pursue free agents ahead of training camps, and some front offices ponder trades.
If Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors showed one thing in the Finals this past year, it's the return of draft and depth importance. With such a lesson in mind, teams continue to do whatever it takes to improve.
Here is the latest from the rumor mill as teams continue to push for the same approach on paper.
Toney Douglas' New Home
The Indiana Pacers are a different team this year. Gone are David West and Roy Hibbert, in are new faces such as rookie Myles Turner and Jordan Hill.
With the way the offseason went, it's clear the Indiana front office wants to walk the present-future tightrope in the hopes a playoff appearance in the weak Eastern Conference is within reach.
As such, it makes sense the team would scoop up Toney Douglas, per USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt:
It's hard to know if Douglas will make the final roster given the presence of 15 players under contract already.
Either way, the 29-year-old Florida State product adds some impressive depth at the point. Douglas hasn't appeared in more than 27 games in a season since 2012 but managed to hold onto an 11.26 player efficiency rating last year in limited playing time, per ESPN.com.
For now, Douglas backs up George Hill and Rodney Stuckey as the proof Indiana sees the light when it comes to the league's winning strategy.
The JaVale McGee Sweepstakes
One of the biggest names available—from a figurative and literal sense—is JaVale McGee.
Standing at 7'0", 270 pounds, McGee is big depth many teams covet for the right price. The former Nevada star continues to sit on the market and take his time with a decision, though, as he works his way back from injury.
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders provided an update on the situation:
Given his size, age (27) and averages of 4.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game in limited playing time with two different teams a season ago, it's no wonder teams have an interest.
Look at the Los Angeles Lakers. The team added Roy Hibbert but could use a depth upgrade next to Julius Randle and Brandon Bass down low. Kobe Bryant and company seem ready to make a small push after a strong offseason, and McGee off the bench would help.
Of course, the Dallas Mavericks are in more dire straits after losing the DeAndre Jordan competition. With whiffs on anyone of note at the position, the team has Zaza Pachulia as the starter and Samuel Dalembert as the primary backup.
There might be more teams in the fray, but for now, it's easy to identify the favorites. Who says teams can't engage in bidding wars in August?
Utah's Emergency Options
The Utah Jazz are in a world of trouble right now with the news top point guard Dante Exum suffered a torn ACL this past week.
With Exum out of the picture, the team now features Trey Burke, Raul Neto and Bryce Cotton at the spot.
According to Jody Genessy of the Deseret News, the front office already seems to have a plan in place:
The Jazz are interested in pursuing a trade for Wizards guard Garrett Temple, the Deseret News has been informed.
According to a source, Jazz coach Quin Snyder is a proponent of the 6-foot-6 Temple, who would give the team a big defensive presence in Exum's absence.
The Jazz are not in a position to go wild with trades or cash, so Garrett Temple might be the best the front office can do.According to a source, Jazz coach Quin Snyder is a proponent of the 6-foot-6 Temple, who would give the team a big defensive presence in Exum's absence.
Which isn't such a bad thing. The 29-year-old LSU product went undrafted but has proven himself as key depth over his past few seasons with the Washington Wizards. Last year he averaged 3.9 points and 1.1 assists on 14.2 minutes per game.
Broadcaster David Locke added further context with advanced metrics:
The Wizards have plenty of depth thanks to Ramon Sessions behind John Wall, so Temple looks like an attainable asset.
At this point, the Jazz just need to make the deal work. The plan all along was to have a steep competition featuring Burke at point. Adding Temple isn't the perfect solution, but it might be as good as it gets to keep the plan alive.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
Full Story...