NBA Free Agency 2017: One signing every team should make

Utah Jazz: Darren Collison

The Utah Jazz are in an interesting position entering NBA free agency, most notably regarding the situation with Gordon Hayward. They’ll undoubtedly meet with the wing early on in the process to see if they have a chance at retaining him. As mentioned when talking about the Celtics, however, all signs seem to point to him being a goner once things truly get underway.

Obviously the Jazz will need to replace him, but perhaps a more pivotal contingency plan should be put into place if they were to lose point guard George Hill. The veteran was quite great for them this past season, and a catalyst behind their strong run into the postseason. Yet, it remains unclear if he has any intention of returning to Utah to try and make another run with this team. As such, another veteran like Darren Collison would be an intriguing fit.

Collison is a bit of a contrast to what Hill brings to the table, but that might not necessarily be a bad thing. If Hayward were to leave, they would need to go about trying to piece together the scoring they’d be losing. Collison would help in that as the point guard is a far better offensive player than he is on the defensive end.

What’s more, the fit in Utah would thusly make sense for the point guard. With his defensive shortcomings entering his 30-year old season in 2017-18, the Jazz are a stout enough defensive team to not let that be a detriment to their overall plight.