You're the GM this offseason. What do you do?

[Ron Mexico]

Nobody is taking the full Room Exception on day 1. A lot of the dominos won’t fall right away, and lower level guys aren’t usually willing to take a deal until that shakes out - unless it’s a massive overpay, or a fair deal where they want to be (like Jingles got.) I don’t see the Room Exception in Utah being that kind of deal.

Jazz have time to explore their options. At this point, I’m hoping for one of two things.
A.) Get Tobias Harris in the door and roll out a new Core4 that focuses on putting playmakers and shooters around Rudy.
B.) Keep Favors and Exum, and run it back with Conley instead of Rubio. Jazz keep their top defensive players, while (hopefully) seeing an improvement in offense and leadership. This pathway still allows them to look at other most other options trade-wise as the season unfolds.

Sometimes players take quick deals. It happens every year, especially if they like the situation and know their own team isn't reaching out to them and putting them on the back burner.

I'll take Favors, Exum, and JaMychal over Tobias. That's a better team to me.

 

[zyzz]

From Tony Jones' new article

“We expect to be aggressive in free agency,” Utah general manager Justin Zanik said.

What does that mean? The Jazz may not even know. They certainly have a course of action. But, this is where some of what happens may be a tad beyond their control.

Here’s what we know: The Jazz feel they can open as much as $17.9 million in cap space, with the vast majority coming from Favors’ non-guaranteed contract should the Jazz decide not to bring their starting power forward back. Let’s say they don’t keep Favors. If the Jazz don’t use that entire $17.9 number on one player, they gain an additional $900,000 in cap space. In essence, if they break up the cap space, they feel they have $18.8 million in space, without bringing Favors back.

If Utah spends around $12 or 13 million on a starter type of talent, the Jazz could have as much as $6 million to spend on another player, PLUS, their $4.7 million room exception to spend on another, before their cap situation is stripped down to veteran minimum type players.

What does this mean? Essentially, the Jazz could bring in a main player, while pretty much creating two mid-level type exceptions for themselves. All of which means the Jazz could swap out Favors and bring in three rotation type players, a three-for-one, if you will.

Is it a guarantee the Jazz take that route? Of course not. Favors has huge fans in the front office. He’s a reliable starting power forward and a spectacular backup center. The Jazz have team control, and they already know they can play him 20-25 minutes a night — even if he deserves more minutes — and he will remain a thriving locker room presence.

What the Jazz have in Favors is unique. He’s a starter in his prime who doesn’t play starters minutes, doesn’t cry about it and is always there when you need him (Jazz fans who have watched playoff games know what that means). He’s not perfect — Favors is not a perimeter shooter from the power forward spot, and probably never will be. But, he’s 80 percent of what you need.

At the same time, the front office realizes what’s at stake. With the Western Conference wide open for the first time, and teams loading up for the challenge, it would behoove the Jazz to maximize the window while it’s open. That may cause for difficult decisions. Still, the Jazz won’t jettison Favors for the heck of it. For Favors not to be on the roster next season, the Jazz front office has to know that the move they make — in their minds — makes the team definitively better.

So, what do the Jazz need?

The answer to that is a simple one. There’s not enough shooting on the roster, currently. Not nearly enough.

In this day and age, it’s hard to win with just three guys who can shoot the ball under any circumstance. And this is why, sources tell The Athletic, the Utah Jazz hold interest in Nikola Mirotic.

Mirotic in a vaccum isn’t a better player than Favors. He’s hard to watch at times defensively. He can be a bit shot-hungry at other times. But he can really shoot. He’s a career 36 percent from 3-point range on volume. He’s skilled enough to attack closeouts and make plays off the dribble in some spots. He can get hot enough to win a game for you.

The Jazz like him. If they can get him at the $12 or $13 million slot, they can plug him into the power forward spot. His gravity would definitely help the Jazz offense — Mirotic certainly has gravity, it may be his biggest strength.

No question, the Jazz would sacrifice defense by putting him on the floor. So, with the other two slots, they would probably need to seek 3-and-D help, in the form of someone like Trevor Ariza. They would need someone who can guard power forward in the case that the Jazz run into a team in the postseason capable of playing Mirotic off the floor in a series

According to sources, the Jazz also have some interest in Thaddeus Young. He’s interesting. He’s not as good or as dangerous a shooter as Mirotic, but he’s a near elite defender, which is unique for a power forward because he can switch adroitly through almost all five positions, and yet shoots 35 percent from 3-point range. He averaged almost 13 points per game from the Indiana Pacers, and did so while shooting almost 53 percent from the field.

And, of course, people like Bobby Portis want to come to the Jazz. Although the Jazz are hesitant to get involved with Portis, a sweet-shooting power forward with the Washington Wizards, because of his restricted free agent status.

 

[Ron Mexico]

Tony Jones said it would be a 3 for 1 type deal if we cut favors. That's not true. We still have the trade room with Favors. So it's a 2 for 3 type move. Which could be worth it depending on the players and prices, but more risky.

 

[TheStormofWar]

From Tony Jones' new article

Jones is pretty spot on with this. I figure the Jazz still need a rotational guard (PG preferable), 3/4, and 4/5. Conley solves a ton of issues the team had, but created a couple of minor ones. That said, it's nothing that can't be fixed pretty easily. If the Jazz aren't going for another home run, I'd go with the best 3D guys we can get. There will be some bargains out there.

Something to consider as well the Jazz trading Favors for a few of the necessary players as well.

 

[Thee Jazz Fan]

Portland was arguably the third best team in the west this year behind Houston and golden state. There’s no shame in losing to Portland unless we’re still under the misconception that we were better than Portland last year. Which is laughable.

Portland had injuries, besides that, they aren’t some juggernaut that is going to go 4-1 against a team as talented as OKC, unless there are issues, which clearly OKC had.

 

[Jazz4ever]

We would have murdered them.

I watched a lot of the playoffs. It’s about skill and shooting... speed isn’t that big of a deal... those games slow down to a grind most of the time.

Portland would have been a dogfight. Every single one of Portland's bigs would take Rudy out to the 3 point line. Stotts is a good coach.

 

[SCS]

We would have beaten anyone in the West not named Golden St and Houston in a 7 games series. Including Portland. In fact we would have smacked the hell out of a Portland team without Nurkic. Gobert and Favors would have torn that frontline apart in PnR.

 

[Kyoto]

Tobias Harris is the only upgrade over Favors at 4 that are realistic. Not Parker, not Mirotic, not Portis. I can't believe the lack of respect the guy still gets, and the utter fascination with a "stretch 4". Sign a Crowder replacement and we're set there.

Dude. A stretch 4 makes Gobert and Mitchell better.

Sent from my SM-G965U using JazzFanz mobile app

 

[LoPo]

If they throw in any kind of draft assets, we should really consider it.

Trade Favors for 2nd rounders and add Ilyasova and another 2nd. Look to lock up Portis for what we have left (around $10 million).

Sent from my VS995 using JazzFanz mobile app

 

[DasJazz]

If they throw in any kind of draft assets, we should really consider it.

Trade Favors for 2nd rounders and add Ilyasova and another 2nd. Look to lock up Portis for what we have left (around $10 million).

Sent from my VS995 using JazzFanz mobile app

How does adding $3 million to their salary cap by adding Favors help them with shedding salary?

 

[Jazz]

And who’s this Exum you’re talking about? People really expect to get any meaningful production from him this year? Even when healthy he sucked.[/QUOTE]
U have no clue about basketball

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

If they throw in any kind of draft assets, we should really consider it.

Trade Favors for 2nd rounders and add Ilyasova and another 2nd. Look to lock up Portis for what we have left (around $10 million).

Sent from my VS995 using JazzFanz mobile app

Nah pick him up at the min if they waive and stretch him... 7M too important for a couple seconds right now.