Utah Jazz Free Agency Primer 2016

The NBA’s free agent frenzy has begun. Here’s what you need to know about the Utah Jazz and their approach to the summer insanity.

The summer insanity has officially begun. With the NBA salary cap ballooning like never before thanks to the league’s new TV deal, free agents are about to get paid the bookoo bucks. While this year’s class is somewhat underwhelming after the first tier, players are still going to receive more money than ever before.

For frame of reference, big man Timofey Mozgov, a 29-year-old who averaged six points and four rebounds in just 17 minutes per game last season and was out of the Cleveland Cavaliers rotation come playoff time, reached agreement for four years at $16 million per in the opening hours of free agency.

Bookoo. Bucks.

So while Utah Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey has said that the team will look to be aggressive in building their team into a playoff-viable entity, doing so could cost a pretty penny. Which begs the question–is it worth it? And are there actually players available on the open market that move the needle for the Jazz?

The salary cap for next season will be around $94 million; the Jazz are currently slated to pay out $57 million, not including the team’s option for Shelvin Mack at $2.4 million.

While they will have to pay players like Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert in the near future, with Dante Exum and Rodney Hood to follow, there is undoubtedly money to spend if the Jazz are willing to do it.

Here’s a look at what the team still needs, some of the names being reported as options and what the cost could be for adding those extra pieces.

Next: The Stretch Big