Jazz Hoops: Interest in Francisco Garcia?

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Lost in the hub bub of Gordon Hayward, his max offer sheet and whether or not the Utah Jazz will match said offer sheet, is the apparant interest in Francisco Garcia.

To most Jazz fans, Garcia could be best known as the guy who squared off last season against John Lucas III as the Houston Rockets were putting on the finishing touches of a beatdown of the Jazz.

However, Garcia fits what the organization wants. That means he's a shooter, and one who can make 3-pointers and do it in a hurry.

He's 6-foot-7, he's a veteran who's been around the league for a long time. He's playoff tested, he's been somewhat the focal point of an offense (in Sacramento), and he's been around to mentor young players (Chandler Parsons).

If the Jazz were to bring him in the fold, he would be used as a shooter off the bench, someone capable of stretching the floor over 15-20 minutes per game. The fact that he can handle the ball and has a good basketball IQ would be a plus.

At his prime, Garcia was somewhat of a point forward. He's slowed a bit, and no longer is capable of playing a role like that. But for what the Jazz want out of free agency - more shooting from more spots - he's an intriguing option to think about bringing aboard.

Tony Jones