After signing Thabo Sefolosha earlier today, the Jazz are looking at more moves to beef up their front line, according to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Utah would like to add another forward and a center to back up Rudy Gobert, Jones relays. The Jazz are trying to trade veteran big man Boris Diaw, whose $7.5MM salary for the upcoming season doesn’t become fully guaranteed until Saturday. If they can’t find a trade partner, they are expected to waive Diaw before the end of the week.
Jones mentions three free agents that Utah is targeting: small forward Dante Cunningham, who spent last season with the Pelicans, power forward Ersan Ilyasova, who was traded from the Sixers to the Hawks at the February deadline, and center Willie Reed, who is coming off a breakthrough season as a backup with the Heat.
Jazz management is especially fond of Cunningham and Reed because they bring toughness and atleticism on defense. Cunningham is also coming off a career-best year from 3-point range, connecting on 39% from long distance.
Sefolosha, who also has a strong reputation as a defender, chose the Jazz because they utilize an international style of offense similar to what he experienced in Atlanta, Jones writes. He started 42 games for Atlanta last season, but Utah may view him as a backup to Joe Ingles.
The Jazz have two options for signing Sefolosha, who will receive $10.5MM over two years, according to a post from Bobby Marks on ESPN Now. They could remain over the cap and use part of their mid-level exception, which would allow them to keep a $3.3MM bi-annual exception and $3.2MM of the MLE. The other option is to waive Diaw and sign Sefolosha with cap room, leaving them with $6MM to spend, along with a $4.3MM room MLE.
Back to San Antonio on a minimum
PHI Receives: Boris Diaw, 2018 UTA 1st round protected top 15 in 2018, else 2018 2nd and 2019 2nd
UTA Receives: Jahlil Okafor
Philly would then waive Diaw before his contract becomes guaranteed
And the Jazz would waive Okafor before poisons their franchise.
Besides, didn’t the Jazz trade next year’s pick for Rubio?
Jazz traded okc’s lottery protected pick. Okafor isn’t that bad, there was just a logjam at the center spot with Embiid, Nerlens, Okafor, and Holmes. Okafor can be an Al Jefferson type who provides instant low post scoring off the bench
I don’t know man. Okafor is pretty damn bad. Slow flat footed center, with a limited mid range game. Awful defender and he’s a bad rebounder
Bring Boris Diaw back to the Spurs …
He will be waived(either traded and waived or straight up waived) but I see him signing with the Spurs. He thrived for them off the bench and should look to regain that role if he chooses to go back, which he should.