If I was GM of the Jazz…

With three days until the deadline the Jazz are in a spot that they normally aren’t… they have pieces and money at complete discretion of Dennis Lindsey.  So what will Dennis do?  No one knows we can only guess, so instead of playing the guessing game I will attempt to play general manager.

First thing I would do is figure out what pieces I want to build my team around.  For me Hayward, Favors and Kanter are those guys.

Second thing I would do is figure out who compliments them the best and who can add value at not a huge price tag. This would include Carroll, Burks and Foye.

Once I’ve figured out my core players that I want to build around I would need to make sure their is veteran leadership and someone that can teach the young guys.  This is probably Al and Mo but you never want to overspend on filler pieces, especially if it disrupts your core.

So right now I’m sitting at:

PG Mo Williams

SG Foye and Burks

SF Hayward and Carroll

PF Favors

C Al and Kanter

Everybody else in my eyes is expendable and can be traded as long as the player(s) the Jazz bring back don’t have toxic contracts and add value to the team.  Say we sign all those players through 2014/15 for what they are being paid in their last year of their contract.  The salary looks like this:

This year 65.2 M, Next year(with Evans and Murphy and Marvin) 52.4 M, 2014/15 (with Evans) 47 M.

If we can sign Al to a 3 year deal with a team option for a 4th this next year at around his same salary it gives Kanter the time he needs to really become dominant and learn from the best offensive big man in the league.  The places I feel the Jazz really lack are backup point and using players that don’t really help the team a whole lot.  For that I say the Jazz should try and trade Marvin or Sap for a backup PG (Bledsoe if the Clippers are serious) and a backup PF that doesn’t get paid a lot (someone like Blair on San Anotonio).  If we can’t get a solid young point guard then we need to figure out how to trade into the top 10 or 12 to get Trey Burks, Michael Carter Williams or CJ McCollum.

I like the fact that the Jazz have this flexibility and having patience is key for Dennis Lindsey.  If you want to make a push for home court I believe you have to get a better backup pg and giving Favors more time to shore up our defensive problems.  Trading away Marvin for that would be ideal but Sap would be just fine as well.  Don’t let the last month fool you into thinking the Jazz are playing better and that they can make a push for the 4th spot.  The schedule was too easy and March is brutal.  Management will be very disappointed if they don’t do anything and Jazz somehow miss the playoffs thinking that we were better than we are.  Trade Sap for Bledsoe right now if that is on the table, if not then find somebody that will backup Mo that is young and can distribute the ball.  I’d say just have Burks play backup point but I don’t think Corbin will do that unless he is forced to because of injuries.  Three days and counting but don’t be surprised if the Jazz don’t do anything until this off-season.

Dec 22, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (center) is fouled by Utah Jazz center Enes Kanter (left) as power forward Derrick Favors (right) defends the play during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports