We have also spent money to buy a pick which is where we got Rudy. We also don't have any really bad contracts because we have been careful. Last year, a bunch of people were pointing at Portland and saying Jazz suck cuz we don't operate like those guys. Now they have 3 of the worst 10 contracts in the league and are ****ed financially going forward.
Deron Williams used to think this same thing about Utah after they traded Ronnie Brewer, and wanted to know what it would be like to play for a team who was willing to throw money around. He found out the hard way.
Moral of the story: There are lots of reasons for being conservative in the early/middle stages of building a team, and the salary cap makes it mandatory to have SMART MONEY MANAGEMENT, otherwise you end up making mistakes that can hurt you for years.
P.S. Utah had the 2nd best offseason last year and still managed not to spend in a way that could be detrimental. TBH, one of the best managed teams in the league.