After trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert last offseason, everyone expected Utah to be in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. Instead, they were in the playoff hunt throughout the season before shutting things down in the final weeks on their way to a 37-45 record. Lauri Markkanen evolved into an All-Star (25.6 points, 8.6 rebounds per game) along the way, Walker Kessler appeared to be a steal as part of the Gobert trade, Collin Sexton looked good in limited action, and Will Hardy has the look of a very good NBA coach.
This summer, Utah could find itself with the second-most cap space in the league, pending player option decisions from four players — although, one would expect them to try and re-sign Jordan Clarkson quickly — and a trio of non-guaranteed deals they (likely) will waive. That makes them a major player for top free agents, as well as a team that, should the right player end up on the trade market, can make some very intriguing offers to bolster their roster quickly given the draft pick haul they brought in last summer.
With so many potential open roster spots, this is a team that could really shuffle the deck if Danny Ainge wants to. We’ll see exactly how patient he is with spending that money on long-term deals, but in the immediate, Utah is riding high after turning over their roster while taking a much more minimal step back than anyone anticipated.
Roster Needs: Wing depth, Point guard
Taylor Hendricks (No. 9 overall), A-: Utah is in an interesting phase with a ton of picks, both this year and in the future, to complement a young roster that is still rebuilding. Scouts are split on Hendricks’ overall upside, but he brings definite intrigue as a defender and floor spacer with size. He projects as a potentially devastating role player that can fit just about anywhere.
Keyonte George (No. 16 overall), B-: Utah has the freedom of three picks, and George is an intriguing player from an upside standpoint. He was a consensus top-10 guy coming out of high school and, while Baylor didn’t go perfectly, he can score and make shots off the bounce. He also has strong craft off the bounce, though George isn’t an elite athlete and could struggle on defense.
Brice Sensabaugh (No. 28 overall), B: There are some injury and defensive concerns with Sensabaugh, but he is a bucket. He is a fantastic shooter that could average buckets of points in the right situation. He doesn’t offer much else right now, but this late in the draft, the value is strong.
2023 Free Agents:
Udoka Azubuike (UFA)
Juan Toscano-Anderson (UFA)
Johnny Juzang (Two-Way)
Roster:
Collin Sexton
Lauri Markkanen
Jordan Clarkson (player option)
Kelly Olynyk
Talen Horton-Tucker (player option)
Rudy Gay (player option)
Ochai Agbaji
Simone Fontecchio
Walker Kessler
Damian Jones (player option)
Kris Dunn (non-guaranteed)
Luka Samanic (non-guaranteed)
Vernon Carey Jr. (non-guaranteed)
