Utah Has Cap Room To Still Make Huge Splash, Interest In Restricted Free Agents?

The Utah Jazz are one of two NBA teams under the salary cap. Therefore, the Jazz are one of the few teams that could make a realistic run at one of the league’s four restricted free agents. Do the Jazz have interest in Cam Thomas, Josh Giddey, Jonathan Kuminga, or Quentin Grimes?

Utah Still Has Cap Room To Make a Huge Splash, Interest In Restricted Free Agents?

Utah set a franchise record for futility, finishing last year with a 17-65 record. It was the Jazz’s third straight losing season. The Jazz are 85-116 during this stretch. Defense has been a problem for the Jazz under fourth-year head coach Will Hardy. They have finished in the bottom third in the league in defensive rating, including 29th in 2023-24 and 30th in 2024-25.

Utah is still in the rebuilding stage and remains one of the youngest teams in the league. Last year, the Jazz were the second youngest team, though they project to be the seventh this season. The Jazz added five players, including a trio of veterans. However, they also moved on from three key rotational players.

The Jazz’s most significant offseason move was drafting the talented yet much maligned Ace Bailey, surprisingly with the No. 5 overall pick. Bailey, who bounced back nicely in Game 2 after a poor opening day summer league performance, is expected to be a cornerstone for the Jazz. John Tonje, the Jazz’s second-round pick this year, struggled a bit during the summer league.

Utah also brought in veterans Kyle Anderson, Jusuf Nurkic, and Kevin Love. The Jazz acquired Anderson and a 2027 second-round pick from the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a three-team trade that involved John Collins being sent to the Clippers. They picked up Nurkic from Charlotte for Collin Sexton and a 203o second-round pick.

The Jazz also bought out Jordan Clarkson while waiving Johnny Juzang and Jaden Springer. Juzang and Springer had nonguaranteed deals. By making all moves (trades and buyouts), the Jazz saved about $17 million.

Jazz’s Salary and Depth Chart

Utah has 15 players on standard contracts with a salary cap hit of $145.9 million. The Jazz are $8.68 million under the NBA’s salary cap and over $43 million below the luxury tax.  The Jazz have some flexibility with KJ Martin’s ($8.02 million) contract, which is nonguaranteed until January 10.

As it stands now, the Jazz’s starting five appears to be:  Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Isaiah Collier, Kyle Filipowski, and Keyonte George. Cody Williams, Ace Bailey, and Walter Clayton Jr. could be in the mix if Hardy chooses against pairing George and Collier together.

While the eight players mentioned possess intriguing potential, Markkanen and Kessler are the only two who have proven to be dependable. Unless the Jazz pull the trigger on a trade involving Markanen or Kessler before opening night– which seems unlikely — Hardy will have a lot of decisions to make.

Utah does appear to be deeper and arguably better if its youngsters take another step in their development. Of their veteran acquisitions, Anderson or Nurkic will see limited minutes with the second unit. Besides the eight players mentioned, Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh will be fighting for minutes.

How Could The Jazz Improve?

If Utah decides to upgrade its roster while also keeping Markkanen and Kessler, it has the means to do so. The Jazz could use a consistent scorer and three-point marksman now that Clarkson is in New York and Sexton is playing for the Hornets. They could also add depth upfront.

The Jazz have both the middle-level and bi-annual exceptions to use on free agents. They also have a pair of trade exceptions, including one worth $26.5 million that was generated from the Collins trade.

No Interest In Cam Thomas?

Despite Utah’s obvious needs, Grant Afseth of FastbreakJournal.com reported that the Jazz don’t seem to be interested in Cam Thomas.

“Utah holds the cards for restricted free agency if they want to. It’s not just Cam, but he’s one of the RFAs who I don’t see as being appealing for the Jazz. They’re building around defense, size, and versatility,” a Western Conference scout explained to FastbreakJournal.com. “Cam is a pure scorer, but he doesn’t fit the long-term vision they’re selling internally.”

Thomas, who was limited to 25 games last season due to injuries, reportedly rejected a two-year, $28 million deal from Brooklyn. As Thomas is believed to be seeking a four-year, $100 million pact. With such a large gap and limited teams having spending power, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report expects Thomas to return to the Nets for his $6.0 million qualifying offer.

Quentin Grimes and The Jazz