2021 Free Agent Tracker (With Notes On Jazz Fit For Every FA)

Right near the top of the available free agent list is Utah’s own starting point guard. Locking him up will be a top priority for the Jazz. (Game still)

Here we go again.

Here is a list of literally every restricted and unrestricted free agent who finished last season on a standard NBA contract, listed in order of Wins Above Replacement. We also offer an educated guess as to whether each guy makes sense as a Jazz target.

Bookmark this page now, because we’ll be updating it throughout free agency as players come off the board — and as new free agents become available as the result of declined options and waivers. (We’ll list player options here with the free agents since that choice rests with the player, but won’t list TO/non-guaranteed players until they are technically available.)

Current as of 8/11/21 at 2:05 p.m. MDT; will be updated throughout free agency

Kawhi Leonard, 10.5 WAR – Returning to LAC (terms unknown)

• Wing, Declined $36.0M PO
• Logical Jazz Target? The 2-time Finals MVP is widely expected to stay in L.A, even after opting out.

Chris Paul, 10.0 WAR – Stays in Phoenix, 4/$120M

• Point, Declined $44.2M PO
• Logical Jazz Target? Utah doesn’t have a way to land CP3 financially — even if he quite boldly left Phoenix after a 1-year stint that ended just two wins shy of a ring.

DeMar DeRozan, 7.3 WAR – 3/$85M S&T agreement to land in Chicago

• Wing, UFA, $27.7M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? You never say “never” because of the sheer talent level here, but Utah’s Quin Snyder has made it clear he wants outside shooting on the wings.

Mike Conley, 6.5 WAR – Returning to Utah 3/$72.5M

• Point, UFA, $34.5M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Tony Jones is reporting that the Jazz are making a new Conley pact a top priority — and it’s easy to see why, after the vet’s two-way impact landed him his first All-Star spot.

John Collins, 5.1 WAR – 5/$125M deal to stay in Atlanta

• Big, RFA, $4.1M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? The Jazz can’t offer a number that Atlanta couldn’t match, so they’d have to work with the Hawks to find something mutually beneficial if they wanted Collins.

Montrezl Harrell, 5.1 WAR – Opted in

• Big, $9.7M PO
• Logical Jazz Target? There’s no guarantee he opts out, but even if he did, it’s hard to imagine Utah spending their exceptions on a non-shooting big when there are holes elsewhere.

Danny Green, 4.6 WAR – 2/$20M to stay in Philadelphia

• Wing, UFA, $15.4M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Green is the best name that popped when we went searching for guys with outside shooting, on-ball guarding skills and overall defensive impact. But for all those reasons, he might be too good for the taxpayer MLE.

Kelly Olynyk, 4.3 WAR – Signed with the Pistons 3/$37M

• Big, UFA, $12.6M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? KO put up numbers in a partial season in Houston. But he leaves a bit to be desired defensively and he’s not as good of an outside shooter as one would think (34% catch-and-shoot last season).

T.J. McConnell, 4.3 WAR – Stays in Indiana 4/$35.2M

• Point, UFA, $3.5M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Another creator could have really helped the Jazz solve some of LAC’s hyperactive stuff in the playoffs, and McConnell is good defensively — but this would feel better if he were a better 3-point shooter.

Nicolas Batum, 4.3 WAR – 2-year deal to return to LAC (PO second)

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Batum had a nice bounceback year as a shooter and overall impact guy, but he isn’t great when asked to guard the guy with the ball in his hands (like on isos or P&R).

Lonzo Ball, 4.3 WAR – 4/$85M S&T to Chicago

• Point, RFA, $11.0M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Pretty tough to imagine a scenario where NOP declines to match any number the Jazz could afford.

Jarrett Allen, 3.8 WAR – Stays in Cleveland for 5/$100M

• Big, RFA, $3.9M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Allen is a really good young big in the Rudy Gobert mold, but the Cavs are apparently ready to pay handsomely to retain him.

Cameron Payne, 3.5 WAR – Staying in Phoenix, $3/19M

• Point, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Payne is a great catch-and-shoot guy and a solid defender, but it feels a bit like the Jazz filled that rotation spot (a third PG who can play off the ball some) on draft night.

Kyle Lowry, 3.5 WAR – To Miami via S&T 3/$90M

• Point, UFA, $30.5M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Unless Conley bolts, this is zero-chance proposition — and even without Conley, the Jazz could only get in the conversation here if Lowry would take exception money.

Kemba Walker, 3.5 WAR – Agreed to buyout from OKC, expected to sign w/ NYK at $8M/yr

Bobby Portis, 3.2 WAR – 2/$9M to return to Milwaukee

• Big, Declined $3.8M PO
• Logical Jazz Target? A 3-and-D *big* who can shoot from deep and guard the ball, he makes some sense as Derrick Favors’ replacement, especially if the Jazz think he can guard bigger wings on a full-time basis. 

Nerlens Noel, 3.2 WAR – Returning to New York 3/$30M

• Big, UFA, $5M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Noel actually does a lot of things well that the Jazz need from their backup bigs, so I would imagine he’s somewhere on their list now that they moved Favors.

Norm Powell, 3.2 WAR – 4/$90M deal to return to Portland

• Wing, Declined $11.6M PO
• Logical Jazz Target? Norm is a capital-S scorer who can also defend, although he’s just 6’4″. That said, he opted out of $11.6M, which means he probably expects a robust market in the 8-figure range.

Tim Hardaway Jr., 3.0 WAR – Returning to Dallas on a 4/$74M deal

• Wing, UFA, $19.0 last year
• Logical Jazz Target? THJ will likely be out of the Jazz’s price range anyway because of his accomplishments as a scorer — but for what it’s worth, he’s not very good as an on-ball defensive option. 

Derrick Rose, 3.0 WAR – 3/$43M to remain in New York

• Point, UFA, $7.7M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Rose had a really solid year on both ends of the court, but seems to like the situation in New York — and the connection with Tom Thibodeau.

Evan Fournier, 2.7 WAR – 4/$78M deal with New York (TO 4th)

• Wing, UFA, $17.5M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? If Fournier would consider exception money, this could be a good fit: he is close to Gobert personally, he’s only 28, and he’s a good shooter with some defensive experience against bigger wings (he’s 6’7″).

Devonte’ Graham, 2.7 WAR – To NOP on a 4/$47M S&T

• Guard, RFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Graham has scoring and creation chops, but since Charlotte holds matching rights, it’s probably not even worth debating why the Jazz would need another 6-foot-1 guard.

Enes Kanter, 2.7 WAR – 1-year deal with Boston

• Big, UFA, $5.0 last year
• Logical Jazz Target? No word on whether he still misses the mountains, but this is an unlikely fit.

Richaun Holmes, 2.7 WAR – 4/$55M deal to stay in Sacramento

• Big, UFA, $5.0 last year
• Logical Jazz Target? The Jazz have seen Holmes at his best. He’s a non-shooting big, but he’s energetic and has his moments defensively.

Alec Burks, 2.4 WAR – Returning to New York 3/$30M

• Wing, UFA, $6M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Hey, weirder things have happened than a reunion with the 6-foot-5 guard. He just had one of his better defensive seasons, and he’s been cleaning up his shot profile to a degree, too. But the Jared Butler selection on draft night makes this less likely.

Reggie Bullock, 2.4 WAR – 3/$30.5M deal with Dallas

• Wing, UFA, $4.2M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? If I were going to poach a bench guard from MSG, I’d look here before Burks. Bullock has more defensive chops and is better at the catch-and-shoot threes Utah lives on, even if he doesn’t have the same creation ability.

Reggie Jackson, 2.2 WAR – 2/$22M deal w/ LAC

• Point, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Jackson played his way into a nice payday as he powered the Clips through some guard injuries and into the playoffs. He really hurt the Jazz with his ability to get into the lane at will.

Taj Gibson, 2.2 WAR – 1/$2.7M to remain in NYK

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Gibson has taken less than half as many threes in his career as Georges Niang took just this past season in a 16-mpg bench role. So he’s probably not a perfect fit at the 4 in Snyder’s offense.

Lauri Markkanen, 1.9 WAR

• Big, RFA, $6.7M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Depending on what Chicago chooses to do with its cap space, Markkanen could actually be gettable despite his restricted status — but he hardly solves the defensive issues that slowed the Jazz in the postseason.

Daniel Theis, 1.9 WAR – 4/$36M w/ Houston

• Big, UFA, $5.0 last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Theis is taking (not necessarily making) more threes, which makes him marginally interesting as a Favors replacement.

Paul Millsap, 1.9 WAR

• Big, UFA, $10.0 last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Father time might be catching up to Paul, who just had his lowest outputs in many areas since he was a lightly-used reserve early on in Utah.

Serge Ibaka, 1.9 WAR – Opted in

• Big, $9.7M PO
• Logical Jazz Target? Injury woes might persuade Ibaka to opt in, but Jazz fans have long enjoyed imaginging the versatility he could bring to Utah’s frontline. It’s not likely, though.

Gorgui Dieng, 1.9 WAR – 1/$4M Atlanta

• Big, UFA, $1.0M (prorated) last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Dieng is a pure center, but not necessarily a great paint protector. He has improved as a stationary shooter, though.

Bruce Brown, 1.6 WAR – Acceping the 1/$4.7M QO with Brooklyn

• Wing, RFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Brown had an off shooting year, but he has been someone we’ve previously seen on those lists of emerging 3-and-D threats. Brooklyn has matching rights, though.

Doug McDermott, 1.6 WAR – 3/$42M deal with SAS

• Wing, UFA, $7.3M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? He’s a popular name among some Jazz fans at the moment, and he’s a more diverse scorer than I think most people realize — but he is also a minus defender, so that’s a consideration.

Alex Caruso, 1.6 WAR – 4/$37M deal with Chicago

• Guard, UFA, $2.8M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? If Caruso were two inches taller, he might be my favorite target for Utah; he shoots, he’s athletic, he is a hound on defense — but at his size, he only really makes sense if another Jazz guard is on the move somewhere else.

Kendrick Nunn, 1.6 WAR – 2/$10M deal with LAL (PO 2nd)

• Wing, UFA (QO pulled), Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? With matching rights, Miami has the inside lane on keeping this bulldog of a point guard.

Tony Bradley, 1.6 WAR – 2-year deal w/ Chicago (PO 2nd)

• Big, UFA, $3.5M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Since the Jazz just used a pick to move Bradley off their books, let’s assume he’s not their highest free agent priority. (No QO from OKC.)

Frank Kaminsky, 1.6 WAR – 1-yr deal to remain in Phoenix

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Even though he’s a bit more versatile than a lot of bigs on this list, his 3-point shooting still isn’t as good as you probably think it is, and there are things he can’t do on defense.

Rudy Gay, 1.6 WAR – 2/$12M deal with Utah (PO)

• Wing, UFA, $14.5M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? There just aren’t that many guys who are 6-foot-8 and have good shooting numbers AND on-ball defensive outcomes. So I think Gay has to be under consideration, even at 35.

Jeff Green, 1.4 WAR – 2/$10M with Denver (PO 2nd)

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? It, umm, didn’t really pan out the last time the Jazz and Green gave each other a try.

DeMarcus Cousins, 1.4 WAR

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? There are chemistry reasons to be unsure about a Boogie-Jazz culture fit, but even without going there, he’s just not what they’ll be looking for basketball-wise this offseason.

Duncan Robinson, 1.4 WAR – Stays in Miami on 5/$90M deal

• Wing, RFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Like Nunn up above, Robinson’s cap hold is so tiny that Miami can easily use their cap room and still keep the pair of double-digit scoring guards if they order transactions right.

Furkan Korkmaz, 1.4 WAR – 3/$15M to stay in Philadelphia

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? A steadier role has helped Korkmaz solidify his outside shooting numbers, but he’s still in the bottom quarter of the league at slowing down iso scorers or pick-and-roll ball handlers.

Torrey Craig, 1.4 WAR – 2/$10M deal with Indiana

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Here’s a surprising stat given Craig’s defensive reputation: P&R handlers scored 1.29 points per possession when going at him, one of the worst figures of defenders with any volume in the league. He’s also a shaky shooter.  

Georges Niang, 1.4 WAR – 2/$6.7M deal with Philadelphia

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Certain fans are determined to upgrade these particular 16 minutes a night, but Niang was actually very solid this season! Sure, he struggled in the postseason, but he played his role within the system really well — on both ends.

Andre Iguodala, 1.1 WAR – 1-year minimum w/ GSW

• Wing, $15M TO declined
• Logical Jazz Target? The 37-year-old posted career lows last season. So the question is: what does he have left in the tank at this point?

Cody Zeller, 1.1 WAR – 1-year deal, Portland

• Big, UFA, $15.4M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Zeller pretty clearly does some things well, but he’s not a rim protector and he made just two of his 25 catch-and-shoot three attempts last season.

Wayne Ellington, 1.1 WAR – 1-year deal w/ LAL

• Guard, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Ellington is a shooting specialist who doesn’t add a whole ton else, and Utah is kind of swimming in guards under 6’5″ right now, especially if Conley re-signs.

Dennis Schröder, 1.1 WAR – 1/$5.9M deal w/ Boston

• Point, UFA, $16.0M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? The Jazz likely can’t afford him and — if Mike stays — don’t need him anyway. He’s not quite the orchestrator of defense-solver Conley is, even though he’s pretty good defensively in a lot of contexts (including some that really matter for a modern PG).

Jarred Vanderbilt, 1.1 WAR

• Wing, RFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Vanderbilt is good defensively, but in three NBA seasons he has taken exactly eight shots outside the paint — that’s a tough way for a modern wing to exist.

Willy Hernangómez, 1.1 WAR – 3-year deal w/ New Orleans

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Willy isn’t a shooter at all, and while he does certain things well on defense, he doesn’t protect the rim.

Raul Neto, 1.1 WAR – 1-year deal to return to Washington

• Point, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? The former Jazzman just had his best pro season yet, but if Conley re-ups, the Jazz already have as many as four rotation-quality guards under 6’5″.

Tony Snell, 0.8 WAR – 1-year deal w/ Portland

• Wing, UFA, $12.2M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Snell just shot 57% from three — yes, 57%! But he doesn’t do a ton else, which is why he’s historically been right around replacement level on macro stats.

Blake Griffin, 0.8 WAR – 1-year deal to stay in Brooklyn

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Blake is probably not headed to Utah, but it will be interesting to see if he’s going to remain on the ring-chasing circuit or try to get back to a more featured role after his little rejuvenation in Brooklyn. 

David Nwaba, 0.8 WAR – 3/$15M to stay in Houston

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Nwaba’s defensive profile is encouraging, and if he could shoot more consistently he would be a prime target in a league where 3-and-D wings are scarce.

Talen Horton-Tucker, 0.8 WAR – 3/$32M to stay in LAL

• Wing, RFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? There’s no reason L.A. wouldn’t try to keep THT, despite sub-optimal outside shooting from the 2 spot.

Andre Drummond, 0.8 WAR – 1-year deal with Philadelphia

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Drummond likely doesn’t want to come back up an All-NBA center — and frankly, he probably wouldn’t add that much to the Jazz anyway.

Josh Hart, 0.8 WAR

• Point, RFA, $3.5M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Hart has become a really nice Swiss Army Knife kind of player, just a winning dude who can help you win games in a lot of ways, Which is exactly why it’ll be tough to pry him away given NOP’s match rights.

Mike Muscala, 0.8 WAR, 2/$7M to remain in OKC

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Moose is taking more threes than ever, but still doesn’t light the world on fire defensively, especially at the center position. He could be an option as a change-up type of five.

Khem Birch, 0.8 WAR – 3/$20M to stay in Toronto

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Birch was a bit of a darling when he first crashed the rotation a couple of years ago. But then Orlando moved on from rather unceremoniously this season, and Toronto picked him up.

Robin Lopez, 0.8 WAR – 1/$5M deal in Orlando

• Big, UFA, $7.3M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Lopez would be an ideal Gobert backup. But he may prefer to sign with someone who has more than 16 minutes available for him.

Alex Len, 0.8 WAR – 2/$8M deal w/ Sac

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Len at his best is a decent pick-and-roll finisher and a big body in the defensive paint, but he may be headed overseas.

Luke Kornet, 0.5 WAR

• Big, UFA, $2.3M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Kornet is a fringe rotation big who has yet to really establish himself on either end.

Javonte Green, 0.5 WAR – 2-year deal with Chicago

• Wing, RFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Green probably needs to improve at at least one of outside shooting / on-ball defense to really secure a long-term future in the league.

Dennis Smith Jr., 0.5 WAR

• Point, RFA, $5.7M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Detroit will surely make him unrestricted, because if they put a $7.7M QO out there, Smith would be wise to gobble it up. At this point, he’s just trying to hang on.

Patrick Patterson, 0.5 WAR

• Big, UFA, $3M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? He’s fallen off a bit from when he was a plus defender and a capable stretch four. At 6-foot-8, he’s spent time guarding the superstar wings of the league, but that’s probably not his best role anymore.

Trevor Ariza, 0.5 WAR – 1-year deal with LAL

• Wing, UFA, $12.8M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Ariza’s WAR (and counting stats) would look better if he had played a whole season, but he can still knock down shots and slow down on-ball scorers. He’s 36, but there appears to be something left in the tank.

DeWayne Dedmon, 0.5 WAR – 1-year deal to stay in Miami

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Not that long ago, Dedmon was highly coveted. Now he was a waiver-wire pickup who saw just 210 minutes this season. Life comes at you fast.

Bryn Forbes, 0.5 WAR – Deal with SAS (terms?)

• Guard, Declined $2.5M option
• Logical Jazz Target? Forbes is a deadeye shooter, but unfortunately posts some of the worst macro defensive numbers of any guard in the league. That and his size might be deal-breakers for Utah.

Otto Porter, 0.5 WAR – Signing with GSW at the minimum

• Wing, UFA, $28.5M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? This is still a popular idea among Jazz fans, but if you’re rooting for Otto, you’re definitely banking on a resurrection of sorts. He was not the same player last season — especially defensively.

Abdel Nader, 0.5 WAR – 2/$4.2M to stay in Phx

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Nader is actually pretty legit defensively and is a good knockdown threat from the corners. He makes some sense for Utah, and could come relatively cheap.

Carmelo Anthony, 0.5 WAR – 1-yr deal w/ LAL

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Hard to imagine Carmelo in Utah, but now that close chum Dwyane Wade is involved, I suppose you can’t rule it completely out.

Patty Mills, 0.5 WAR – 2/$12M deal with Brooklyn

• Point, UFA, $13.5M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Mills wouldn’t be a horrible recovery plan if Conley bolted, but he’s not a particularly good on-ball defender.

Isaiah Hartenstein, 0.3 WAR

• Big, Declined $1.8M option
• Logical Jazz Target? Hartenstein opted out of a guaranteed minimum deal, which means he probably feels pretty confident he can get guaranteed money somewhere.

James Johnson, 0.3 WAR – 1-year deal w/ Bkn

• Wing, UFA, $16.0M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Johnson can still be useful in the right contexts because of his physicality and ability to playmake a bit from the wing, but he’s not really a shooter, and the numbers show that age might be slowing him down.

Boban Marjanović, 0.3 WAR – 1-year deal to stay in Dallas

• Big, UFA, $3.5M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Who doesn’t love Bobi? He’s also used to the exact role Utah needs to fill on its frontline.

Kent Bazemore, 0.3 WAR – 1-year deal with LAL

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Bazemore’s defense has slipped a little, but he can still shoot. He’s 32, and small for a wing, but frankly, GSW played better when he started usurping more of Kelly Oubre’s minutes.

Sterling Brown, 0.3 WAR – Deal with Dallas, 2/$6.2M

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Brown is an improving shooter and an accomplished defender. He should very much be on the radar, although I’d be more interested if he were a little bit bigger than 6’5″.

Victor Oladipo, 0.3 WAR – 1-year deal w/ Miami

• Wing, UFA, $21M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Injuries completely robbed him of his old defensive juice. If it could ever come back, Dipo might be a steal for someone who buys low this offseason. But there’s no guarantee it will.

George Hill, 0.3 WAR – $2/8M w/ Milwaukee after clearing waivers

• Point, Waived off of $10M contract (only $1.28M guaranteed)
• Logical Jazz Target? This is probably only realistic if Hill is ready to enter the “deep reserve” phase of his career — and if there are no bad feeling from the way his earlier Utah stint ended.

Derrick Jones Jr., 0.3 WAR – Picking up option

• Wing, $9.7M PO
• Logical Jazz Target? DJJ is a lot of people’s idea of the protypical 3-and-D wing — except that he’s actually not great at the 3 part (29% career) and he might be mildly overrated at the D part. Could be part of why he’s expected to opt in.

Alfonzo McKinnie, 0.3 WAR 

• Wing, UFA, Waived off minimum (fully non-guaranteed)
• Logical Jazz Target? This is actually kind of interesting. McKinnie is a big forward (6’8″) who is a really good catch-and-shoot guy. Jury’s out on his defensive ability, but I wouldn’t be surprised if someone waiver-claimed him.

Rodney McGruder, 0.3 WAR – 1/Min w/ Detroit (after clearing waivers)

• Wing, Waived off $5M (fully non-guaranteed)
• Logical Jazz Target? McGruder has seen real rotation play for Miami and LAC, but the Jazz probably are set by this point.

Spencer Dinwiddie, 0.0 WAR – Going to Washington via a S&T for 3/$62M

• Point, UFA, $11.5M last year (opted out of $12.3M)
• Logical Jazz Target? Dinwiddie has made it clear he’s looking for an 8-figure deal. Otherwise he’d be an ideal guy to keep an eye on as a MLE target if the Jazz need to replace Conley.

Malik Monk, 0.0 WAR – 1-year deal w/ LAL

• Wing, UFA, $5.3M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Monk is suddenly more gettable after Charlotte declined to make him a restricted free agent — but he’s also small for his position and missed a bunch of time last season. Still, he’s made progress as a defender, shooter and overall contributor.

Cristiano Felicio, 0.0 WAR

• Big, UFA, $7.5M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? It’s not Felicio’s fault that Chicago grossly overpaid him way back in 2017. But it’s a tough time for big men who don’t protect the paint, guard in space OR stretch the floor at all.

Josh Richardson, 0.0 WAR – Opting in

• Wing, $11.6M PO
• Logical Jazz Target? He’s another one of those 3-and-D guys who wasn’t particularly good at 3s *or* D this past season. But he did just enough in terms of raw production to make this PO decision interesting. 

Will Barton, 0.0 WAR – Returning to Denver on a 2/$32M deal

• Wing, Declined PO ($14.7M)
• Logical Jazz Target? Will the Thrill opted out after another injury-laden year, but word is he’s hopeful for a return to Denver.

JaMychal Green, 0.0 WAR – Returning to Denver on 2/$17M deal

• Big, Declined $7.6M option
• Logical Jazz Target? Green is mostly a big, but he shoots and he has spent enough time guarding marquee wings that he should probably be on the list now that he has opted out.

JaVale McGee, 0.0 WAR – 1/$5M deal with Phx

• Big, UFA, $4.2M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Another traditional center who the Jazz may consider now that Favors is gone. He’s good at shutting down isos, but otherwise is not a real defensive presence.

Austin Rivers, 0.0 WAR – 1-year deal w/ Denver

• Point, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Despite lighting the Jazz up in MSG, he’s a fairly average shooter overall. I could see Utah looking into this if a too-good-to-be-true Clarkson trade opportunity presented itself, but outside of that I don’t see where Rivers fills a need. He’s not really a Conley clone.

Dante Exum, 0.0 WAR

• Point, UFA, $9.6M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Exum’s few really nice stretches in his Jazz career were always interrupted by injuries. But mostly he couldn’t get over the hump because of offensive limitations.

Udonis Haslem, 0.0 WAR – Returning to Miami on another 1-year minimum deal

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? The Heat institution is likely to retire, reports indicate.

Jeff Teague, 0.0 WAR

• Point, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Teague’s production has consistently tapered down since he left Atlanta. Not sure how the Jazz would use him.

Frank Ntilikina, 0.0 WAR

• Point, UFA, $6.2M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Ntilikina just put up his best shooting season (48% from three, albeit on a small sample), but overall New York appears to finally be moving on mentally from the former lottery pick.

James Ennis III, 0.0 WAR

• Wing, UFA, $3.3M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? I would often pupu the Ennis idea last offseason, based mostly on suspect shooting. But he just had a 43% year from deep, seven full percentage points above his career average! Sustainable, or a fluke?

Dwight Howard, 0.0 WAR – Deal with LAL

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? The former MVP candidate has made a nice transition to being a role player. He’s been backing up another of the league’s premier big men.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, 0.0 WAR

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? RHJ has some real ability on defense, but his complete lack of an outside shot (21%) career just continues to limit the role he can play in the modern game. 

Terence Davis, 0.0 WAR – 2-year deal w/ Sac

• Wing, RFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? He’s small (6’4″) but he’s an OK shooter and he has had success guarding guys who try to score with the ball in their hands. Overall D stats don’t love him, but there could be some potential there.

Trey Lyles, 0.0 WAR – 2/$5M deal w/ Detroit

• Big, UFA, $5.5M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Lyles didn’t jive with certain other personnel during his brief Jazz career — including bristling at Snyder’s thorough practices — so this might be a non-starter.

Juwan Morgan, 0.0 WAR

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? The Jazz not issuing Morgan a QO is a rather rough sign — as when they signed Ersan Ilyasova in a move that pushed the combo big further down the depth chart.

Ersan Ilyasova, 0.0 WAR

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? It seems kind of odd that they brought the veteran in while touting his playoff experience but then practically never used him. We’ll see if the Jazz are simply read to move on from that experiment.

Ish Smith, 0.0 WAR – 2/$9M (TO) deal with Charlotte

• Point, UFA, $6M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Calling Smith a “journeyman” is actually an understatement: he has played for 11 teams in 11 seasons. But he’s been pretty solid of late at staying in front of the ball on defense, and making open shots. Utah is just swimming in small guards right now.

Norvel Pelle, 0.0 WAR

• Big, Waived off minimum deal (fully non-guaranteed)
• Logical Jazz Target? Pelle is a fringe NBA guy who played for three NBA teams last season alone.

DeAndre’ Bembry, 0.0 WAR – 1-year deal w/ Brooklyn

• Wing, Waived off minimum deal (fully non-guaranteed)
• Logical Jazz Target? His 27% career 3-point percentage is going to make it tough for a 6’5″ wing to get a lot of run in the modern game.

Paul Watson, 0.0 WAR

• Big, Waived off minimum deal ($350K guaranteed)
• Logical Jazz Target? Watson is 6’6″ and is a good shooter so far. But advanced defensive metrics really don’t like him, even though his defensive play type numbers look good and opponents shot 5.7% lower than their expected FG% when Watson was guarding.

Zach Collins, N/A (did not play) – 3/$22M deal w/ SAS

• Big, UFA, $5.4M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Portland did not extend a QO to Collins, a skilled big who has some defensive skills. Just not sure he fits Utah’s need.

Omer Yurtseven, N/A (did not play) – 2-year deal w/ Miami

• Big, UFA, TO declined at the minimum
• Logical Jazz Target? Yurtseven played well in the G League but has yet to see any NBA action.

Sam Dekker, N/A (returning from overseas) – 1-year deal w/ Toronto

Jock Landale, N/A (international FA) – 2-year deal w/ SAS

Keifer Sykes, N/A (international FA) – Deal w/ Indiana

Ishmail Wainright, N/A (international FA) – 2-year deal w/ Toronto

Caleb Homesley, N/A (did not play)

• Wing, Waived off minimum (fully non-guaranteed)
• Logical Jazz Target? Jazz are likely not looking for a virtual rookie; Homesley spent a few days on Washington’s roster, but has not yet played NBA minutes.

Kris Dunn, -0.3 WAR – Picking up option

• Guard, $5.0M PO
• Logical Jazz Target? As we said with RHJ, Exum and others, shooting has kept Dunn — a really tough defender — from enjoying a bigger role.

Jontay Porter, -0.3 WAR

• Big, Waived off $1.8M deal ($300K gtd)
• Logical Jazz Target? The rookie played just 54 minutes. He can shoot a little bit, though.

Cory Joseph, -0.3 WAR – 2/$10M deal with Detroit (PO 2nd)

• Guard, Waived off $12M deal ($2.4M gtd)
• Logical Jazz Target? The Pistons released Joseph before free agency. He’s a combo guard on the smaller side, with average-ish shooting numbers but decent defense.

Didi Louzada, -0.3 WAR – 4-year deal to stay in NOP

• Wing, TO declined at the minimum
• Logical Jazz Target? A 25% 3-point shooter who posted some eye-poppingly bad defensive numbers, he’s probably not a target for Utah.

Deividias Sirvydis, -0.3 WAR

• Guard, Waived off minimum salary (fully gtd)
• Logical Jazz Target? At just 133 career minutes played, Sirvydis might be more of a project.

Hamidou Diallo, -0.3 WAR

• Wing, RFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Detroit just acquired Hamidou during the season, presumably because they like him enough to try to keep him using their matching rights. He’s an interesting player, but so far the defensive metrics haven’t really been there.

Kelly Oubre Jr., -0.3 WAR – 2/$26M with Charlotte

• Wing, UFA, $14.4M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Oubre was better defensively than I would have guessed, but his shot was really up-and-down this season. The Warriors played their best basketball when he was in smaller role (or out altogether).

Wesley Matthews, -0.3 WAR

• Wing, UFA, $3.6M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? The consummate 3-and-D type, Matthews had another solid year from a defensive standpoint, but the overall production just continues to tail off as he gets further into his 30s.

Jared Dudley, -0.3 WAR

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? The 36-year-old was absent from LAL’s rotation, even as they endured a litany of injuries that pressed others into duty.

Nemanja Bjelica, -0.3 WAR – 1-year deal with GSW

• Big, UFA, $7.2M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? The Jazz have been interested in Bjelly in the past, but he saw a sharp decrease in minutes (Sacto wanted to play the young guys) that seemed to mess with his shot. The career 39% shooter converted just 29% of his threes with the Kings before getting rescued by Miami.

Ed Davis, -0.3 WAR

• Big, UFA, $5.0M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Davis was a widely lauded Jazz pickup during the 2019 offseason, but just did not work out because of lack of role gravity and interior presence.

Moritz Wagner, -0.3 WAR – 2-year deal with Orlando

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? The German has the mobility to do OK on play types where he’s asked to stop the ball. He has played 84% of his career minutes at the 5, so he just got a lot more interesting in a Jazz context after the Favors deal.

E’Twaun Moore, -0.3 WAR

• Guard, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Moore is really more of a small 2 than a PG, and because of that he adds the most value when he’s hitting outside shots — something he struggled to do in Phoenix this year.

Harry Giles, -0.3 WAR

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? If the Jazz weren’t in win-now mode, Giles would made some sense as a reclamation project since he’s a young big with some ball skills. But so far he’s been a fringe rotation guy.

Hassan Whiteside, -0.3 WAR – 1-year deal with Utah

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Whiteside had his minutes average cut in half, and his efficiency and even rebound and block rate fell too.

Stanley Johnson, -0.3 WAR

• Wing, UFA, $3.8M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Yet another intriguing 6-foot-7 wing with defensive talent… and sub-30% outside shooting. They have extended a QO.

Tyler Cook, -0.3 WAR

• Big, Waived off minimum deal (fully non-guaranteed)
• Logical Jazz Target? Cook agreed to a non-guaranteed second season so that he could get a rest-of-season deal with Detroit last year. They moved on after 28 games and 5.5 points per outing.

Ryan Arcidiacono, -0.3 WAR

• Point, $3M TO declined
• Logical Jazz Target? The difference between Arcidiacono and most of these midsummer waiver guys is that he has at least played some real NBA minutes. He’s a decent shooter, but small and not a great defender.

Alen Smailagic, -0.3 WAR

• Big, waived off minimum deal (non-guaranteed)
• Logical Jazz Target? By the time the seldom-used big was available, the Jazz had pretty much set their roster.

Brandon Goodwin, -0.5 WAR

• Point, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Goodwin is a small point guard who doesn’t particularly set the world on fire as a defender or shooter – no QO from Atlanta.

Mike James, -0.5 WAR

• Point, RFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? James was a coveted and known commodity in European basketball until the Nets picked him up midseason. They didn’t issue a QO though, which could be a sign he’s headed back for more money overseas.

Nicolò Melli, -0.5 WAR

• Big, RFA, $4.0M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Melli was billed as a stretch big coming into the league, but he hasn’t been making them at a high enough clip to justify major minutes — or possibly even a qualifying offer.

D.J. Wilson, -0.5 WAR

• Wing, UFA, $4.5M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Wilson is 6-foot-10 with a nice touch, but his defense has been part of the reason he can’t stay on the floor — and probably part of why Houston didn’t offer the $6.4M QO.

Tim Frazier, -0.5 WAR

• Point, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Frazier saw action in just five games this season, and he shot 15% from the floor and 0-for-8 from three. Yeesh.

Semi Ojeleye, -0.5 WAR – 1-year deal with Milwaukee

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? After four years in a 9th man-type role for Boston, we’re about to find out if they consider the 6-foot-6 defensive wing part of their future.

Ignas Brazdeikis, -0.5 WAR

• Wing, RFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? He has played just 302 minutes in two seasons, and this year he appeared briefly for three different teams. That probably means he’s not the best option for a win-now outfit.

Mike Scott, -0.5 WAR

• Big, UFA, $5.0M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? The Regional Manager is more of a disruptor on defense than a pure stopper, but he does have a big body and some outside ability.

Lou Williams, -0.5 WAR – 1/$5M deal to stay in Atlanta

• Guard, UFA, $8M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? LouWill guarded 1.8 possessions per game where a P&R handler tried to score on him, and he held them to just .65 points on such plays — which is kind of shocking given his rep as a shoot-first-second-and-third type of small shooting guard.

Solomon Hill, -0.8 WAR – 1-year deal to stay in Atlanta

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? The Jazz have had some level of dialogue with Hill in the past, but it’s hard to tell how serious that got. He’s not really a shooter, and his on-ball defense isn’t as good as you’d hope given his size and body type.

Tyler Johnson, -0.8 WAR

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Johnson does better guarding within a scheme than all by himself, but the real issue that has cost him playing time is that his shooting has bounced around (mostly in the low 30s) since he left Miami.

Denzel Valentine, -0.8 WAR

• Wing, UFA, $4.6M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? DV is a legit on-ball pest, but his shooting may be problematic in Snyder’s spread P&R-based system.

Matthew Dellavedova, -0.8 WAR

• Point, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Sounds like Delly might be headed back to Oz for the twilight of his career.

J.J. Redick, -0.8 WAR

• Guard, UFA, $13.0M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? It was a weird year for JJ: he got hurt, thought he was getting traded somewhere and wound up getting traded somewhere else, and then ultimately found himself in an 11-mpg role in Dallas. At 37, his gravity is still real, and he’s a passable system defender, but might not make sense for the guard-heavy Jazz.

Markieff Morris, -0.8 WAR – 1-year deal w/ Miami

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? A 6-foot-8 forward who defends sounds appealing, but this half of the Morri Brotherhood offers quite a bit less on offense.

Thanasis Antetokounmpo, -0.8 WAR

• Wing, RFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? The energetic defender hasn’t played a ton in Milwaukee, but if they feel compelled to keep him around for the family-focused Finals MVP, they have the inside track via matching rights.

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, -0.8 WAR

• Wing, UFA (QO rescinded), Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? The Pistons gave up on Svi and the Thunder said, “Don’t mind if we do,” then gave him a pretty prominent role where he averaged double figures.

Gary Trent Jr., -0.8 WAR – 3/$54M to return to Toronto

• Wing, RFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Trent plays with high effort on defense, even though some metrics suggest he’s a tad overrated there. After growing into a 15-ppg scorer in Portland, the Raptors acquired him, likely to try to hold onto him via restricted free agency.

Matt Thomas, -0.8 WAR

• Wing, Waived off minimum contract (fully non-guaranteed)
• Logical Jazz Target? Since it was the Jazz who moved on from the shooting specialist (who struggled with his shot), he’s definitely not a Jazz target.

JaKarr Sampson, -1.1 WAR

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? If Sampson could shoot the ball at all (<25% career), you’d know about him, because he has done good things on defense across multiple positions.

Maurice Harkless, -1.1 WAR – 2/$9M deal in Sac

• Wing, UFA, $3.6M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Harkless shot just 27% from three, and iso scorers dopped 1.87 points per trip with Moe on them — the very worst figure in the league. In other words, he might not be the answer as a big wing stopper OR as a knockdown shooter.

DaQuan Jeffries, -1.1 WAR

• Wing, $1.7M TO declined
• Logical Jazz Target? He is a shooting guard who can’t shoot (29% 3pt career) and who has struggled defensively on key guard play types.

Caleb Martin, -1.1 WAR

• Wing, Waived off minimum (non-guaranteed)
• Logical Jazz Target? Martin didn’t hit the market until after the Jazz were pretty much done with roster decisions.

Justise Winslow, -1.4 WAR – 2-year deal w/ LAC

• Wing, $13M TO declined
• Logical Jazz Target? The Grizz quite expectedly let Winslow go for cap reasons. He can still defend, but he just doesn’t command any attention on the other end, where he’s a 19% catch-and-shoot 3 guy.

Bismack Biyombo, -1.4 WAR

• Big, UFA, $3.5M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? The Jazz do need another rotation big now, but Biyombo probably doesn’t project as a top-9 player on a championship team at this point.

Ben McLemore, -1.4 WAR – 1/Min with Portland

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? The former lottery pick is still hanging around in deep rotation roles.

Elfrid Payton, -1.4 WAR – 1-year deal w/ Phoenix

• Point, UFA, $4.8M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Payton’s defense has improved, but his lack of outside shooting might disqualify him from a major role in Snyder’s system.

Isaac Bonga, -1.4 WAR

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Tall, wiry and bouncy, Bonga has shown defensive flashes but mostly lacks consistency on offense. The Wiz chose not to issue a QO.

Avery Bradley, -1.6 WAR

• Guard, $5.9M TO declined
• Logical Jazz Target? Bradley is a small defensive wing who played just 602 minutes last season. His reputation as a stopper seems to fit, but the guess here is the Jazz will look for someone with more size and more recent contributions, unless he’ll take the minimum.

Garrett Temple, -1.6 WAR – Going to NOP in the Ball S&T; dollar figure unknown

• Guard, UFA, $4.8M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Temple is tough and plays solid defense, although there might be some in his price range who do that and are also slightly more impactful on offense. 

Brad Wanamaker, -1.9 WAR

• Point, RFA, $2.3M last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Once considered a promising piece in Boston, Wanamaker had what we could generously call a rough shooting year in GSW and Charlotte: 19% from three, 49% overall true shooting.

Aron Baynes, -1.9 WAR

• Big, waived off $7.35M deal (non-guaranteed)
• Logical Jazz Target? The Jazz have sniffed around the Aussie before, but by the time he was available, the Jazz had pretty much set their roster.

Timothy Luwawu-Cabarrot, -2.2 WAR

• Wing, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Almost every advanced metric out there has TLC as a below-replacement-level player, but he played the ninth most minutes of any Net last season.

P.J. Tucker, -2.2 WAR – 2/$15M deal with Miami

• Big, UFA, Minimum last year
• Logical Jazz Target? Weird that the very lowest free agent by WAR is the guy who gave the Eastern Conference champs a chance again Kevin Durant. PJ did work in that series after a not-that-spectacular season by defensive metrics — which is a good reminder that a lot of these stats are noisy and/or situational.

Rodney Hood, -3.2 WAR – Waived off non-guaranteed deal by Tor, then 1-yr agreement with Milwaukee

Dwayne Bacon, -3.8 WAR

• Wing, Waived off minimum deal (non-guaranteed)
• Logical Jazz Target? The Sunday waiver gives us a new lowest WAR in the 2021 free agent class.

Players coming off 2-way contracts (restricted if teams make the QO):

Skylar Mays, Louis King (0.5), Tremont Waters, Tacko Fall, Grant Riller, Devon Dotson, Jalen Harris, Jarrell Brantley (0.3), Chris Chiozza, Nate Darling, Saben Lee, Frank Jackson, Devontae Cacok, Max Strus, Axel Toupane, Jordan McLaughlin, James Nunnally, Rayjon Tucker, T.J. Leaf, Keita Bates-Diop, Trent Forrest, Cassius Winston, Amida Brimah (0.0), Nathan Knight, Adam Mokoka, Jeremiah Martin, Tyler Bey, Nate Hinton, Jordan Bell, Amir Coffey, Killian Tillie, Theo Pinson, Jared Harper, Jaylen Hoard, Ty-Shon Alexander, Quinndary Weatherspoon, Garrison Mathews (-0.3), Reggie Perry, Shaquille Harrison, Nico Mannion, Armoni Brooks, Cassius Stanley, Jay Scrubb, Kostas Antetokounmpo, Justin Jackson, Keljin Blevins (-0.5), Brodric Thomas, Kyle Guy (0.8), Markus Howard, Anthony Lamb (-1.1), Gary Clark (-1.4), Gabe Vincent (-1.6), Josh Hall, Chasson Randle (-2.4)

Players who were under contract in 2020-21, but waived before the end of season:

Darius Miller (0.8), Thon Maker (0.3), Iman Shumpert, Quinn Cook, Marques Bolden, Greg Whittington, Justin Patton, Ray Spalding, Jalen Lecque, Brian Bowen, Malik Fitts, Ashton Hagens, Will Magnay, Meyers Leonard, Robert Franks, Devin Cannady, Mason Jones, Dakota Mathias, Marquese Chriss, Patrick McCaw, Henry Ellenson Cameron Oliver (0.0), Andre Roberson, Noah Vonleh, Bruno Caboclo, Rodions Kurucs, Jaylen Adams, Isaiah Thomas, Vincent Poirier, Justin Robinson, Frank Mason III, Jordan Bone, Chris Silva, Anžejs Pasečņiks (-0.3), Sindarious Thornwell, Terrance Ferguson, Glenn Robinson III (-0.5), Jerome Robinson (-1.1)