Jazz Interested In Solomon Hill, Luol Deng

4:14pm: The Jazz are also expected to have interest in Heat forward Luol Deng, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, Andy Larsen of KSL.com relays (via Twitter). It remains to be seen if Deng would be willing to accept a reserve role with Utah, given his longtime status as a starter in the league and the fact that the Jazz aren’t expected to be title contenders in 2016/17.

3:58pm: Solomon Hill was a first-round pick in 2013, but rather than heading for restricted free agency a year from now, he’ll reach the open market later as an unrestricted free agent this week, since the Pacers turned down his fourth-year option for 2016/17 last fall. According to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune, the Jazz are one of the teams with interest in Hill, whose market will be “fertile,” per Jones’ source.

Hill, who started 78 games for the Pacers in 2014/15, moved back to a bench role this past season, and saw his minutes slashed significantly. In 59 games (14.7 MPG), Hill averaged 4.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and posted a .447 FG%.

Despite those modest numbers though, Hill is aiming high in free agency. As Jones explains, the 25-year-old is a versatile perimeter defender capable of playing shooting guard, small forward, and power forward, and he played his best ball in the playoffs this spring. In Indiana’s first-round loss to the Raptors, Hill was a crucial bench piece for the Pacers, averaging 7.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, while shooting an impressive 57.9% from three-point range (he made 2.0 threes per game).

Add it all up and the former Arizona standout will be seeking between $9-13MM per year in free agency, according to Jones, who suggests that more than one team will be willing to meet that number. Jones hints that Utah could be one of those clubs, pointing out that the Jazz are well below the projected salary cap floor at the moment. Hill and the Jazz are believed to have mutual interest, Jones writes.

While the Jazz aren’t likely to offer Hill the opportunity to start, the free-agent-to-be is being advised to look for an ideal fit, not necessarily simply a spot in a starting lineup, sources tell Jones.