Jazz Just Signed Trevor Booker According To Woj

[Stifle Tower]

I don't understand what the Jazz are doing at all. I really don't.

1. Giving playing time to their main 8 youngsters: Kanter, Favors, Hayward, Burks and Burke as the starters and Exum, Hood and Gobert off the bench.
2. Bringing in a some veterans who can shoot, but don't expect to be starters.
3. Preparing for a possible trade of Kanter if he doesn't show defensive aptitude. I think Gobert is now a bigger priority to keep. Kanter may be traded for an athletic stretch-4. What could Enes and our pick at the deadline bring?

 

[NUMBERICA]

Sorry. I'm not convinced that paying a MLE-sized deal for a player that might be the 5th-best big on a roster poised to miss the playoffs is particularly worth it. If the Jazz couldn't find another way to spend that $5 million in cap between now and next July, all they'd have to do is spend that as a roster bonus. Oh no.

If it comes out that the second-year is a team-option/minimally guaranteed, then this changes things a bit.

 

[Stifle Tower]

Everyone remember the implied argument that the Jazz will have cap room forever so just spend recklessly? Well guess what, the Jazz are capped right now and for the foreseeable future. Crazy, right?

No, I don't think that was ever implied. With keeping the youngsters, the Jazz were only going to have cap space last season and this one. They can still make a significant trade by including Booker and other expirings (by all accounts he has a small guarantee for 2015). Or they can dump him and renounce Kanter if there is good PF on the market.

Jazz need a core of 8-9 players. They now have those 8-9 (three bigs, three guards and two SF's - and I'm not including Booker, Novak or Evans). Time to find out which ones stay and which ones need to be replaced. Also have Neto coming over and a likely lottery pick next summer. Then behind that core you add the Bookers, Novaks and various minimum FA's/rookies to backfill the roster.

 

[Stifle Tower]

If it comes out that the second-year is a team-option/minimally guaranteed, then this changes things a bit.

If you believe Locke, that is exactly what it is. I also think signing Booker is a message to Kanter. Booker is going to come in and play defense. How will Enes respond the first time Quin benches him for not playing 'D?'

 

[cowhide]

What NBA circles you hang out in?

He is just a role player, but those dudes are kind of important.

He can get a double-double, he can defend, he can hit the 15-18 footer. He is going to be physical. If Favors/Kanter go down, he can start and not be overwhelmed by NBA starters.

I don't expect anyone to get super excited about a back-up, but he is the kind of player the Jazz needed to help round out their rotation.

Ok you convinced me. Still not that excited about him but I know very little about the guy.

 

[cowhide]

I actually think he could potentially start next to Favors. Kanter is injured right now and probably won't come into camp match fit.



It's very likely Kanter will resume his role in coming off the bench producing big numbers and minutes against other teams' scrubs.

Kanter is no longer injured. He is rehabbing and should be in shape when he comes to camp. I cannot believe how many people want to get rid of Kanter. He gets blamed for the entire teams poor defense. No one played great defense last year even Favors. Kanter can score and rebound and I will wait until Quin installs his defense to see how Kanter and the rest of the players perform.

 

[Borat]

If you believe Locke, that is exactly what it is. I also think signing Booker is a message to Kanter. Booker is going to come in and play defense. How will Enes respond the first time Quin benches him for not playing 'D?'

We don't know how much of that second year is guaranteed. We know some if it is, which is already suboptimal. And Booker is not exactly known for his defense. Undersized and not very athletic. He is an OK back-up with very little potential to improve. His rookie year production is essentially the same as last year's one. And we already have 2 back-ups signed with Evans plus Novak (another mind boggling move).

I would take Stokes over him right now, and for 10 times less the price, this is a no brainer. This move is simply idiotic, much like Novak trade. Perhaps more so, since we had a similar but more talented player drafted, but traded him away for a second rounder in much less deep draft, while paying 10 mil for Booker on a multi year deal.

 

[Doublea]

I don't think fans really understand the need for a vet presence for a young team. They could severely help this team through out the season. It will be beneficially to have these guys on the team.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I guess Favors, Kanter, Gobert, Evans, Novak, and Murphy weren't enough players.

And I know this has been already mentioned, but why pass on Jarnell Stokes for a worse asset? Experience? Who gives a ****. The team is going to be spending $9 million on fringe rotation players after this upcoming season. $9 million above the salary floor, with Kanter and Burks' inevitable free agency (you can all-but guarantee no extension will be signed by either considering what happened with Hayward). Why? What am I not getting here?

Not sure if you saw, but the contract for Booker isn't full guaranteed the 2nd year.

 

[Coach Ellis]

The Jazz can't afford to guarantee 2 year contracts because guys are veterans. I get the vet argument. But Utah needs to play Moneyball. They can't afford to throw money around. For the record, I though Stokes was a great pick. More talent. Eventually guys grow up and become veterans too. I'd have rather kept Stokes (who was a steal) and then used the money to buy out Ante Tomic. He might not pan out in the NBA, but I'd rather try than not. They could have used some of that money to get to the salary floor and then looked to add an athletic, defensive wing. Or I'd have bought Jeremy Lin and picked up a couple of picks in the process. There's lots of ways they could have gotten to their target salary without guaranteeing future money or roster space.

 

[The Midnight]

Stokes could be Booker type of player this year. Look at Booker's career numbers. His rookie numbers are very similar to last year's ones. Stokes could come in and give same kind of production for one tenth of the price. Not to mention we have Evans already signed who produced same numbers last year.

I understand DL does not want to tank, but is getting 17.2 mil worth of PF backups a good strategy when we already have PF backup getting same numbers in Evans? Wouldn't it be better to just draft Stokes, continue investing in Evans as a backup PF and use the 17.2 mil in money/cap to acquire first round picks for future?

Can Stokes give us Veteran leadership though?

 

[The Midnight]

Kanter is no longer injured. He is rehabbing and should be in shape when he comes to camp. I cannot believe how many people want to get rid of Kanter. He gets blamed for the entire teams poor defense. No one played great defense last year even Favors. Kanter can score and rebound and I will wait until Quin installs his defense to see how Kanter and the rest of the players perform.

What's the difference? Rehabbing means you still can't train fully. Kanter rehabbed last Summer and turned up fat and out of shape at the beginning of last year.