No organization this season got more out of its roster than the Utah Jazz.
After All-Star Gordon Hayward left in free agency, the Jazz looked to be out of the playoff picture with a 15-21 record in early January before seeing their fate change the last four months of the season. They ended up with a first-round series win against the Oklahoma City Thunder and extended the Houston Rockets to five games in the second round.
Now with a franchise player on a rookie contract in Donovan Mitchell, an All-NBA defensive player in Rudy Gobert and a strong supporting cast of Ricky Rubio, Joe Ingles and Jae Crowder returning, Utah enters the offseason with more questions than a year ago when Hayward's decision loomed over the organization.
Now that the Jazz have been eliminated from the postseason -- they lost 112-102 to Houston in Game 5 on Tuesday night -- let's look ahead to the free agency, draft and trade decisions facing them this offseason.
More summer focus: Click here for every team so far
The value of Derrick Favors
There is a reason why the Jazz didn't entertain serious offers for Favors at the trade deadline despite the power forward being on an expiring contract.
Close to the deadline, an NBA scout, when asked about Favors' value, said that he had evolved into an integral piece because of his rare ability to play at a high level as either a power forward or center, and that he still had upside despite being in the league for eight seasons. In fact, Favors could be considered a top-15 center based on the 22-game sample when Gobert was out this season with an injury.
Despite that high praise, Favors will be met with the reality of an uncertain free-agent market. An NBA draft that projects to be dominated by big men plus the lack of cap space in free agency could leave Favors priced out.
Had Favors been a free agent in 2016 when the salary cap spiked, he would have seen a salary in the $18 million to $20 million range. Now he's likely to get a slight increase from the four-year, $48 million rookie extension he signed in October 2013.
Bringing back Favors on a three-year, $45 million contract with a player option in 2020-21 would be a compromise for both sides. It would allow Utah to still have flexibility to use its full midlevel exception in July and keep the roster under the luxury tax. The Favors $15 million cap hit in 2019-20 would give Utah $35 million in room to sign Rubio and use the remaining space to add in free agency.
For Favors, it would be a $3 million increase per season from his previous contact, with the option to re-enter free agency in 2020, when he turns 29 and the salary cap is expected to rise to $112.5 million.
The non-guaranteed contracts
When Hayward left in free agency in July, Utah put a Plan B in effect with the cap space that was created.
The goal was to bring in veterans such as Thabo Sefolosha and Jonas Jerebko with the hope that they would help stabilize the bench. Despite Jerebko and Ekpe Udoh playing only a limited role in the playoffs and Sefolosha suspended for the first five games next season, the front office in Utah will weigh the following:
1. The available free-agent pool at shooting guard, stretch forward and backup center.
2. The priority of creating a roster spot: Utah has 15 players under contract if the three players are not waived and its 2018 first-round pick is added, plus Favors and Dante Exum return.
3. Does Alec Burks make Sefolosha expendable?
4. The trade market: Does it make sense to take back guaranteed salary in 2018-19 if there is an upgrade or draft pick attached?
5. The development of first-round pick Tony Bradley at backup center.
6. The potential cost of Favors.
Keep in mind that losing Sefolosha ($5.2 million), Jerebko ($4.2 million) and Udoh ($3.36) would not create cap space and would see the Jazz with only the $8.6 million midlevel and $3.4 million biannual exception available to use. Utah still would have both exceptions available if the three players are retained.
Treat Dante Exum like a first-round pick
It was only fitting that Exum ended his rookie contract with an injury. Thought to be the point guard of the future, the 22-year-old has dealt with two major injuries -- a left ACL tear and left shoulder dislocation that has sidelined him for most of two seasons (2015-16 and 2017-18). In total, the former No. 5 overall selection has missed more than 150 regular-season games in the past four years.
Since returning from his shoulder injury in mid-March, Exum gave the Jazz a glimpse of his potential during the last weeks of the regular season and playoffs. Now a restricted free agent and still in the developmental stages because of his injury history, Utah has a choice to make: continue investing in Exum with a new contract or go in a different direction.
Because Exum has technically had two redshirt years (2015-16 and this season), Utah can bring back the guard on a contract that is similar to his rookie scale deal signed in 2015.
By structuring the contract with a guaranteed annual salary of $4.4 million and $4.7 million in the first two years in addition to a third year as a team option ($5.1 million), it would give Exum $9.1 million guaranteed, allow the Jazz to continue the basketball investment they started in 2015 and also protect the organization in case of an injury.
Summer cap breakdown
The combination of $14 million in non-guaranteed salaries and $39.5 million in free-agent cap holds has Utah over the salary cap when free agency begins.
If the Jazz cleared the books and waived their non-guaranteed players except for Royce O'Neale, Utah would have $22.7 million in cap space with six roster spots open.
Expect the Jazz to operate over the cap and have the $8.6 million and $3.4 million exception available to use.
Utah also has $3.7 and $2.4 million trade exceptions.
Dates to watch
Despite health issues that plagued his four-year career, Utah will tender Exum a $4.3 million qualifying offer before June 30. The Jazz also will give backup guard Raul Neto a $1.8 million qualifying offer before the deadline, putting the restricted free-agent tag on both players.
Sefolosha will see his $5.2 million contract guaranteed if he is not waived by July 1.
Jerebko and Udoh have a July 9 trigger date in their contracts. Jerebko's contract would be guaranteed at $4.2 million and Udoh at $3.4 million if they are still on the roster.
Extension-eligible candidates
Rubio, Burks and Crowder are all extension-eligible.
Rubio presents an interesting decision for the Jazz's front office. Coming off his best season since entering the NBA in 2011-12, Rubio can receive an extension up to $17.9 million in 2019-20, $5 million below his free-agent hold in 2019. How the Jazz value cap flexibility next July could determine if there is a new contract in place this offseason.
The draft assets
With Mitchell, the Jazz showed how the draft can transform a franchise.
Now heading into June, Utah once again will start with a pick in the 20s (this time at No. 21) but they're unlikely to move into the lottery like they did last year. There is no Trey Lyles on the roster that would allow the Jazz to combine a former lottery pick and their own first to move up eight to 10 slots -- unless, of course, they want to add a future first, a move that is not in their DNA.
Here's how ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz have Utah picking in the 2018 draft:
No. 21 (own): Kevin Huerter | SG | Maryland
No. 52 (own): Chimezie Metu | PF/C | USC
The Jazz own all their future first-round selections.