The Utah Jazz’s offseason was going along just fine. They had a small hiccup: Dante Exum and Rodney Hood missing time during summer league. But the offseason was unfolding the way the Jazz had planned until Aug. 4, which is when Exum, playing in an exhibition game for his country, tore his ACL. This caused Jazz management and fans to wonder if they should add another point guard to their roster.
The Jazz do have some depth at this position with Trey Burke, Raul Neto and Bryce Cotton. Each of these players has some risk attached. Can Burke, who is coming into year three, find his shooting touch and take the next step in his development, or will he continue to be one of the worst shooting point guards in the league? Will Neto quickly adjust to the speed and physicality of the NBA game, or will it take him time like so many foreign players before him? Can Cotton continue to progress and show he is a reliable option as a backup point guard, or will his size keep him from being able to play in a league where height and length are such a great advantage?
If the Jazz start the season with what they already have, there is a risk of not fully knowing what they are going to get out of the point guard position. They do have a lot of confidence (and rightfully so) in the coaching staff to develop these players and most likely all these negative scenarios won’t play out. The Jazz should get some good point guard play from at least one of these players.
If a veteran gets added to the roster, the Jazz would know what they are getting: someone to help mentor and teach the young guys, plus someone who knows who they are. Free agency is mostly finished and the leftovers, John Lucas III and Alexey Shved, aren’t exactly point guard eye candy. So if the Jazz sign someone, it will be a player like Cotton who has the potential for growth.
If the Jazz decide to trade for a veteran point guard, the hot rumor is that Mario Chalmers of the Miami Heat is available. The Heat, who are over the luxury tax line by more than $5 million and are repeat offenders, would love to shed themselves of Chalmers’ contract, which has only one year left on it at $4.3 million.
With the Exum injury and with being under the salary cap by almost $7 million, the trade for Chalmers makes a lot of sense for both teams (at least on paper); the Heat save a pile of money and the Jazz add a point guard who will help but is not on a long-term deal. However the Jazz would want something more than just Chalmers to save the Heat money. Most likely the Heat would need to send the Jazz a future second-round draft pick. But the Heat don’t have many picks left since using second-round picks for the Zoran Dragic and Shabazz Napier trades. 2018 would be the earliest pick they could send. Plus they might need some picks themselves to help in trading Chris “Birdman” Anderson.
The Heat are more than willing to do the trade, but does the deal make sense for the Jazz? First thing to consider is if Chalmers would disrupt the team chemistry that the Jazz have developed. Chalmers seems to be a good guy and a team player who wouldn’t cause an uproar. But if Burke and Neto outplay Chalmers, and with him going into a contract year, he’ll have to be OK with riding the pine.
Secondly, is Chalmers any good? For his career he has averaged 8.9 points and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 42 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from three. Last season he only shot 40 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from three. Playing without LeBron James or Dwayne Wade made life a little more difficult for Chalmers. Shots that were once open before are now contested. Defensively during last season, Chalmers had a 102.8 defensive rating and a negative 3.1 net rating while on the court. But when playing with James in 2013-14 he had an 8.1 positive net rating while on the court, and his defensive rating was just about the same. With the Heat, Chalmers never had the rim protection he would have in Utah.
Playing in Quinn Snyder’s system and with a front line of Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert could help Chalmers get back to his career averages. He’s a veteran and a champion. He has played with and learned from some of the best players in the league. He could show this young team what kind of commitment it takes to play like a championship team.
If the Jazz made this trade, they would have three point guards on the roster and that would mean Cotton would likely not make the team. Most teams don’t carry more than three point guards, and with Exum taking a spot, the Jazz are down to 14, which gives them fewer options.
Should the Jazz stick with development or add a proven veteran? This summer showed that development is at the forefront of Dennis Lindsey’s mind, but the ability to add another asset could be enough to tempt Lindsey into taking a one-year risk on Chalmers. An interesting part of this deal is that it doesn’t need to happen today; the Heat have until the end of the year to get under the cap. The Jazz could go into training camp or even into the season to watch how their young guys play and review Chalmers’ performance. Of course, the risk here is if another team decides to step in and make the deal first. With only a second-round pick to lose out on, patience might be the best virtue.
Kincade Upstill has lived in Utah County his entire life, graduated from BYU, and would follow the Jazz to the ends of the earth, if his wife and three daughters allowed it. Contact him at kupstill12@gmail.com.or on Twitter @kincade12