Western Conference Power Rankings after week 1 of free agency
By Austin McGee
NBA free agency started off slow but surely became interesting, especially after day two. The Minnesota Timberwolves lost Kyle Anderson but quickly made up for it by signing Joe Ingles. Paul George ditched Los Angeles to sign a four-year, $212 million pact with the Philadelphia 76ers. From there, the Oklahoma City Thunder snagged New York breakout star, Isaiah Hartenstein.
Later in day two, the Dallas Mavericks acquired Golden State Warriors longtime star Klay Thompson in a sign-and-trade. Then, nearly a week after the start if free agency, the Bulls sent DeMar DeRozan to Sacramento in a three-team sign-and-trade deal. While the aforementioned moves made the biggest splashes, several lowkey moves have reshaped the contenders of a season ago.
All in all, both the draft and free agency have led to a jumble in the Western Conference's hypothetical power rankings. Following last season's finish, we'll analyze how each team fared and decipher just how much of an impact every draft pick, trade acquisition, and free agent signing will make to rank the subsequent squads.
15. Utah Jazz
Draft Picks: Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, Kyle Filipowski
Offseason Acquisitions: Drew Eubanks
Departures: Kris Dunn, Omer Yurtseven
The Utah Jazz didn't do much to move the needle in free agency. However, the Jazz aced last month's draft. The Jazz selected Colorado freshman Cody Williams to take Lauri Markannen's starting small forward mantle. Coincidentally, the former All-Star's name has been tossed around in trade talk all summer.
Aside from drafting Williams, the Jazz selected two prospects who were projected to go in the lottery before the start of last season. Utah spent a late first and early second-rounder on USC's Isaiah Collier and Duke's Kyle Filipowski.
Collier is a nice addition to a backcourt headlined by Collin Sexton, Keyonte George, and Jordan Clarkson. All of a sudden, the Jazz are a relatively deep squad. The forward unit is especially rich, with Markkanen, Williams, Taylor Hendricks, and John Collins all (somewhat) capable of playing both forward spots.
Although the Jazz are flush with talent, the team lacks a true star talent. Markannen might be that guy, but with trade rumors running rampant, he might not be in Salt Lake City much longer. If Markannen departs, the Jazz are undoubtedly the worst team in the West.