Porzingis Headlines 3 Bigs With Player Options Jazz Should Keep Eye On

The towering 7'3 Latvian big's fit in Utah may be so crazy it just might work.

 As the playoffs begin to narrow down further and further, team's offseason continues to approach closer and closer. In the next couple of weeks, we'll see a few players come to a decision on if they want to play another season on their current contract, or if they want to hit the open market.

Some of these decisions hold a lot of weight around NBA front offices. A player's simple decline of an option could lead a random team to offering a 4-year max contract. It's safe to say there can be some important players looking to decline their options to hit 2023's free agency.

As a result of this, we're going to take a look at a few players on player options that could peak some interest within the Utah Jazz. These could range from All-Star level players to simple, low-contributing pieces. To make things simpler, we've split this up into three parts: bigs, forwards, and guards.

This time around, we'll be taking a dive into the big man market of this year's free agency to see which bigs have a decision to make on their player option, and could possibly be entertained by the Jazz. Let's take at three players that fit the criteria:

---

Nov 12, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards center Kristaps Porzingis (6) shoots the ball as Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) defends in the first quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

1. Kristaps Porzingis, PF/C, Washington Wizards

Before the 2017 NBA Draft, now Jazz All-Star, Lauri Markkanen, consistently got comparisons from two foreign big men: Dirk Nowitzki and Kristaps Porzingis. While compared, many failed to consider the fit of how two of these players could play together. Now, this next season could be the perfect time to experiment to these two "unicorn"-type bigs on the floor.

We know the Jazz aren't opposed to running 7'0+ three bigs on the floor at one time, with a perfect showing of this being last season. Markkanen, Olynyk, and Kessler were on the floor at the same time for over 450 minutes last season, becoming one of the best, and most prominent three-man combinations on the team. The combination provided a positive plus-minus of +6 with some great rebounding numbers attatched as well. Keep in mind: this was with Kelly Olynyk, not Porzingis. 

With ample cap space to make a splash in free agency, the front office may be bold and sign another talented big to the roster. While Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report recently reported Porzingis' desire to stay with the Wizards, he is expected to opt out of his current contract worth upwards of $30 million. If there are any hiccups in the re-signing process or an unwillingness from Washington to dish out big money, maybe the Jazz can be the one to pay the 6-year vet.

---

Jan 14, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Montrezl Harrell (5) shoots the ball over Utah Jazz forward Jarred Vanderbilt (8) during the second quarter at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

2. Montrezl Harrell, C/PF, Philadelphia 76ers

Instead of going the route of excessive and borderline unnecessary size in Kristaps Porzingis, Montrezl Harrell would provide almost the complete opposite. While Harrell is among the shortest centers in the association at 6'7, he could be a great addition to the Jazz's rotation for next season.

You would have to think Harrell will be testing the open market this offseason. He spent the entire season backing up the MVP and fought to get minutes with Paul Reed, so it would be wise to look for another opportunity. With a potential reserve big spot opening in Utah, Trez can be the perfect guy to plug into the rotation.

He'll be 30 years old in 2024, and he's coming off his worst-performing season since his rookie year, so there are some obvious concerns with a signing. However, this could be the chance for a one-year "prove-it" deal with Utah. Without it, we may see him sentenced to play overseas ball.

---

Feb 11, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Utah Jazz center Damian Jones (15) warms up before the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

3. Damian Jones, C, Utah Jazz

This one may be considered a bit of a cheat since Jones is already on the team, but the only other "big" with a player option is Andre Drummond. If the Jazz would like to spend millions on a declining 30-year-old rebounder, be my guest, but I would opt against it. Instead, I would re-sign the midseason acquisition of Damian Jones.

In his 19 games played in Utah, he made a solid impact in his short time. He averaged 4.6 points per game while shooting an absurd 71% from three (10/14). The Jazz should be sure to maintain this production for another season at least and resign Jones back to Utah.

Even if the team decides to draft another center in this year's draft, bringing Jones back to the team would be a very "safe" signing. He has championship experience, he played well in his short time here, and he'll be a cheap player to sign, where's the downside here?

---

Follow Inside The Jazz on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Jazz news videos and live-stream podcasts!