3 Routes Jazz Could Take to Upgrade the Starting Forward Spot

Heading into the 2023 offseason, the Utah Jazz have some moves to make. With only two starting spots secured by Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen, all bets are off on where the remaining three starters will be coming from.

Jazz GM Justin Zanik touched on this in his postseason press conference.

“We want good players,” Zanik said. “It doesn’t matter how we find good players, we want good players. If the chances come up on the trade market, great. But we’re not going to be pushed by a timeline. For us, this is a continuous timeline of just trying to make good decisions.”

A position that Utah will be looking to upgrade is the forward spot. Because Markkanen can play the three or the four, Utah will have some flexibility in who it can target.

Let’s examine how Utah could be obtaining its next starting forward.

Free-Agent Market

There are a handful of names that Utah could target in this year’s free-agent market. Jerami Grant is one that stands out, although he’ll be pricey. Grant bet on himself by turning down a four-year, $112 million contract that was offered in late January. With the Portland Trail Blazers possibly going full rebuild, he could be playing in a different uniform next year.

The prime player to pair with Markkanen is Naz Reid from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Although listed as a center, Reid has the skill set to start at the four but also could get minutes as Kessler’s backup.

This last season, Reid averaged an impressive 11.5 ppg in just 18 minutes of playing time per contest. Also, he's a more than capable three-point shooter with room to grow at only 23 years old. Obtaining a player that can stretch the court with Kessler on the floor is a must and Reid fits the bill.

With Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns under contract next year, Reid may be looking for a larger role moving forward. He won’t be cheap, but also won’t be as pricey as Grant.

Draft Options

Unless the Jazz get some lottery luck and jump into the top four, most likely a starter won’t be coming from the draft this year. Houston's Jarace Walker or Alabama's Brandon Miller could be starters but are projected to be selected somewhere between No. 5 and No. 8. The Jazz will be selecting either 1-4 or 9-10, which puts them in no man’s land in regard to Miller or Walker.

Gradey Dick, Cameron Whitmore, and Taylor Hendricks are other names to keep an eye on. All have a lottery ceiling, but also are entering the NBA after just one year in college and may need a year to develop before being inserted in the starting lineup.

Unless the Jazz win the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes or trade up to get Miller or Walker, a starting forward most likely won’t come from the draft.

The Incumbent

If Utah strikes out in the draft and free agency, then incumbent Kelly Olynyk will remain the starter. Olynyk’s contract isn’t fully guaranteed this year, but Utah most likely will keep him for one more season. Zanik touched on the matter last week.

“I would anticipate that we would be having him back," Zanik said. “Obviously, we’ll go through the offseason. This is the kind of time to decompress and take a little bit of a break. We have some time to make those decisions, but I was really happy with Kelly’s contributions and he’s fit in great here.”

Olynyk would be adequate and buy Utah more time to find a permanent solution.

The Takeaway

My money is on the starter coming out of free agency this year. The Jazz are in need of an upgrade and it appears CEO Danny Ainge is at a point where he’ll be looking to write out some checks.

“It’s going to be a lot more fun this year,” Ainge said on April 11. “More draft picks. More money. Shopping spree.”

Stay tuned.

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