As things currently stand, Utah Jazz guard Kris Dunn is a free agent.
Sure, he’s reportedly signed a new deal with the Los Angeles Clippers or at least plans to land in Los Angeles via a sign-and-trade at some point in the not-too-distant future, but technically, he’s still a free agent, with the ability to sign anywhere he wants.
When the dust settles, if that team isn’t Utah, it’s safe to say the Jazz made a mistake, as Dunn was a very good player last season for a team that, at one point, looked like it could play the role of spoiler in the playoffs.
Initially signed by the Jazz to a 10-day contract in February 2023, Dunn parlayed his best efforts into another 10-day deal and eventually a standard NBA contract good for the remainder of the regular season as well as 2023-24. Appearing in 66 games and 32 starts for Will Hardy’s squad last season, the former fifth overall pick out of Providence established himself as one of the NBA’s most dominant defensive point guards, setting up teammates for assists as an on-ball playmaker, sure, but really producing for the Jazz as both an on- and off-ball defender.
Playing alongside everyone from Keyonte George to Collin Sexton as a low-usage point guard, Dunn served as a veteran presence on a young team in need of proven leaders and was celebrated by teammates, fans and even the coach alike, with Hardy celebrating his leadership both in the locker room and on the court for the team.
While Dunn may not be a full-time starter on a good team moving forward and may even have been relegated to a less prominent role for the team in 2024-25, should he have returned due to the draft addition of Isaiah Collier, when a team like the Jazz has money to spend and the desire to develop its young players for future success, saying goodbye to a quality veteran with scheme and position versatility is simply a bad idea at best and poor asset allocation at worst. If the deal with L.A. falls through, the Jazz should seriously consider bringing Dunn back for now even if they trade him down the road.
Gordon Chiesa questioned the Jazz’s team-building strategy
Is it a little unusual to see a team with cap space like the Jazz allow one of the true breakout stars of the 2023-24 season to leave, either via free-agent signing or trade (the exact move is still up in the air), for a second-round pick at most? Of course, Dunn completely turned his career around last season and was heavily courted by at least one team with serious playoff aspirations as a result, but frankly, this isn’t the first time Danny Ainge has sacrificed the present for the future, as just a few months ago he traded away several rotation players in a series of moves clearly focused on the future.
Discussing the team’s free agency period with ESPN, former assistant coach Gordon Chiesa questioned Ainge’s decision-making, as giving away good players isn’t going to make the team better.
“Kelly Olynyk, besides being a very good player, is popular. His teammates liked him. They liked him off the court, and as a roommate, they loved the way he played. Fontecchio, that guy played hard and hit shots, and you get the feeling that he has a spirit of his own. Ochai Abaji was a younger player, but I’m sure the younger players liked him because he was a guy they could relate to,” Chisesa explained via FanNation.
“Will Hardy has to keep talking to the team about how to be a professional,” Chiesa said. “You have to be the best you can be individually and increase the win total, but also from your own perspective, people respect you even in the NBA if you are a free agent.”
On one hand, the Jazz clearly don’t feel like they have a strong enough infrastructure to build a long-term contender, making acquiring draft picks a necessity until that’s no longer the case. On the other hand, the Jazz have an All-Star in Lauri Markkanen, a great coach in Hardy, and the ability to build their roster moving forward by trading for someone like Trae Young, if he becomes available. Had the Jazz stayed together last season, they might have made the playoffs, but instead, they came out of the draft with three very interesting players in Cody Williams, Collier, and Kyle Filipowski, but no clear path forward.
(tags to translate)Kris Dunn
