Utah Jazz: 5 Needed Roster Moves This Offseason

The Utah Jazz just missed the playoffs last year with a 40-42 record. Here are five moves they need to make to help get them into the playoffs in 2016-17.

The Utah Jazz only just missed out on the playoffs last season, edged out by Houston. Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert are leading this team for the foreseeable future, Hayward on offense and Gobert on defense.

Unfortunately, the Jazz have not been good enough to despite having the best defense after the All Star Game of the 2014-15 season and playing very well in patches this season.

The Jazz have 14 players under contract for next season but need to be active in the draft, trading and free agency to improve.

Below are five roster moves they can make to get them into the playoffs.

1. Trade Trey Burke

Ever since Trey Burke was drafted at No. 9 overall in the 2013 draft by Minnesota and then traded to the Jazz for Gorgui Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad, he has been a disappointment.

Burke lost his starting point guard position to rookie Dante Exum in the 2014-15 season.

Jan 14, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Trey Burke (3) talks with head coach Quin Snyder in the fourth quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated Utah Jazz 103-101. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports /

When Exum was injured playing for Australia, the Jazz contracted Raul Neto to replace him, not wanting to trust the running of the team to the third-year guard.

Burke’s 12.1 points per game comes at a low 38 percent from the field and his 4.2 assists per game is not enough to keep him. Burke has always struggled to finish near the rim, meaning that even Enes Kanter seems to become Hassan Whiteside when Burke is trying to finish.

2. Draft Denzel Valentine

Valentine looks a good NBA player from the outset. He is a floor general, a great shooter and a reasonable defender.

Valentine would fit in right away. The Jazz need another scorer besides Hayward due to Burke not working out.

Utah are a defensive-minded team, so having another scorer who can defend should improve their offensive rating while not hurting their defensive rating.

3. Improve the backup center

Rudy Gobert is the clear starter on this team, however with only Tibor Pleiss or Jeff Withey coming in behind him, Utah is reasonably bare in this position.

Signing someone like Roy Hibbert may benefit the Jazz. Hibbert had all the appearances of an elite defender in Indiana, partly because he was surrounded by good defenders.

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Unfortunately Hibbert was exposed in

Los Angeles

as he did not have the support around him defensively

Utah, being defensively minded, might be where Hibbert could make a statement, saying that his career is not over.

Hibbert is No. 72 on the all-time blocks list, so he is a proven rim protector with the right team around him. Having a rim protector on the floor when Gobert is sitting down is not a bad thing.

Several other defensively minded centers are free agents this summer. Zaza Pachulia might fit, as could Joakim Noah. However, Noah has a history of injuries in his career. He is no longer a starter with Chicago but he is a former Defensive Player of the Year winner.

4. Improve the forward bench depth

Utah has two quality forwards, Derrick Favors and Hayward. After that there is a drop of in quality.

Trevor Booker is a Utah favorite and is a good rebounder.

Trey Lyles showed a bit last year but it still developing.

Chris Johnson is a third-year player who has been signed on a minimum contract for a reason; he is just not at the elite level.

Then there is Joe Ingles. I have been following Ingles since his NBL days and I was so happy and a little surprised when Utah signed him. He is a wily veteran with good court presence but again, not good enough to hurt a top bench outfit like Golden State or San Antonio.

5. Re-sign Trevor Booker

Now I understand that Trevor Booker is does not have the best averages at 6.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game over his career, but he is an essential component to this team.

Booker is a fan favorite who brings the intangible elements of energy and passion to the court every time he steps on it.

Booker’s attack on the rim on offense is simply intense. He brings the crowd into the game when he dunks.

Booker’s chase-down blocks mean that there are no easy points. They also bring the crowd into the game.

Booker’s shooting is inconsistent but when he is on he is hard to stop.

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Utah is close, very close to the playoffs for the first time since the 2011-12 season, when they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. Let’s hope that they can get back there and showcase their brand of basketball.

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5 Roster Moves Utah Jazz Need To Make

By Matthew Hallett | Jun 5, 2016