Utah Jazz 2016-17 season review: Joe Johnson

April 25, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Utah Jazz forward Joe Johnson (6) moves the ball against Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers (25) during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
April 25, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Utah Jazz forward Joe Johnson (6) moves the ball against Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers (25) during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 20, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) and center Rudy Gobert (27) and forward Joe Johnson (6) and center Boris Diaw (33) react in overtime against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 20, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) and center Rudy Gobert (27) and forward Joe Johnson (6) and center Boris Diaw (33) react in overtime against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

Moving Forward

Heading into the 2017-18 season, Johnson should be set up to perform the same function as he did this year, although with slight tweaks in the minutes he’s allotted or the units he shares the floor with.

He has one more season on his two-year, $21.5 million deal signed last summer, after which he’ll be an unrestricted free agent. At that point, he’ll also be 36 years old, placing him very near to retirement age.

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If the Jazz are close to championship contention by that point, they may seek to retain him, but they’ll have to consider their own rising salary cap demands.

It wouldn’t make much sense for them to be shelling out upwards of $10 million per year for a deep bench asset.

Longtime NBA vet David West recently won his first title after signing on with the Golden State Warriors on a minimum contract.

It’s possible that Johnson, who has never won a championship himself, would want to follow a similar path.

The days of improving and refining skills are lone gone for Iso-Joe. What he’ll need to focus on now is maintaining his long-term health and more specialized attributes that give him a role in the modern NBA.

Next: 10 gifts for bandwagon Warriors fans

Keep on the lookout for more season reviews in the coming days as we continue to cover the rest of the Jazz roster.