They were one of the best all-around teams in the NBA during the regular season, but injuries and matchup did not favor the Utah Jazz in the playoffs this year. Utah lost in the Western Conference Semifinals to the Los Angeles Clippers and as a result, the offseason has begun sooner than many imagined in Salt Lake City.
The futures of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert seem to be locked up at this point, since they are both under contract with the Jazz through the 2025-26 season, both with player options for that year, but one key piece to Utah’s core that is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason is Mike Conley.
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After spending 12 seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, Mike Conley joined the Utah Jazz ahead of the 2019-20 season after being traded to them ahead of the 2019 NBA Draft for Kyle Korver, Jae Crowder and two first-round picks.
Conley was solid with the Jazz last year, but injuries hurt his chances to make a big impact and he was getting used to Utah’s system last year. Entering this season, there were a lot of expectations that Mike Conley could elevate them to new heights and he did so, averaging 16.2 points, 6.0 assists and shooting 41.2% from three-point range during the regular season.
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He did miss some time due to injuries, including time during the playoffs with a hamstring strain, but overall, the value Conley has to this Utah Jazz team is hard to replace, which is why they will be doing everything they can to bring him back in NBA free agency.
However, there will be other teams looking to lure the veteran guard away from Utah. While it seems like he is happy there and his teammates love him, there are a handful of other teams that could be farther along in terms of being championship contenders than the Jazz are. At 33-years-old, Conley will definitely be weighing all of his options and going after a championship could be something he strongly considers.
As a result, let’s dive in and take a look at three teams who could look to sign Mike Conley away from the Utah Jazz this offseason, leaving a major hole in Utah’s backcourt.
