In my previous post, NBA 2016-2017: Jazz to make playoffs, I stated the Utah Jazz is likely to make the NBA playoffs next season and that ought to be it at least till the season commences. But it seems the spotlight just loves having the guys from Salt Lake City so here I am piecing together this piece about the Jazz but this time with less assurance.
As LeBron James continues to dominate the headlines with his latest statement on Curry after appearing on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and the Sixers signing veteran Elton Brand for another year to the dismay of many, Utah has had to get down to business immediately after reports emerged franchise face Gordon Hayward will opt out of his contract after this season.
Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune reported the news saying Hayward will likely decline $16.7 million he will make in the final year of his contract in the 2017-2018 season. Gordon has been at the center of Utah’s march back to relevance having been drafted ninth overall in 2010 and being a mainstay that has seen the likes of Marvin Williams and Al Jefferson depart for different teams.
Despite being around for long, the former Butler University standout has only played in the playoffs just once; making the 2012 last eight in the NBA’s Western Conference. Declining to activate his contract will put Gordon in elite free agency company alongside back to back Most Valuable Player Award winner Stephen Curry.
Making the playoffs can ward off such ideas since a trip to the postseason is a strong signal the team is on the right trajectory to crack the upper tier of the league. Horning the skills and talent of young studs including Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors and Trey Lyles will be key in wooing Hayward to stay put.
However, failing to make the playoffs puts Utah’s grand scheme in danger as Hayward would be free to sign for any team for a huge salary with the salary cap set to go up for the umpteenth time. Many teams will readily lineup for his services as players of his ilk are treasured in the league more than ever. Players who average 19.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists are being pursued from every corner in a league that prioritizes spacing, speed and slashing to the basket as opposed to yester years trend of post heavy offense. A quality side on the brink of becoming a super power like the Boston Celtics will gladly sign him based on the above mentioned stat line, their need to improve at the wing position and the chance for Coach Brad Stevens to reconnect with his former player at Butler.
Players want money when they get they chance to play in the world’s best basketball league to live out their fantasies but once that’s done, they look for every chance to win and once they feel that isn’t going to happen anytime soon, they switch jerseys cue Kevin Durant, LeBron James. In effect, Utah loses the foundation piece of their rebuild to a near title contender for nothing. Long before Hayward’s contract situation came up, Utah was enjoying massive positive vibes from all after making shrewd decisions in the offseason market. Moving Trey Burke to Washington and trading for veteran Point Guard George Hill and Boris Diaw and signing timeless sharpshooter Joe Johnson was hailed as the right moves to boost an offense that is far from ideal.
However, things can unravel in a bad way for the side should Utah miss out on the playoffs. Hill was acquired by the Jazz after giving up number 12 overall draft pick Taurean Prince but will be in the final year of his contract which will pay him $ 8 million and becomes free to sign with any other team. Which leaves the side in a dire situation because management gambled on the trade by letting go of a top selection who could be vital as part of a package in making a trade. But for Hill, a player who has been in the postseason throughout his eight year stay in the league, missing the playoffs will be the perfect signal to leave. Johnson on the other hand, wouldn’t mind jumping ship to tag along a contender for a chance to win a title that has eluded him since joining the league.
In the insidious case where the Utah Jazz miss the playoffs, lose Gordon Hayward and George Hill walks as a free agent, Utah would have lost quality players in Hayward and Hill, future trading bait with reference to Prince and the chance to stay competitive in the league. The present and future of the team hinge on the upcoming season and if the team is set to be the next wild card title naysayers, it must qualify for the playoffs else everything the side has worked for the past six years will amount to nothing.
By Yaw Adjei-Mintah
