Jazz Have Some History Of Signing Impactful Free Agents

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – After bowing out of the NBA Playoffs with a first round defeat at the hands of the Houston Rockets, the Utah Jazz are expected to add some new pieces to the team.

Speaking to the media after Utah’s playoff exit, general manager Dennis Lindsey stated that the team would be looking to add “a sniper at any position,” after the team shot poorly in the playoff series against Houston.

Lindsey has since been promoted to executive vice president of basketball operations and his assistant, Justin Zanik was also elevated to the general manager spot. It is believed that the Jazz will be aggressive in free agency this summer with several NBA stars on the market.

Unfortunately for Utah, there exists a belief that quality NBA players don’t have the Jazz on their list of free agency destination. This belief has been around for quite some time.

That said, the Jazz have not been completely shut out of signing impactful players. sports.ksl.com took a look at some of the best free agency signings in the team’s history:

Matt Harpring – 2002

In August 2002, the Jazz inked forward Matt Harpring to a free agent deal. Harpring had previously been a first round pick by the Orlando Magic in 1998 and was a member of the NBA All-Rookie First Team for his strong play in the lockout-shortened season. Following a major injury in his second season, he was traded to Philadelphia, where he had another strong year in the 2001-02 season.

When he arrived in Utah, Harpring’s game went to the next level as he averaged a career 17.6 points per game on 51.1 percent shooting with a 41.3 percent clip from beyond the arc. For his efforts, he finished second in the voting for the league’s Most Improved Player award.

The next year, the Jazz lost franchise legends Karl Malone and John Stockton. Harpring took on an increased leadership role and was a bridge between the team’s golden era and the rebound era that included Mehmet Okur and Carlos Boozer.

Harpring last played in the NBA in 2009 and has since been a member of the Jazz broadcast team as the color analyst.

Carlos Boozer – 2004

Originally drafted by Cleveland in the second round of the 2002 NBA Draft, Boozer quickly became a hot commodity in free agency after two seasons with the Cavaliers.

The Cavs released Boozer from his rookie deal with the hopes of resigning him to a more lucrative deal. The Jazz, however, swooped in and gave a superior offer to put Boozer in a Utah uniform.

While he was often criticized by fans and media alike for a seemingly inconsistent effort, Boozer was a valuable member of the team as they built themselves into a Western Conference power. He was named an All-Star Game selection in 2007 and 2008 and was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2008.

Boozer was sent to the Chicago Bulls in a sign and trade deal in 2010 and went on to play in the league with the Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers until 2015. By the end of his career, it was clear that the Jazz had gotten Boozer’s best years in the NBA.

Mehmet Okur – 2004

Boozer wasn’t the only prized free agent signing for the Jazz in 2004, the team also signed Turkish big man Mehmet Okur that summer.

Like Boozer, Okur was a second round pick who had found stardom in the NBA. In two years with the Detroit Pistons, Okur had been a valuable member of an NBA Championship squad and was able to parlay his success into a big deal with Utah.

Okur truly found his stride in Utah in his second season when he increased his scoring average from 12.9 points per game in 2004-05 to 18.0 points per game in 2005-06. He was named an NBA All-Star in 2007.

Unfortunately, his NBA career was derailed in 2010 when he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the Jazz’s first playoff game against the Denver Nuggets. He returned midway through the 2010-11 season but was never the same and was out of the league in 2012.

Randy Foye – 2012

In the summer of 2012, the Jazz signed former NBA lottery pick Randy Foye to a one-year deal. Foye had been drafted by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft and ended up playing his rookie year with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Playing on the Timberwolves, who were log-jammed at guards that season, Foye was able to stand out and make a name for himself, earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors.

After he had stints with the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers, the Jazz came to terms with Foye.

Although he spent just one year with Utah, Foye made his mark and wrote his name into team history books by making 178 3-pointers in the season, a Jazz record that has since been broken by Joe Ingles.

Foye moved to play for the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Brooklyn Nets before retiring after the 2017 season. He played just a season in Utah, but the Jazz got a lot out of him that year.

Joe Johnson – 2016

It was surprising news when the Jazz signed seven-time NBA All-Star Joe Johnson to a two-year contract in 2016. Johnson had been a star in the league during his days in Atlanta, but had slowed down a bit and joined the Jazz to provide veteran leadership and bench scoring to a Utah team that was up and coming.

In his first season, Johnson played in the starting lineup probably more than he expected and did well, especially early in the year when Gordon Hayward was recovering from an injury.

He etched his name into Jazz lore in the postseason for his heroic play in the team’s first round series against the Clippers. He hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer to boost the Jazz to a win in Game 1, and later had 28 points off the bench in Game 4. The Jazz went on to beat the Clippers in seven games.

The next year, Johnson was a part of a trade that brought Jae Crowder to Utah. In the deal, Johnson was sent to Sacramento, but he never suited up for the Kings. He finished his career in 2018 with the Houston Rockets.

The 2019 NBA free agency period will begin on June 30.