2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Raul Neto: 2 years, $4.4 million (Utah Jazz)
Raul Neto’s 4.5 points and 1.8 assists in 12.1 minutes per game certainly don’t leap off the page. He’s not some young project in need to development at age 26, and even on a two-year deal, it seems curious the Utah Jazz would be interested in bringing him back for a deal worth slightly more than the veteran minimum.
However, dive a little deeper into Neto’s game (and contract) and it’s easy to see why it was made. He’s a career 38.8 percent shooter from 3-point range, canning a career-high 40.4 percent of his triples in 2017-18. He’s spent the last three years serving as a reliable third string point guard in Utah, flashing signs of being able to handle the backup role if called upon.
At the time, with Dante Exum being a restricted free agent and the Jazz dishing out a two-year, $32 million contract to bring Derrick Favors back, Neto represented some low-cost insurance for the team’s backcourt depth. It didn’t wind up having bearing on Exum’s free agency since his deal was announced soon thereafter, but the second year of Neto’s deal being a team option makes it a decisive (albeit minimal) victory for Utah regardless.
Bourguet Grade: B
Hoops Habit Grade: B