NBA Rumors: Utah Jazz Reveal Major Plan In The 2019 Offseason
The Utah Jazz will be heading into the 2019 NBA offseason with the goal of building a roster that can legitimately contend for the NBA championship title in the 2019-20 NBA season. With the face of the franchise, Donovan Mitchell, approaching the level of legitimate NBA superstars in the league, the Jazz are expected to be aggressive in surrounding him with players that could help him take the team to the next level.
One of the top priorities for the Jazz in the summer of 2019 is to find the replacement for Ricky Rubio as starting point guard. Before the February NBA trade deadline, the Jazz tried to address their backcourt issue by engaging in a trade deal with the Memphis Grizzlies involving All-Star point guard Mike Conley. Though their previous negotiation with the Grizzlies failed to materialize, Tony Jones of The Athletic (via Hoops Rumors) revealed that the Jazz are still planning to resume their pursuit of Conley next summer.
It’s not a surprise why the Jazz are very interested in adding Mike Conley to their roster. Conley may be nine years older than Donovan Mitchell but at 31, he still hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. This season, the veteran point guard averaged 21.1 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.3 steals on 43.8 percent shooting from the field and 36.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
However, there is one major problem with the team’s pursuit of Mike Conley in the 2019 NBA offseason. As Jones noted, the Jazz won’t have contracts that can match Conley’s salary next summer since most of the assets they tried to use before the February NBA trade deadline will be hitting the free agency market after the 2018-19 NBA season. If the Jazz fail to acquire Conley or a new floor general, they will reportedly consider the possibility of using Donovan Mitchell as their starting point guard.
Positionless Podcast: Mike Conley on facing criticism, toughest players to guard, best NBA golfers and more. https://t.co/aRUSWkJQer
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Aside from the trade market, the Jazz will also try to improve their roster via free agency where one of their top targets is Tobias Harris of the Philadelphia 76ers. Harris has already expressed his desire to re-sign with the Sixers. However, if the Sixers offer him less than the max next July, Jones said that the 26-year-old power forward will consider leaving Philadelphia for Utah.
Tobias Harris may not be on the level of other incoming free agency superstars like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Kyrie Irving, but he will still be an incredible addition to the Jazz. Harris will give the Jazz a very reliable option on the offensive end of the floor. His ability to excel in an off-ball capacity makes him the perfect fit to the ball-dominant Donovan Mitchell.
When it comes to their first-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Jazz are reportedly willing to trade it if the right deal comes along. However, if they decide to keep their first-round selection, some of their potential targets include Villanova’s Eric Paschall, Gonzaga’s Brandon Clarke, Belmont’s Dylan Windler, and Louisville’s Jordan Nwora.
