Jazz ‘will make every attempt’ to re-sign Mike Conley in NBA free agency
The Utah Jazz were the team to beat in the Western Conference during this NBA regular season. As a result they headed into the playoffs as the top seed. The Jazz were definitely a force to be reckoned with. Although, Donovan Mitchell and company ran into a resilient Los Angeles Clippers team that would not be denied.
Utah is now picking up the pieces while trying to figure out their championship puzzle in Salt Lake City. As a result the team has some decisions to make with Mike Conley’s fate hanging in the balance. As an All-Star for the first time in his career, Conley heads into free agency with some clout, and the Jazz doesn’t want him to leave, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic.
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Sources tell The Athletic that Utah wants Conley back and will make every attempt to keep the All-Star in a Jazz uniform once free agency opens.
The reason for the Jazz’s instance on keeping Conley is simple as they will not be able to find a player of his caliber if he walks, says Jones.
The reasoning is rather simple. If Conley walks, the Jazz can’t replace him. And for as good as Mitchell has become, Conley is still the best pure point guard on the roster, the best player on the roster at getting Rudy Gobert the basketball (which is important) and the best player on the roster at running the offense in general. For as good as Mitchell was against the Clippers, Conley’s ability to run the team and get players into the right spots at the right times offensively was sorely missed.
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Conley will be one of the biggest names on the free-agent market this summer. Plenty of teams are likely to show interest. Point guards with his skills and veteran experience are at a premium these days, and despite some injury issues over the years, Conley’s phone will likely be ringing off the hook.
The real question moving forward will be whether the Jazz can compete with other potential contenders trying to add him to their roster.
