July 20: The signing is official, according to NBA.com.
July 13: Former lottery pick Ekpe Udoh is headed back to the NBA, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical, who tweets that the big man has agreed to a two-year, $6.5MM deal with the Jazz. Udoh’s agreement with Utah was first reported by international outlet SDNA.
Udoh was the sixth overall pick in the 2010 draft, but failed to develop as hoped in the NBA for the Warriors, Bucks, and Clippers. Appearing in 270 regular season games from 2010 to 2015, the 6’10” center averaged a modest 4.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 1.2 BPG.
In 2015, Udoh headed to Turkey and joined Fenerbahce, with whom he has spent the last two years. The 30-year-old’s play for Fenerbahce helped the club claim back-to-back Turkish League championships. The team was also the EuroLeague champion this year, with Udoh earning All-EuroLeague First Team honors — he was also named 2017’s EuroLeague Final Four MVP.
Upon returning stateside, Udoh will join a Jazz frontcourt that will also be adding Jonas Jerebko, who agreed to terms with the club on Wednesday. They’ll join a rotation currently led by Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors up front.
In addition to reaching deals with Jerebko and Udoh, the Jazz also agreed to sign Thabo Sefolosha this week, so it looks like the team will probably dip under the cap to finalize their new signings. It also appears likely that Boris Diaw will be waived before his salary guarantee date this weekend, though Utah continues to explore trade possibilities.
Another one of Chris Mullin’s wonderful draft picks.
Ike diogu Todd Fuller Patrick O’Bryant…. all picked around 8th to 10th or so. Ruined my Warriors for many years.
Then the regime before that Michael Pietrus Juri Welsh are 2 I can remember right away, and I know I’m forgetting some.. as soon as I click publish they’ll come to me.
If not for Run TMC & 2007, the 80’s 90’s and 2000’s were 30 years of major major suffering for my dedicated soul….
Then, Mullin had to give those massive contracts to Mike Dunleavy Jr and Troy Murphy. Decent middle-of-the-road players and Murphy could rebound, but it took Don Nelson to get rid of those two and bring in true Warriors Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington for the We Believe run.
Yikes, I have to say the last three years Feel pretty good compared to the previous 30 LOL.
Well atleast you’re not a suns fan where you always have talented players who just leave to go win their rings (Marion, Barbosa, Diaw, etc) or are past their prime guys (Tyson Chandler, Shaq,etc)
Yep there’s a few franchises out there that have had stumbled along w very little success.
They only successful Suns teams that come to mind for me, and I know I’m probably forgetting a lot, is the Steve Nash teams, the Charles Barkley era, and before that…. wow not much.
Hopefully your time will come, but it’s not like football where it seems like generally a 8 – 12 year rotation. You’re good, you’re bad, you’re good, you’re bad.
The NBA is a lot better than baseball ….. some teams have literally no chance to be good for a long long long time.
NBA is better than baseball? Milwaukee was picked to finish last and their currently leading their division. Minnesota last year almost did too. Nba… how many years in a row did philly finish st the bottom. Oh and are the Nets going to not finish in the bottom three? There are few elite teams in the NBA. Baseball is way more unpredictable
the Nash suns were straight up robbed
Team Euro!!!!
You do realize Udoh isn’t European right?
Well if someone signs him they are definitely getting a proven winner