The Jazz are at the starting line as the NBA’s free agency period begins. Expect the unexpected.

As reported yesterday, the Jazz will go into tomorrow’s start of the free agency period (4 p.m. MT) as if they have cap space available; in other words, as if they have waived Derrick Favors. While they don’t have to commit to doing that until July 5, they’ll spend the next few days considering their options.

One of those: Washington Wizards F/C Bobby Portis. According to The Athletic, representatives from the Jazz’s front office plan to meet with the big man in Los Angeles once free agency starts. Portis, though, is a restricted free agent: the Jazz would have to offer him a large enough contract that the Wizards would be afraid of matching it. In order to give Portis that offer sheet, they’d have to waive Favors.

Portis, 24, was drafted by and had spent most of his early career with the Chicago Bulls, before being moved in the Otto Porter trade along with Jabari Parker. He’s developed a nice 3-point shot after largely being a mid-range shooter earlier in his career, and hit them at 39.3% last year. The defense is a question mark: it’s hard to know if the Bulls and Wizards’ defensive struggles were due to Portis or the other young, struggling players around him.

Perhaps one reason why the Jazz are talking to Portis, though, is the move Nikola Mirotic made on Saturday. Mirotic surprised the NBA by choosing to take his talents back overseas to European megaclub Barcelona, signing for a 6-year, $70 million deal — and European deals are usually post-tax.

That came as a surprise because Mirotic figured to get far, far more at the NBA level. In fact, according to the New York Times’ Marc Stein, the Jazz had “major interest” in signing Mirotic to a deal in the 3-year, $45 million range.

Mirotic, himself a former Bull — Portis punched Mirotic in a practice altercation that caused Mirotic to miss time with facial injuries and Portis to receive an 8-game suspension — moved to the Milwaukee Bucks in a deadline deal from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for four second-round picks.

Thaddeus Young also might be an intriguing power forward option. The Athletic reported Jazz interest in the 31-year-old Indiana power forward, one who largely plays inside like Favors but might have a somewhat better outside jump shot. He’s not a consistent threat out there, though, but he is one of the best power forward defenders in the league. He made $13.7 million last season for the Pacers.

Elsewhere, rumors continue to persist about a Jazz and Tobias Harris union, despite the fact that it would require exceptional circumstances to complete under the league’s rules. If Harris signed for the maximum, or near-maximum, the Jazz could only acquire him through three-team sign-and-trade machinations that sent out at least $25 million from the Jazz, while sending only $21 million or less into the Sixers. That would mean a third-team would have to accept a separate Jazz contract into their cap space, and presumably, the Jazz would have to incentivize them to do so.

The Sixers, of course, would have to participate in a trade that lost them a player they desperately want to keep. If Harris is willing to sign for less, around $25M per season, the Jazz could open up the space to sign him only by finding a taker for Exum and by waiving Favors, without the Sixers’ agreeing to the deal. But given the amount of money Harris would leave on the table, and the likelihood that he can find a max deal elsewhere, it’s pretty unlikely.

Of other interest to Jazz fans, the ultimate destination of point guard Ricky Rubio. Rubio and the Indiana Pacers are said to have mutual interest, as the Pacers look to replace recently retired point guard Darren Collison. Rubio’s price may depend on whether his team can find another suitor. Now that the Jazz have Mike Conley, the Jazz also have dropped interest in Wizards PG Tomas Satoransky, according to NBC Sports.

Saturday evening, the NBA set the exact value of the NBA’s salary cap: $109,140,000. The luxury tax line will be $132,627,000, though the Jazz will find it nearly impossible to find themselves in the tax, even if they wanted to go that high.

If there’s anything to note, though, it’s that everything is capable of changing in hours, even minutes. The best laid plans of mice and general managers can often go awry, as the Mirotic surprise Barcelona choice and Collison’s surprise retirement show. Over the next few days, Utah’s front office will have to stay adaptable.