The Jazz are bringing three guys who will absolutely be on their team next year, as well as four other guys who are signed to contracts and will be battling for roster spots. It's going to be a pretty good fight to see who can catch on with the team. But the most important thing for the Jazz this year will be getting to see Dante Exum, and the strides he's made over the course of the year. He might be the Jazz's make or break player in 2015-16, so getting him rolling is incredibly important for their playoff hopes.
Players who will absolutely be on the team in 2015-16
Dante Exum
Position: Guard
2014-15 team: Jazz
Odds he's on team for 2015-16: 100 percent
Analysis: Exum had a very good developmental season for the Jazz, improving upon legitimate weaknesses throughout the season like shooting and defense. The results weren't always great offensively though, as he had an inefficient year. The key for Exum in Summer League will be seeing how the game has slowed down for him. If he looks more comfortable at 20 years old, that will be a win for the Jazz.
Trey Lyles
Position: Power Forward
2014-15 team: Kentucky (NCAA)
Odds he's on team for 2015-16: 100 percent
Analysis: Lyles represents a solid developmental choice for the Jazz. He's a fluid athlete that has decent shooting mechanics, even though those mechanics haven't shown up in production. He'll give the Jazz a different look off the bench eventually behind Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors, but he might take a year or two to get there.
Rodney Hood
Position: Shooting Guard
2014-15 team: Jazz
Odds he's on team for 2015-16: 100 percent
Analysis: Hood was rather terrific last season for a rookie offensively, and should represent a nice option in between the Jazz's point guard of the future and Gordon Hayward. He's a smart player who can handle the ball a little bit and really shoot well both on the move and on the catch. Look for him to continue to make strides in those areas this week.
Some other players on the roster who could be options for the Jazz
Grant Jerrett
Position: Power Forward
2014-15 team: Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder
Odds he's on team for 2015-16: 80 percent
Analysis: Jerrett's a former five-star high school recruit who hasn't quite figured things out in the NBA yet. He's on a guaranteed contract, which does make him quite likely to be on the final roster, and he shot 39 percent from 3 in the D-League last year at 6-10, so he's a legit prospect. But if he ends up being outperformed by some of the other guys in this section, it wouldn't be crazy to see the Jazz eat the money they owe him.
Bryce Cotton
Position: Point Guard
2014-15 team: Jazz, Austin Spurs (D-League)
Odds he's on team for 2015-16: 51 percent
Analysis: I give Cotton a slightly better than average chance of sticking. He can get into the lane and shoot from distance, which makes him pretty valuable offensively. The former Providence guard was All-D-League second team this year, scoring 22 points per game and making 45 percent of his 3s. Pretty nice stuff for a third point guard.
Jack Cooley
Position: Power Forward
2014-15 team: Jazz, Idaho Stampede (D-League
Odds he's on team for 2015-16: 45 percent
Analysis: Cooley and the Jazz have been doing a little dance back and forth for the past two seasons, with him finally getting a chance to play in 16 games last year. He's a great rebounder and the team could use some further big man depth behind Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors. He'll have a very legitimate chance of making this team.
Chris Johnson
Position: Forward
2014-15 team: Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Rio Grande Valley Vipers (D-League)
Odds he's on team for 2015-16: 40 percent
Analysis: Another player with a puncher's chance of making the Jazz. Johnson has kind of been stuck for the last few seasons between the NBA and the D-League, occassionally getting cups of coffee but never a long-term deal. The key with him is shooting. If he's shooting well from distance, he's pretty useful due to his athleticism and motor. If he's not, he's kind of a rough option to throw on the wing on offense.
Olivier Hanlan
Position: Guard
2014-15 team: Boston College (NCAA)
Odds he's on team for 2015-16: 60 percent
Analysis: I like Hanlan a lot as a player, and think he has a pretty real shot to stick. He's a scorer through and through, capable of running pick and rolls or spotting up and shooting. It's also worth mentioning he's not a bad distributor either. The question is whether or not he's a bit too much of a combo guard or not enough of a defensive player.
Other former NBA players
JaJuan Johnson
Position: Power Forward
2014-15 team: Besiktas (Turkey)
Odds he's on team for 2015-16: Eight percent
Analysis: Johnson was solid last year in Turkey just like he was the year before in Italy, averaging 12 points and six rebounds per contest. It's always been kind of surprising to me that Johnson never carved out a career at least at the end of an NBA bench, as he's a somewhat mobile guy that can shoot out to about 20 feet. Maybe this time around it works out, as the former first rounder is running out of time at 26 years old.
Jared Cunningham
Position: Guard
2014-15 team: Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Delaware 87ers and Idaho Stampede (D-League)
Odds he's on team for 2015-16: Seven percent
Analysis: Cunningham is a strong defender that just has never been able to put anything together offensively in the NBA. He's not much of a distributor and not a shooter. It's hard to play undersized guys who can't shoot or distribute, so his time might be running out as an NBA player. Still, he's a good enough athlete to where he could perform well on this level.
Some free agents worth watching
Brock Motum
Position: Forward
2014-15 team: Adelaide (Australia)
Odds he's on team for 2015-16: Eight percent
Analysis: Motum was first-team All-NBL this season in Australia after averaging 17 points and seven rebounds. Where he's interesting on the floor is as a floor-spacing big man, as he made 47 percent of his 3-pointers this year in his home country. If something like that holds, he'll have a pretty real chance at making a roster.
Wesley Saunders
Position: Guard
2014-15 team: Harvard (NCAA)
Odds he's on team for 2015-16: Three percent
Analysis: Saunders has a pretty terrific feel for the game, with solid ball-handling ability and a great old-man midrange game. The problem is that he's not a particularly great athlete and he's not very long. That, plus his defensive intensity wavering from time-to-time makes it tough to envision an NBA fit. But he'll be a pretty terrific European player for a while.
Jesse Morgan
Position: Guard
2014-15 team: Temple (NCAA)
Odds he's on team for 2015-16: Two percent
Analysis: Morgan is a 3-point gunner that knocked down 36 percent of his seven 3-point attempts per game. He's not quite efficient enough as a shooter and not quite a good enough defender to play in the NBA yet, but maybe one day he can get there if he improves in both of those areas.
J.J. O'Brien
Position: Forward
2014-15 team: San Diego State (NCAA)
Odds he's on team for 2015-16: Two percent
Analysis: O'Brien is a good defender that has strong positional versatility due to his size and length. In the new NBA, that's pretty interesting. Plus, he has some passing skill and a decent feel for the game. The problem is he's not an efficient offensive player beyond his passing at all, which makes it tough to see an NBA fit. He might be a decent D-League project though.
One percenters or guys I had to Google
Jerry Evans
Position: Forward
2014-15 team: APOEL Nicosia (Cyprus)
Odds he's on team for 2015-16: One percent
Analysis: The former Nevada player had a solid yet unspectacular season in Cyprus. Evans is a forward that can shoot a little bit. But at 6-8, 210 pounds he's a bit too tweenery physically and skill-wise to reach the NBA.
Nick Russell
Position: Guard
2014-15 team: Etha (Cyprus)
Odds he's on team for 2015-16: One percent
Analysis: Russell's a skilled athlete that can get into the lane, but he can't really shoot from distance, doesn't have lead guard tendencies, and doesn't have a ton versatility at only 6-3/6-4. He'll be fine in Europe, but he's not an NBA player.
Nick Wiggins
Position: Guard
2014-15 team: Idaho Stampede (D-League), Tubingen (Germany)
Odds he's on team for 2015-16: One percent
Analysis: Wiggins is Andrew's brother. But unlike Andrew, Nick is only a good athlete as opposed to an elite one. He was a role player for the Stampede this year after coming back from Germany, where he wasn't particularly great. Probably not an NBA player, but he'll be solid D-League fodder for a while.
