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SALT LAKE CITY — Lady Luck didn't shine on the Utah Jazz during the NBA lottery. A dastardly plan by the Golden State Warriors to turn a 20-26 team into a 23-43 team intentionally losing 17 of their final 20 took away the Jazz opportunity to add another top 10 pick to their roster.
Coupled with the completion of the Al Jefferson trade where the Jazz send this year's draft pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves the Jazz are without a first round pick for the 2012 NBA Draft.
This leaves Kevin O'Connor and the Utah Jazz four methods by which to improve this year's playoff team.
Draft Night
The Jazz have the 47th pick of the draft, same pick as the Jazz used on Paul Millsap. Despite that coincidence it is unlikely the Jazz will get a high level player in the 2nd round. The Jazz may try to trade or buy into the first round.
Buying draft picks used to be very common, in fact the Boston Celtics purchased the pick they used to draft Rajon Rondo from the Suns for $3 million in 2006. These types of deals have become less common. However, this 2012 draft has some unique qualities where the Jazz may be able to get into the draft.
Some teams may not want to add the money on the salary cap that a draft pick demands- Dallas at 17, Orlando at 19, Denver at 20, Atlanta at 23, Memphis at 25 and Indiana at 26. Other teams have multiple picks and may be willing to move one, Houston at 14 and 16, Boston at 21 and 22.
The Jazz still have the rights to the Warriors first round pick next year (protected 1-6) and therefore, could be more willing to trade next year's 1st round pick for a pick in this year's draft if they have a player they like.
Growth from within
The draft, free agency and trades are the most flashy way to improve your team, but the subtle growth from within will be the real measuring stick for the Jazz. Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors were far better at the end of this year than they were a year ago. Can Alec Burks and Enes Kanter do the same in 2012-13 season?
Moreover, Hayward and Favors have been invited to play for the USA Select Team this summer in Las Vegas competing against the USA Olympic Team. This will be invaluable experience. Four years ago, the elite of today's league, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love were members of the select team.
Traditionally, players take their largest jump from Year 2 to Year 3 in their careers. This is when we should anticipate Hayward and Favors to set their baseline for performance in the NBA. The growth of these two players will have more impact than anything else the Jazz do in the off-season.
Trades and free agency
As the Jazz scour free agency and investigate trades they have a looming advantage they have to be careful not to negate. The luxury taxes of the new collective bargaining agreement become more punitive starting in the 2013-14 off-season.
At this point no franchise in the NBA is better positioned to embark on this new era than the Utah Jazz. The Jazz only have four players under contract going into the 13-14 season, Hayward, Favors, Burks and Kanter.
If the new rules force teams to unload player or deadens the free agent spending the Jazz are positioned perfectly.
Therefore, as the Jazz look at possible additions to the roster, via free agency or trades they must first evaluate if it is worth the impact on the Jazz remarkable flexibility for the upcoming off-season.
Yet, this off-season the Jazz are positioned well to sign a Tier 2 free agent if they desire.
As the Jazz stand today they have nine players under contract and options to pick up with Jamaal Tinsley and DeMarre Carroll. Those 11 players total nearly $52 million in salary. The salary cap for the last season was $58 million. Under the new CBA the cap next year will be at least $58.004 or higher.
The new CBA has a non-tax payer exception which every non tax team can use to sign players. The 2012-13 expectation is $5 million.
This is important because the Jazz if they released the rights their free agents and amnestied the contract of Raja Bell have more cap space than the exception allowing them to offer more money than most teams for a mid-level free agent.
Again, any player they sign must fit into the long term plan and be willing to lose some of the flexibility they have for the off-season of 2013-14.
