Utah Jazz Potential Free Agent Targets

SOURCE -- Utah Jazz forward/center Derrick Favors will enter the free-agency period fielding calls from interested teams as if he will be an unrestricted free agent, agent Wallace Prather told The Athletic. Favors, who has a July 6 date on his $17M contract guarantee for 2019-20, will have a robust market as a free agent with several teams pursuing big men. In 76 games last season, Favors averaged 11.8 points and 7.4 rebounds. He has been a critical part of Utah’s rise into a perennial playoff contender.

Following the Jazz trade for Mike Conley, it was believed that Derrick Favors would remain with Utah for the 2019-20 season. However, in recent days it has been reported by Tony Jones of The Athletic that keeping Favors is ‘not a lock’ for the Jazz. Hence the reports that Favors will be fielding calls from other teams prior to the July 6 deadline for Utah to pick up Favors’ team option.

Most fans will read a bit too much into this, unfortunately. No, this does not mean that Favors is looking to go elsewhere. This is just Favors and his camp doing their due diligence. The last thing that Favors wants to happen is that the Jazz don’t pick up his team option and suddenly finds himself on the free agent market a week late and all the money has been spent.

But whether or not the Jazz keep Favors, one thing is certain, Utah still needs to add players if they want a real shot at a championship run they need to add players. I'm not talking about adding another star player but adding Danny Green and Fred Van Vleet types who were so crucial to the Toronto Raptors championship.

So who are some potential players that the Jazz could look to add this summer? Some of these players have been linked to the Jazz, while others are just fan theories.

Nikola Mirotic

Mirotic has been linked to Utah for what seems like years. When the forward first became available during his days with Chicago, the Jazz were known to have interest due to his ability to knock down shots from outside. However, the Jazz decided that Favors was more valuable to them than Mirotic and he has since suited up in Milwaukee and New Orleans. But now the makeup of the Jazz roster is much different and Utah is looking to field the best possible starting five, and while Favors may be better in a vacuum than Mirotic, most experts would agree that Mirotic would fit alongside Gobert more so than Favors.

Mirotc’s ability to spread the floor - he is a 36% shooter from three during his career - would help Utah’s playmakers in Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley get to the rim, as well as help to keep the paint open for Rudy Gobert. Adding Mirotic, who is an unrestricted free agent, would cost the Jazz Favors, whose team option would have to be declined in order to have the money to add Mirotic to the roster. So do the Jazz finally add Mirotc after years of rumors, or do they once again decide that Favors is more valuable.

Bobby Portis

Portis was a surprise name who popped up on Jazz fan’s timelines when Tony Jones reported that the Forward had a significant interest in the Utah Jazz. Portis - also a career 36% shooter from three - would fit nearly the same role as Mirotic should the Jazz pursue him. Portis has had locker room issues in the past - like when he punched Mirotic in the face when the two played in Chicago - however, he has a clean record since.

The larger issue on Utah’s end is the money that Portis may command on the market. Portis and his camp believe that he should demand roughly $16-million in free agency. Another issue is that Portis, unlike Mirotic, is a restricted free agent, meaning that Washington has the ability to match any offer for Portis. That may cause any team who wants to sign Portis to overpay, something the Jazz don’t typically do.

Tobias Harris

Tobias Harris signing with the Utah Jazz after trading for Mike Conley would be enough to send Jazz fans into a frenzy. Adding an All-Star level player alongside three others would make Utah serious contenders, if not the favorites, to get to the NBA Finals. Harris would be a dream come true for Utah, and according to Tony Jones, the free agent has serious interest in joining the Jazz.

Utah’s path to adding Harris is murky, at best. It takes money to add an All-Star level talent and it is more than likely that Harris will command max money, which means that not only would Utah have to lose Favors, but would also have to cut ties with Dante Exum, at least. It would be difficult for Utah to make the money work in order to add Harris, making the possibility of Utah adding him ‘unlikely’ according to Jones.

Alec Burks

This is where the real reporting stops, and the fan theories end. This was an idea from KSL’s Austin Facer, who made the argument for bringing Burks back to Utah. Burks is a familiar face for Jazz fans, after the guard spent the first seven seasons of his career in Utah. A fan favorite, the decision to add Burks for a second stint would be a very popular one. Not only that, but adding Burks would help to add depth which would be a tremendous help come playoff time. Burks could be valuable by the time Utah finds themselves in the postseason, with Burks averaging 8.3 points per game on 40% shooting from three for his career in the playoffs.

But while adding Burks would be favorable among fans, and would be very affordable, it would be difficult for Burks to find a role for himself on this Utah team. The Jazz are loaded in the guard position, with Conley, Exum, Mitchell and O’Neale commanding most of the minutes in the backcourt. And the Jazz have other players, like recent draftees Justin Wright-Foreman and Miye Oni, who could use the leftover minutes to help them develop as NBA players. Adding Burks is a nice idea, but it’s just that and not a serious option.

Willie Reed

This is perhaps the most interesting option for the Jazz in free agency. It’s not a move that would make headlines, but it is one that could help the Jazz in the long term. Jazz center Epke Udoh is believed to be going back overseas to play professionally, leaving the backup center role up for grabs. This is exactly where Reed would fit in. Reed is a career 5 PPG scorer to go along with 4 rebounds and 60% shooting in three NBA seasons.

On top of that, Reed is familiar with the Jazz organization as he spent last season with Utah’s G League team, the Salt Lake City Stars. Reed had an impressive season with the Stars, averaging 20 PPG, 11.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks on 66% shooting. Reed seemed destined for a call up to the NBA before he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Reed could be a more-than-viable backup center for Utah while still giving the Jazz the ability to keep Favors or add a player like Mirotic or Portis, as Reed would be a vet-minimum player, leaving Utah with cap flexibility while also providing depth in the frontcourt.