NBA Rumors: Utah Jazz among teams vying for Milos Teodosic

The Utah Jazz have been linked with the pursuit of Serbian point guard Milos Teodosic. Milos With George Hill slated to become an unrestricted free agent, the Utah Jazz are possibly looking at the Serbian point guard to fill the Indiana-native’s place. According to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com:

Those familiar with Quin Snyder’s coaching past will recognize that Quin Snyder was the assistant coach to Teodosic at CSKA Moscow. In 2014 Quin Snyder had this to say of the then 28 year old point guard.

“Teodosic can do just about anything he wants on the basketball court. He might be the best passer in the world. He knows that I think that about him too.”

-Quin Snyder, Head Coach, Utah Jazz

In addition to Teodosic’s ties to Quin Snyder, Snyder’s assistant coach Igor Kokoškov was an assistant coach to the Serbian basketball team from 2004-2005.

Milos Teodosic averaged 16.1 points, 6.8 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.6 steals a game in only 27 minutes per game during his 2016-2017 season in the Euroleague.

Analysis

Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Milos Teodosic would fit Dennis Lindsey personnel strategy of finding players who are great values at their contract price. Milos would help the Utah Jazz pay Gordon Hayward and Joe Ingles while allowing them to find additional talent through the free agent market or by taking on additional salary through trade.

Milos is a fantastic player and would fit in nicely with Quin Snyder’s system. He also matches the Utah Jazz’s identity of long players on the perimeter to disrupt on the defensive end. He would allow Utah to continue their ability to switch at almost every position. He would also push Dante Exum in the offseason to work hard. Dennis Lindsey has already hinted that George Hill’s asking price might have priced him out of Utah’s budget.Dennis Linds

One questions that needs to be asked is as we have witnessed in the past with the Shelvin Mack situation, if Milos starts to underperform will Quin Snyder be able to separate himself from the relationship and go with a different option? Or will he continue to play him despite poor play on the court? I don’t think Milos puts Quin Snyder in that situation as he’s a phenomenal player but that’s what you run the risk of doing when a coach has had a relationship with a player for as long as Quin has with Milos.

Of all the teams vying for Teodosic’s services, only Utah and Sacramento can offer him the chance at a starting position. And of those two teams, only Utah can give Milos a chance at the NBA postseason. If I were a betting man, I’d say the Utah Jazz have the inside track at signing Milos in the next 15-20.

[Correction - 12:47PM MST 5/22/17]

We had incorrectly said that Milos would be signing after Eurobasket. Eurobasket is in September. He is choosing his NBA future in the next 15-20 days.