3 Free Agents Jazz can Afford to Target in 2022
The Utah Jazz revamped their roster three years ago looking to build around All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. Acquiring Mike Conley for Grayson Allen, Jae Crowder, and a first-rounder was a bold move.
Not only were the Jazz giving up assets for a player that was out of his prime, but it would also require using cap space that would limit what the Jazz could do in the future free-agent market. Now, this doesn’t mean the Jazz can’t do anything this summer.
The team still has access to a $6.4 million taxpayer mid-level exception where they can add a player that should be cemented in their rotation for 2022-23. But who should the Jazz target?
Here are my top-3 free agent the Jazz could pursue this summer with limited salary-cap resources.
Juan Toscano-Anderson | Golden State Warriors
Here’s a player that I think will fall in the range that the Jazz can afford. At age 29, Toscano-Anderson came off the bench for the Golden State Warriors and when given the opportunity has played well.
He fits the mold if you’re looking for someone that fits into a positionless basketball scheme. The three-point shooting was down this year, but Toscano-Anderson has proven that he can knock it down from long range in the past (40% in 2020-21).
Coming from a system that emphasizes defense can be just what the doctor ordered for the Jazz.
Hamidou Diallo | Detroit Pistons
As a restricted free agent, Detroit will need to decline a $5.2 million option for this to happen. Detroit will be looking to spend big money this summer, which could take Diallo out of their future plans. He’s truly on the bubble of being re-signed.
Here’s a player at only 23 years old with a high ceiling, but shooting threes at a 24% clip last year still makes him a bit of a project. If Diallo can get that up in the 33% range, there’s an opportunity to take minutes away from Royce O’Neale.
Mitchell at the 1 and Diallo at the 2 would give the Jazz positional size that they’ve been lacking since the Conley move.
Nemanja Bjelica | Golden State Warriors
Bjelica is a player that has a skill set that would be new to the Jazz. A center that can spread the floor and hit some threes. He wouldn’t cost much, which would help if the Jazz wanted to spread that money over a couple of players.
Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot the Jazz can do until Conley’s deal is off the books. Until then, Danny Ainge and Justin Zanik will be looking for that diamond in the rough.
Follow Patrick on Twitter @pbyrnes_patrick.
