A couple of weeks ago, the Utah Jazz had arguably the most disappointing offseason of any team in the Western Conference, but fortunately things have started to turn around for the storied franchise as players have started to fall into place.

Last season they were able to get to the second round of the playoffs only to fall the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers once again, but they had hope for the future as this young team continues to mature under legendary head coach Jerry Sloan.

Despite having high hopes for the future with arguably the best point guard in the league leading the way in the form of Deron Williams, the Utah Jazz were hit with considerable losses this summer as they saw three of their key players leave via free agency.

The one player’s departure that was perhaps the biggest blow was All-Star forward Carlos Boozer leaving town to sign with the Chicago Bulls. Not only did this move make the Bulls a much better team in the frontcourt, but it left a big void in the paint for the Jazz.

Fortunately, that void was filled shortly after Boozer’s departure by one of the best big men in the game in Al Jefferson. Not only is Jefferson arguably an upgrade for the Utah Jazz, but he can also play the five spot and brings some much needed size the frontcout in Utah.

There is no doubt that Carlos Boozer is a great player and one of the main reasons for the Utah Jazz’s success over the years, but adding Jefferson could be one of the key acquisitions of the summer.

Along with bringing in Al Jefferson via trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves in order to contend with the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, the Utah Jazz struck another blow to Kobe Bryant and company on Wednesday by signing veteran guard Raja Bell. It has been no secret over the past couple of weeks that the Lakers have been courting Bell to head to Los Angeles, but instead of playing alongside Kobe Bryant in LA, the former Jazz player decided to head back to Utah.

Reportedly, the deal is worth about $10 million dollars over the next three years. Even though this may seem like a small to some people, this will greatly improve the Jazz’s chances of competing against the defending champs next season as Raja Bell is one of the few players in this league that can play great defense on Kobe Bryant.