Bleacher Report Predicts Most Regrettable Jazz Contract

The Utah Jazz are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Mar 29, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward John Collins (20) is fouled while shooting the ball during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images / Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

You win some and lose some. The Bleacher Report did a deep dive into all 30 NBA franchises and picked one contract per team that could be regretted in the future. So, which Utah Jazz contract was considered the most team unfriendly? Look no further than the two years left on the John Collins that pays 53.16 million dollars over the next two years.

"Collins' contract is short, so the Jazz may be able to turn him around when he's expiring. He's an NBA rotation player/borderline starter, but his salary doesn't match production."

"The Hawks faced serious financial issues with their payroll, but Utah sent a second-round pick to Atlanta to take Collins into its cap space."

"It didn't make a lot of sense at the time and hasn't aged particularly well." -- Eric Pincus

It's safe to say that the Jazz struck out on the Collins exchange last offseason, which was essentially a salary dump move by the Atlanta Hawks. Collins put up a respectable stat line in his first season in Salt Lake City, but it still doesn't justify the money that has to be shelled out for his services.

Collins has a player option for the 2025-26 season, making it difficult to move on until his contract expires next season. This creates problems for the rebuilding Jazz in a season where player development needs to take priority.

Jazz head coach Will Hardy will want to see what they have in Taylor Hendricks and Kyle Filipowski at the power forward position this year. Collins logged 28 minutes per contest in his first year with the Jazz. A storyline to keep an eye on this season is whether Utah prioritizes minutes for unproven players over veterans who don't fit Utah's long-term goals.

Another player in this category is former Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson. Clarkson's contract also has two years left, and it will be hard to trade until it's in the expiring year. The Jazz have Isaiah Collier, Bryce Sensabaugh, and Cody Williams, who need live reps at the NBA level. Does Clarkson get starter minutes even if he's not planned to be a part of Utah's future?

The Jazz could give Clarkson and Collins starter minutes in hopes that their trade stock will increase. However, that hasn't worked in the past for Utah. Talen Horton-Tucker and Rudy Gay come to mind regarding players that blocked development minutes for the rookies.

Horton-Tucker signed with the Chicago Bulls in free agency, and Gay was part of the exchange that brought Collins to Utah. It makes for some interesting decisions for Utah's front office as they approach the third season of its rebuild.

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