This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Anyone just tuning into the Jazz's latest rebuilding project needs a history lesson that only the 2017 NBA Finals can provide.

Cleveland's Deron Williams, Kyle Korver and Richard Jefferson and Golden State's Ian Clark conveniently serve as checkpoints in the two construction phases the Jazz have undergone in this century.

The short version? The Jazz have used 11 starting point guards since they traded Williams in 2011. They still lack the 3-point shooting Korver gave them. Jefferson's year in Utah is best forgotten. Clark was among 22 players who auditioned in coach Quin Snyder's first season.

This is by far the biggest group of Jazz alumni to appear in any Finals, and all four are rotation players. No matter what happens, though, Derek Fisher's distinction will remain intact. He's the only ex-Jazzman to subsequently start for a championship team, winning two titles with the Los Angeles Lakers after his controversial move from Utah in 2007.

As the Warriors-Cavaliers series begins Thursday, here's a deeper look at the 2017 Finals contestants and how they fit into Jazz history:

Deron Williams

Williams became a central figure in both of the Jazz's recent rebuilding processes for different reasons. The Jazz drafted the point guard from Illinois in 2005 after a 26-56 season, two years removed from the John Stockton/Karl Malone era. Williams teamed with Carlos Boozer to help them post four straight years of 50-plus wins, ending in 2010.

Williams' tenure ended in February 2011, shortly after his feud with Jerry Sloan triggered the coach's resignation. As a pre-emptive move to Williams' free agency, 16 months in the future, the Jazz traded him to the then-New Jersey Nets for a package that featured Devin Harris and Derrick Favors.

Having already used Harris and 10 other starters at point guard, the Jazz face another crossroads at the position, with George Hill becoming a free agent. The Jazz claimed their first playoff series victory since the D-Will era in April.

Williams joined the Cavaliers as a backup to Kyrie Irving after accepting a buyout of his contract with Dallas in February.

Kyle Korver

Korver represents the home-court aura the Jazz once enjoyed. After he arrived in a December 2007 trade with Philadelphia for guard Gordan Giricek, the Jazz won their next 19 home games and finished 37-4 at home that season — besides winning four home playoff games vs. Houston and the Lakers.

Korver, one of the best outside shooters in Jazz history, joined Boozer and Wesley Matthews as free-agent losses in the summer of 2010 when the salary cap affected the franchise. The 14-year veteran has gone on to play for Chicago, Atlanta and Cleveland, with the Cavs acquiring him in a January trade. Korver's first game with Cleveland was a loss to the Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena.

Richard Jefferson

The July 2013 trade that brought Jefferson from Golden State to Utah signaled Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey's teardown of the roster with rebuilding to come. The Jazz accepted Jefferson, Brandon Rush and Andris Biedrins as the Warriors' salary dumps in a three-team deal that gave them five draft choices — including first-rounders in 2014 (Rodney Hood) and 2017 (the No. 30 pick).

Jefferson widely was viewed as a player who disguised the Jazz's tanking job, helping them play just well enough to lose a bunch of games. He averaged 10.1 points as a starting forward for a 25-57 team, playing all 82 games. The irony of the Jazz's approach is that earning the No. 5 pick gave them Dante Exum, who has not made a significant contribution to the franchise's growth.

The Jazz's role in the trade helped the Warriors obtain Andre Iguodala from Denver. Ironically, Rush later returned to Golden State and won an NBA title in a minor role in 2015 and Jefferson earned a ring with Cleveland last June.

Ian Clark

Clark is the highest-scoring Jazz alumnus in the Finals, with a 7.5-point average in the 2017 playoffs.

Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2013, Clark bridged the coaching eras of Tyrone Corbin and Snyder. He appeared in a total of 46 games in two seasons while spending time in the NBA Development League.

The Jazz waived him in March 2015 and finished the season with Denver, then he signed with Golden State. Clark scored eight points in six minutes against the Jazz in the concluding Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.

kkragthorpe@sltrib.com

Twitter: @tribkurt

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They're the champs

Players who have won NBA titles after leaving the Jazz:

Player Year Team

Bobby Hansen 1992 Chicago

Greg Foster 2001 L.A. Lakers

Tony Massenburg 2005 San Antonio

Shandon Anderson 2006 Miami

Jacque Vaughn 2007 San Antonio

Derek Fisher 2009, '10 L.A. Lakers

DeShawn Stevenson 2011 Dallas

Brandon Rush 2015 Golden State

Richard Jefferson 2016 Cleveland

Mo Williams 2016 Cleveland