This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
As the plot edges toward its conclusion in the story of the summer in Utah — Will Gordon Hayward stay or will he go? — the options for the Jazz in either direction fall somewhere between intriguing and frightening.
And then, there's also the philosophical questions that are bound to arise, considering if Hayward checks out, one of the centerpieces of their rebuild will have left them in a fix, damaging the draft-first, slow-and-steady, step-by-step process that a smaller-market team like the Jazz was thought to have needed to rely upon for success.
If slow-and-steady eventually leaves the Jazz standing solitarily at the altar after seven years of romance, suffering the ravages of runaway free agency, simply developing talent heading into its prime for other teams, what are the Jazz supposed to do, then?
Scramble, that's what.
Dennis Lindsey, no matter how panicked he might be in private, has exuded a sense of confidence publicly. As pundits, informed and otherwise, have suggested Hayward's basketball options are better elsewhere, the Jazz GM has stayed with his good-story-to-tell mantra. That confidence is a breath of fresh air, really, but now, at a time like this, it needs backing to give it any kind of heft.
If Hayward stays — he reportedly is meeting with the Heat on Saturday, will meet with the Celtics on Sunday and the Jazz on Monday — then that adds to a strong free agency start for the Jazz, who re-signed Hayward's good friend, Joe Ingles, on Saturday night. In Friday's big deal, they rather craftily acquired Ricky Rubio from the Timberwolves for a protected 2018 OKC first-round draft pick that with Paul George now in the Thunder's fold — tough luck, Danny — will neither need protection, nor will be all that valuable.
Nice move by Lindsey.
The subsequent 10-pound question between now and Monday becomes: Will the addition of a pass-first point guard who can run an offense, get the ball where it needs to go to provide teammates good looks, can defend, but can't shoot or finish drives particularly well, cause Gordon to lean back toward the Jazz?
Nobody really knows.
Another question: Will the Jazz orchestrate additional moves to make themselves more attractive?
Either way, Lindsey's stated objective of keeping what the team already had was only partially true. George Hill is gone. Instead, with Rubio reeled in, their point guard anxiety is decreased, their draw increased, in spite of all the stories about the positive Hayward-Hill relationship, heading into Monday's meeting.
Whether it closes the gap between the Jazz and the best — and getting even better — teams in the West, if Hayward stays, depends on whether the Jazz can remain healthier than they did this past season, and whether Dante Exum and Rodney Hood can improve and Donovan Mitchell can become whatever it is he'll be — sooner rather than later. Lindsey and Quin Snyder are high on Mitchell and have been for the better part of two months.
The Jazz still need more consistent shooting from the perimeter.
If Hayward is retained, there's a good chance he'd sign a three-year deal instead of the five-year number that was meant to give the Jazz an advantage in re-signing him, tossing the Jazz back into a free-agent spin with Hayward all over again a few seasons out, when he'll be 30. Factoring that with the combo-pack of deals the Jazz will be committed to, including a larger new contract with Rudy Gobert, the Jazz will find themselves up against a salary cap that jumped in previous years but that will nudge up only slightly in the near future.
If Hayward stays, and the Jazz are ambitious, they could — and probably should — soon see the luxury tax.
If Hayward goes, that pretty much opens up all kinds of room for spending right away. The pressing matter, should it come to that, is on whom should the Jazz spend?
Blake Griffin would be a great place to start. Whoops. Too late, he's re-upping with the Clippers.
Once upon a time, before the Chris Paul trade, Griffin's status in L.A. was dubious, at best. Not anymore. There was talk that the power forward might be the Celtics' Plan B if they missed on Hayward. He also was scheduled to meet with the Suns. But with Lindsey's aggressive attitude, the Jazz, who know a little something about properly utilizing a power forward, might have gone hard at him, giving him a zillion chances to score the ball.
Speaking of increased opportunity, if the Jazz signed free agent Andre Iguodala, the Warriors' noted sixth man and the 2015 Finals MVP, he likely would return to his All-Star status. Limited usage at Golden State has taken that from him. He's already won rings, and while the Warriors are busy dumping hundreds of millions of dollars on Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, perhaps the Jazz could entice Iguodala to see what he could do with something other than the rock show that Golden State has become.
Paul Millsap is a possibility. He is the one veteran the Jazz hated to see leave when they started their rebuild a few years ago. They could aim for Danilo Gallinari, if the prolific stretch-four scorer could stay healthy. Rudy Gay might be a possibility if the ball didn't stop whenever it lands in his hands. J.J. Redick would help solve the Jazz's perimeter shooting woes, and a point guard like Rubio setting him up would make him all the more effective. Otto Porter and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are restricted.
On the other hand, maybe the Jazz do nothing, or almost nothing.
The fans would hate this. Maybe they sit and wait while the Warriors and the Cavs beat each other senseless again next season. Maybe they fiddle-faddle around, gathering themselves to make a haul during the 2018 offseason, when other suitors are cash-strapped. This improbable option would waste a year of Gobert's prowess, though, and royally tick off everyone.
As mentioned, the salary cap will hover around $100 million, having elevated slightly, and the Jazz would be one of a reduced number of major players able to give free agents what they, in many cases, covet most — tall stacks of cash.
Bottom line: Their brightest hope is to make a strong pitch on Monday and hold onto what used to be theirs.
GORDON MONSON hosts "The Big Show" with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM. Twitter: @GordonMonson.