Utah Jazz sign defensive wing to roster

According to Shams Charania, the Utah Jazz signed Josh Okogie to a 2-year $12M deal.

Okogie shot 38.5% from three last season in Houston, as Charania mentions, and fills a need for the Jazz, who are looking for defensive help on the perimeter.

It’s a clear sign that Utah is in the business now of building its roster to compete next season for a playoff spot. After the Walker Kessler trade, the starting lineup will likely be Keyonte George, Darryn Peterson, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jusuf Nurkic. But Utah needs depth and defense. With Okogie on the roster, the team gains a veteran presence and a defense-first player who can also shoot. It’s likely to be a trend for Utah going forward that they bring on players with size who defend but are also capable shooters and scorers on offense. At this point, Utah is not in the business of taking on project players but is looking to fill needs on its roster. Okogie does just that.

At this point, the most likely potential signings, or trade, could be more center depth after the Kessler trade, and possibly another ball-handling guard. It’s not clear if Utah is done with the roster but this signing will add nice depth.