There is also the possibility that he could fill some of the backup 5 minutes behind All-NBA center Rudy Gobert, now that Derrick Favors has been sent to Oklahoma City in a move that amounted to a salary dump. He has played the past four seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. Last season, he averaged 11.4 points and 4.8 rebounds, while shooting 38.1% beyond the arc.
The 15-year veteran, a former lottery pick, has career averages of 16.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Gay, a 34-year-old UConn product who now is listed at 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, will slot in primarily as a stretch-4 and perhaps occasionally as a small-ball-5 and even an oversized 3, helping the team gain some of the positional versatility it was lacking in the 2021 postseason. With the Jazz back over the luxury tax line due to the Conley signing, and their taxpayer midlevel exception now gone with the Gay signing, any remaining roster moves the team makes will come from either minimum-salary signings (including for Second-round pick Jared Butler)or via trade. The Athletic and ESPN were first to report the deal. Veteran forward Rudy Gay and the Jazz have agreed to a two-year deal worth $12.1 million, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Salt Lake Tribune. Ingles and Giddey spent time this summer with the Australian National team leading up to the Olympics (Giddey was among the last cuts) so that offers intrigue as well.Day 1 of NBA free agency saw the Utah Jazz bring back one of their own guys in Mike Conley.ĭay 2 saw them bring in someone new to fill a hole. Luguentz Dort will undoubtedly get the tap to guard Mitchell while Favors will likely have the task of dealing with former teammate Gobert. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enters his fourth season with his name mentioned as a potential Most Improved Player candidate.īy virtue of being on a deeper “ready to contend now” club Donovan Mitchell who was drafted one year prior could find himself in the Most Valuable Player conversation if the Jazz replicates last season’s success and he takes another step up the ladder. Although the Jazz are heavy favorites there are specific matchups that will allow individuals an opportunity to gauge their own growth as well.Ĭircumstance can dictate opportunity and that’s true for the two cornerstones of these franchises. This game will offer the Thunder a litmus test for how much they improved during training camp and preseason play. The Jazz also got a gem in Jared Butler via the draft when he slipped to the second round due to questions about his health. The roster is essentially the same although Utah added reserve depth via Rudy Gay, Eric Paschall, and Hassan Whiteside. Although Gobert took the brunt of the criticism the entire core needs to revisit the defensive focus that helped them become a player in the West in the first place. In particular, they got exposed facing small-ball lineups. Similarly, the Jazz who began their ascent based on quality defense took a step back last season with the addition of more scoring weapons. While they dealt with injuries in the postseason their issues centered more on too much reliance on perimeter offense. While Utah could just run everything back that worked they’d be well served to make some system tweaks.
These clubs return this season likely to finish at the opposite ends of the spectrum again with Utah looking to make a finals run and the Thunder lottery-bound hoping to nab the top draft pick.Ĭonstancy is key with this Jazz club who will try to build upon its strengths. Yet, in spite of their dominance Utah failed to get past the second round for the fifth consecutive year. Game one features a Northwest division rival who finished with the best record in the association last season. A difference of 30 wins separated the Jazz and Thunder. OKC Thunder vs Utah Jazz preview – Let the tank begin! OKC Thunder: Lengthy goals of developing positionless roster