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

2. Find a replacement for George Hill

The current salary cap projection currently sits at $102 million and $122 million for the luxury tax threshold. The Utah Jazz are expected to have around $67 million in committed salaries next season. That includes some expected things to happen such has waiving Boris Diaw’s non-guaranteed salary and Gordon Hayward opting out (we will get to him later).

The question Utah has to ask themselves is whether George Hill is worth a max extension? Don’t think he’s going to get one? Think again; Brooklyn, Dallas, Miami, and Philadelphia are just some of the teams eager to spend this offseason. If George Hill doesn’t land a max deal, he’s going to come awfully close. At the end of the day, this all comes down to math. What percent of the cap should a team allocate in order to land George Hill? The easy answer is he isn’t worth a 30 percent max deal. Therefore, Utah must be prepared to let him walk.

While you never like letting assets walk for nothing, overspending for Hill could be a foolish move. Hill, 31, has been plagued by injuries late in his career. The Jazz starting point guard has played less than 50 games two of the past three years. He even missed the final three games of the series against the Warriors due to a lingering toe issue. As much as Hill has meant to the Jazz over the past year, giving a rapidly aging point guard big time money is a scary proposition.

Dante Exum is the younger point guard the Jazz hope to develop. While Exum hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire since being selected fifth overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, Utah may want to see what they have in a starting role. Exum, 21, showed his potential in Game 4 against the Warriors in the playoffs reeling off 15 points across 32 minutes. If Utah feels like they need another veteran point, there are some cheaper options available via free agency.

Patty Mills, Shaun Livingston, Darren Collison, or maybe even a reunion with Deron Williams could make more sense. Retaining veteran point Shelvin Mack at a reasonable rate could also be a possibility to consider. Of that group, Spurs guard Patty Mills should be very high on the Jazz offseason radar.

Mills, 28, is in the prime of his career and could do some things really well to keep Utah ultra-competitive. Mills is a really productive sharp-shooter and provides an upgrade over George Hill in that aspect. His 41.4 percent rate from 3 is beyond exceptional and has shown the ability to be a willing distributor. Coming from that Spurs system, Mills is a more than willing passer.

Mills will not only be cheaper, but he represents a younger alternative. It’s not outlandish to think he can’t be more productive over the life of his next contract. One thing to note quickly is the chemistry he may have with a potential teammate. Mills has played with Joe Ingles on the Australian national team. That could be a potential recruiting tool to land Mills in Salt Lake City.