8. Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz went under the radar this free agency, yet had one of the most successful offseasons in the NBA. They acquired Mike Conley via trade with the Memphis Grizzlies and signed Bojan Bogdanovic to replace the departed Derrick Favors.
These two may not be the most talented acquisitions of the summer, but they are going to elevate Utah to the next level. Donovan Mitchell will have a lot of help in the backcourt with an experienced Conley and learn a lot from him while Joe Ingles will have another man to pass the ball to for an open shot behind the arc.
Put all that together with the back-to-back reigning Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and you got yourself a quite well-balanced team that can defend inside the paint and out-shoot most teams in the league. The Jazz is going to be a grind for teams who rely on inside scoring and driving as every starter on that team has the capability to lock down the ball handler at any position.
A lot of people are sleeping on Utah and they’re in for a surprise once the season begins. Don’t be surprised if the Jazz has the season that many expected this team to have a year ago.