NBA Free Agency 2017: 5 offseason needs for the Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz took the leap during their 2016-17 season by winning 51 games and beating the Clippers in the first round. They look to improve in the offseason after getting knocked out of the second round of the playoffs.

The Utah Jazz were ousted in the Western Conference Semifinals by the Golden State Warriors Monday night. It became very apparent that the Jazz were outmanned and outgunned in the series, they simply didn’t have the talent to compete with Golden State.

That didn’t mean the Jazz didn’t take a huge step forward however in the 2016-17 season. Utah won 51 games in the regular season, the most since 2007-08. The Jazz even won a huge first round series against the Clippers to show they belonged among the more talented teams in the Western Conference. The challenge now will be finding a way to improve the team heading into next season.

Utah’s vast improvement this season was due to a number of different factors. The Jazz were able to add George Hill, Joe Johnson, and Boris Diaw last offseason to add a much-needed veteran presence in the locker room. Utah now faces the difficult task of retaining some important pieces to their young core in free agency. Quin Snyder has also shown he should be considered as one of the best coaches in the NBA. The proper leadership is in place in Utah.

As Utah heads into the offseason, take a look five things the Jazz need to accomplish in order to be successful in the 2017-18 season.

5. Nail the 2017 NBA Draft

Let’s be realistic for a second; Utah is not a prime destination for premier free agents. Much of the talent on the roster (Gordon Hayward, Rudy Gobert, Rodney Hood) has been with the Jazz since their respective draft day. Developing your own talent in a small market city is the only way. Only then will elite free agents start to consider the small market teams (Cleveland is the perfect example of this).

Dennis Lindsey, the Utah Jazz general manager, has his work cut out for him heading into the 2017 NBA Draft. The Jazz have four pick, two in each round. In what is a deep class, it’s possible the team can package the No. 24, No. 30, pick and possibly more to move up into the first round. While already having a deep roster, Utah could bee seeking quality rather than quantity. The Jazz are fortunate to have that opportunity thanks to the Andre Iguodala sign and trade deal with Golden State in 2013.

If Utah is able to move up into the middle of the first round, Zach Collins from Gonzaga could be a potential target. The 7-foot-0 big man from Gonzaga can really stretch the floor and shoot from the perimeter, something the Jazz are desperately missing from their bigs. Collins played 17.2 minutes per game this season as a true freshman. The most impressive thing to Collins is how he glides like a gazelle on the floor, combined with a pure shooting stroke from deep. The Gonzaga freshman shot 47.6 percent from 3 and even possess the potential to be an elite shot blocker at times with 1.8 blocks per game in college. Having Derrick Favors in house will allow Utah to be patient if they are able to draft Zach Collins, and also provides an insurance policy if they need to move on from Favors.

If the Jazz are unable to trade up there are a lot of players that make sense. Luke Kennard, T.J. Leaf, Harry Giles, Semi Ojeleye, Caleb Swanigan, and Juwan Evans are just some of the prospects that could be on the board. If one thing is certain, Utah needs to add more shooting in order to compete with the Warriors and Rockets of the world out West. Rolling the dice on a low post presence wouldn’t be such a bad idea either.