Derrick Favors is relieved to have signed his four-year, $49MM+ extension with the Jazz, and he hopes someday to retire in Utah, as Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune notes (Twitter links). Retirement is a long way off for Favors, who’ll still be two weeks shy of his 27th birthday when the extension runs out in 2018. His youth is a major plus, as GM Dennis Lindsey conveyed to Falk.
“He’s still 22,” Lindsey said. “Literally, I’m scouting 22-year-olds right now in college and internationally.”
Here’s more on the Favors extension and other Northwest-related news:
- Lindsey said the Jazz’s familiarity with Favors was a factor in deciding to grant the extension, according to fellow Tribune scribe Steve Luhm, and the GM believes the big man is on par with Tyson Chandler and Joakim Noah as a defensive anchor. (All four Twitter links). “Very rarely do you get a 6’10”, 260-pound young player saying, ‘Hey, I’m a defender. I’m a rebounder. … That’s what I want,” Lindsey said. “If he can be our Bill Russell, we’d be very pleased.”
- The Blazers made a nod to tradition with their acquisition of classic center type Robin Lopez to complement LaMarcus Aldridge, but if second-year man Meyers Leonard or Thomas Robinson, another new Blazer, sees more time next to Aldridge, it will represent another step in the evolution of big men, opines Sam Tongue of Blazer’s Edge.
- Blazers coach Terry Stotts is “somewhat” concerned that all five starters have yet to appear together at the same time on the court this preseason, tweets the Oregonian’s Mike Tokito.
- Former Thunder center Daniel Orton played more than twice as many games with Oklahoma City’s D-League affiliate as he did with the big club last season, but OKC’s decision to waive him last week may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. The 23-year-old signed with the Sixers three days ago, and he has a chance to crack the rotation, writes Michael Kaskey-Blomain of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Spencer Lund contributed to this post.