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Brighter Future: Blazers or Jazz?

By Steven Dewald

Nov 4, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) drives to the basket in front of Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood (5) during the first half at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 4, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) drives to the basket in front of Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood (5) during the first half at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /
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ESPN has the Trail Blazers ranked one spot behind the Jazz in their “Future Power Rankings”.

The Trail Blazers future has certainly become brighter after their work in the 2015-16 season, but should their ranking on ESPN’s Future Power Rankings have been a little bit higher? Portland came in at number eight in the rankings (ten spots above their previous ranking), which is one spot behind the Utah Jazz. This brings up the question, “Do the Jazz really have a brighter future than the Blazers?”

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Both teams sport extremely young rosters which plays a large role in their future rankings. Portland is actually primed to get younger over the offseason, as Chris Kaman‘s days as a Blazer are likely numbered. Utah’s core is made up of several of their own first round draft picks from previous years, which has them set for contention in the coming seasons.

Both teams are led by outstanding tandems. Portland is led by Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, while Utah is led by Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors. Portland has the slight age advantage in this quartet, as Hayward is the oldest of the group at 26. The Trail Blazers also hold a distinct postseason experience advantage. Lillard and McCollum combine for 49 playoff games (39 starts). The Jazz’ duo has a combined eight playoff contests (5 starts) under their belts. If you are looking at the top of these rosters, the Blazers have the upper hand.

Apr 11, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) and guard Rodney Hood (5) and teammates during a timeout late in the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Dallas won 101-92. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 11, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) and guard Rodney Hood (5) and teammates during a timeout late in the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Dallas won 101-92. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /

The Jazz seemingly hold the edge on roster depth at first glance, but the margin is closer than you think. Alec Burks and Dante Exum both look like exciting pieces for Utah’s future. Unfortunately for Utah, both players missed the majority of the 2015-16 campaign (Exum the entire year). Exum’s development will be crucial for the Jazz; missing his sophomore year will be no easy task to overcome. Rudy Gobert is a premier rim protector, but he suffered his own injury setbacks during the season. Their is no denying that Rodney Hood has all the tools to become a special player in this league, but his playing time and shots will likely shrink with the entire roster healthy.

Salary cap mechanics play a big part in the future of both franchises. The Jazz and Blazers are small market teams by NBA standards, so keeping their roster intact will be crucial. Portland has big decisions coming in the near future with possible extensions for McCollum (next summer), Allen Crabbe, and Maurice Harkless. Utah’s short term future looks fairly set in stone, but their own headaches will begin shortly.

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Hayward’s contract runs through 2018, but he can opt-out of his deal after next season. The former Butler star is set to make 16.7 million dollars in 2017-18, a figure that will likely be beaten by a big margin on the open market. If Hayward does opt-out, it will only complicate the negotiation process with Gobert. Gobert is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so he will be entering restricted free agency in the summer of 2017. On top of Gobert and potentially Hayward, the Jazz will have three important role players hitting the market as well. Trey Burke, Shelvin Mack, and Joe Ingles are all set to hit free agency next summer (contract info via Basketball-Reference.com).

Outside of the roster and salary cap, Portland holds the advantage in the coaching department. Both Quin Snyder and Terry Stotts received long term deals from their respective organizations this offseason. One of these coaches has taken his team to three consecutive playoff appearances, one coach has yet to lead his team to a single postseason. Snyder has proven his worth on the defensive side of the ball, but you cannot argue with Stotts’ success in Portland thus far.

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From star players to leadership, it appears that the Blazers have the advantage over the Jazz. Portland can truly separate themselves by adding a young rim protector this summer. Even with out that addition, I’d still take Rip City’s future with Lillard at the helm.