NBA Rumors: Utah Jazz interested in bringing back Derrick Favors?
Could Utah Jazz bring back Derrick Favors?
Heading into the 2020 NBA offseason, there might not be a team with bigger questions to answer in the Western Conference than the Utah Jazz. After losing to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Jazz will be heading into an offseason that could very well have huge implications for this franchise’s future.
The two biggest questions sitting at the top of the Jazz’s big questions list is whether Donovan Mitchell will sign his max extension and whether they’ll even offer one to Rudy Gobert (who is in line to sign a super-max contract this offseason).
While they have a bit of wiggle room with Mitchell, who is coming off a rookie contract, Gobert is slated to be an unrestricted free agent after the 2020-21 season if he doesn’t sign an extension with the team this offseason.
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Interestingly enough, it’s been reported that the Jazz is interested in another big name. According to a report from The Athletic (subscription required), the Jazz is at least somewhat interested in bringing back Derrick Favors. After being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans last summer, Favors will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Utah certainly suffered from the lack of depth in the frontcourt during the 2019-20 season. Bringing back Favors could bring some added stability in the frontcourt and could add some insurance in the event that things go sideways in the Gobert contract extension negotiations.
During his lone season with the Pelicans, Favors averaged nine points and 10 rebounds on 62 percent shooting from the field. During his final two seasons with the Jazz, Favors averaged 12 points and seven rebounds on 58 percent shooting from the field.
At only 29 years old, there’s no question that Favors could still fill a valuable role for the Pelicans (even if it is in a bench role). Favors may not fit the prototypical big in today’s NBA, but at a could price-point he could be a good depth addition for the Utah Jazz in free agency.
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He could prove to be an even bigger piece if the Jazz elects to move on from Rudy Gobert beyond the 2020-21 (or even before) season.