The Jazz are in a tough position with their point guard situation, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Mike Conley is coming off his first ever All-Star season, officially breaking his stretch as this generation’s best player without an All-Star appearance, and because of the team’s salary situation, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to replace him in the starting lineup should he walk in free agency.
2021/22 is the official start of Donovan Mitchell‘s five-year maximum extension, which will pay him approximately $28.1MM next season. Rudy Gobert is also starting a five-year, $205MM contract extension, and Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O’Neale, and Derrick Favors are all under long-term deals worth $8MM annually or more. Joe Ingles is also on a one-year extension that leaves the team with a $13MM cap hit.
All of those factors combine to make it almost impossible for the team to replace the unrestricted Conley with an equivalent player on the open market if he should accept a deal with another team.
To make things more complicated, the 33-year-old has been hampered by injuries during his time in Utah, playing just 98 of the team’s 144 regular season games, and 11 of the team’s 18 playoff games. Concerns about Conley’s durability are well-founded, and may come into play on the open market, but the Jazz can’t afford to let such questions deter them.
According to Jones’ sources, the Jazz are without question determined to bring Conley back and will make “every attempt” to re-sign him.
One thing the Jazz may have to consider, writes Jones, is bringing in another point guard if and when Conley misses time with injury. Preserving Conley for the playoffs will be paramount as the team continues to seek answers in their quest to go from regular season powerhouse to true playoff contender.
There was a time when a team’s short rotation (best 7-8 players) defined them, as much as their stars. For teams that are unlikely to be able to acquire/carry/keep multiple max players, it should be a good alternative model. The Jazz are proof it can work (they probably have the best 1 thru 7/8 in the league and had the best overall record). But, looking at the evolution of their payroll and where it’s going, it’s also clear that the employing the model is going to be expensive, maybe more so than collecting max veterans on the front end.
But are they willing to change their CRAPPY
Team Name ??
Cancel culture needs to come for their team name.
They need to do a name swap with the Pelicans. One of the largest American White Pelican populations in concentrated right in the middle of The Great Salt Lake.
Then we’d have the New Orleans Jazz back after a long hiatus and the Utah Pelicans.
They should’ve done it when New Orleans was the Hornets, Utah is the beehive state.
Almost woulda worked but Utah is know for Honeybees though, not hornets. The Utah Honeybees would be even worse than the Utah Jazz.
If Conley makes $25 million a year, Jazz need to pay at least $50 million luxury tax next year
$40M a year for Rudy Gobert. Yeesh
That is an awful lot to pay Gobert, but still not as bad as paying Draymond $25M/year.
Why he was a DPOY candidate too making half the money. Lol
There isn’t anyone in the league that you could plug into Gobert’s spot that would be nearly as effective in Utah’s system. Favors is probably the closest but he’s already on the roster. Green while still being a great defender isn’t on Rudy’s level anymore.
Didn’t look like much ofa DPOY in the Clips series did he?
Hard to defend the opposing team’s backcourt, your own position and the paint. I’m not one to blame injuries as a lot of whiners on this site do…they lost it is what it is….Mitchell and Conley were hurt….its just hard to defend 3 positions simultaneously
Counterpoint: A system that depends on paying Rudy Gobert $40 mil is probably not a good system.
I really want to see Jazz and Suns luxury tax
Suns have 4 big contracts to sign next month
Ayton $158 million
Bridges $100 million
Chris Paul $120 million
Cam Payne $60 million
Add $438 million new money
2022-2025 huge luxury tax $450 million?
Suns will keep Cam Johnson
I wouldn’t sign those Payne or Paul deals
Utah doesn’t need Conley as a Point Guard. Mitchell is more than capable of running the point. There’s just no way for Utah to sign a player of Conley’s caliber if he walks.
Sign and trade for Dennis Schroder might be their best option.
No, he can’t defend wings(Shroeder just plain don’t defend)and Utah has a high usage 6th man in clarkson.
Jazz might need to move on and sign a Cheaper PG and small ball 5 or they will keep losing the same way.
A small ball backup Center wouldn’t be a bad idea for the limited situations that call for it. They really need a bigger 3 and D guy though to matchup against guys like PG-13, Leonard and others.
Hate to say it but why need to see if there are takers on either Bogdanavich or Ingles
Niang can be a cheaper combo forward, if by trading one of the starters they can get a boost at guard and stay under the tax.
IDK what you mean by small-ball center or bigger 3-d as they already have Favors… but hecould be sacrificed too.
The Gobert extension is already going to be one albatross contract, a Conley extension is going to be another. They BETTER hope Gobert isn’t exposed in the postseason Again next year cause next year is their ceiling with this core (unless this year was their ceiling)
The last time Gobert was “exposed” in the post season was 2018.
Lets be honest – Conley will not get the money he’s getting paid now in Utah or anywhere else.
I still don’t get Gobert making the money he makes and being called a great defender. Guys a good rim protector, that doesn’t make him a great defender, he can’t stick with a guy all over the court and guard their best guy all over..he protects inside paint mainly the rim and his offense is garbage. Not worth the contract they gave him at all and will most definitely lose Conley over it.
Offense must suck in the league today if a guy that leads the league in effective field goal percentages offense is garbage. The mere presence of Gobert make other teams avoid the paint and when Conley and Mitchell aren’t hurt it makes opposing team’s throw up garbage mid range jumpers. Gobert is the best defender in the league by miles. Other players like Simmons are lucky to limit one players effectiveness while a center like Gobert makes opposing team’s rethink there entire offensive game plan. A team built on def doesn’t consistently have a top 5 D if thier best defender is trash.
It’s hard to miss from 2 ft
At least he doesn’t turn down open dunks when the games on the line.
Agree Taco, Gobert partly defends the marks of teammates, and that is built in to the system.
A couple years ago, Utah traded away Favors and picked up combo forwards, then coached perimeter defenders to let their marks go rather than catching up to them. The plan is to let Gobert handle the driver, and allowing them to set up a counterattack instead.
Not all of Gobert’s relevant stats are personal. Mostly it is in team defensive stats, then they pay him a lot anyway because it is the braintrust’s plan in the first place.
In theory IMO this allows putting a lot of white shooters on the floor, who are cheaper than players that can do it all, “two-way” players.
However as I have been saying, they have to get a better defensive 2G. They have Royce ONeil for marking 3s, but he has a problem with lane-shifting guards breaking down the defense.
Posters keep suggesting other needs but you can’t have everything, and FAs may reject SLC anyway.
Conley is ideal for this system. Size and injuries will decrease his value as a “stolen” FA, but even Utah needs a good defensive guard for his absences and to bring Clarkson off the bench.
I would bet 4/25m per year or 3/ 30 are the min starting discussions from his agent