have been up to this summer.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nba-minimum-contract-spurs-heat-cavaliers-michael-beasley/

It doesn't even mention the Jazz, but it explains why many teams, including the Jazz, are investing so much time and money in developing young players who haven't made it in the NBA yet. It's all about finding the diamond in the rough, and in my opinion, is the strategy that put the Spurs over the top this last season. They weren't going to win another championship with the Big 3 alone. They needed a strong supporting cast, but building one on a small-market budget, with highly-paid stars is difficult. You have to find young guys that you can develop who will contribute on rookie deals or minimum salary contracts. For the Spurs, those players were Leanard, Danny Green, Boris Diaw (slightly different because he is a veteran, but still came cheap with plenty of upside left), and Patty Mills. There is no secret to this strategy. It's a lot of work and investment in scouting and development. The Spurs don't just magically find the diamond in the rough players. They scout and develop dozens upon dozens of new guys every year and maybe, just maybe, one turns into a role player for them.

I absolutely love what the Jazz have done this summer. They formed an exclusive partnership with the Idaho Stampede and took over 100% of its basketball operations. This means the Jazz can implement Quin Snyder's system and development. It also gives the Jazz a place to train new coaches. They will bring 20 guys to training camp. Many of the new guys received contracts that will enable the Jazz to keep them in the program through the Stampede, even if they don't make the final roster for the Jazz. For the second year, the Jazz held a training camp right after the season for free agents and prospects. We may not see the fruits of this labor for a while, but eventually it will pay off. Wesley Matthews was a big fluke for the Jazz. With this new development and scouting strategy, the Jazz will find guys like Matthews on a more regular basis and it won't be a fluke.