New Jazz guard Collin Sexton has been fully cleared following last year’s knee injury that sidelined him for all but 11 games, per Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). Newly acquired rookie big man Walker Kessler has also received clearance from his toe injury, Walden adds.
While Sexton and Kessler should be good to go for training camp, former Jazz first-rounder Udoka Azubuike isn’t quite there yet. According to Walden, Azubuike continues to progress from the ankle surgery that ended his 2021/22 season early, but has yet to be cleared for 5-on-5 work.
Here are a few more updates on the Jazz:
- Following an offseason fire sale in Utah, Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson look like obvious candidates to be traded at some point in the coming weeks or months. But general manager Justin Zanik said today that there has been “nothing but total buy-in from those guys,” so it doesn’t sound as if either Conley or Clarkson is pushing to be dealt (Twitter link via Walden).
- Conley told reporters today that he’s “10 toes in” with the Jazz, even as he acknowledged the possibility of a trade. He’s conflicted about the idea of being moved, since he could end up with a contending team but would likely have to finish the season away from his family (Twitter links via Walden and Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune).
- After undergoing eight surgeries in nine years, Cody Zeller wants to show in Utah that he’s finally healthy, telling reporters today that he believes he can bring value to a young roster as an experienced veteran (Twitter link via Walden). The Jazz have a roster logjam to clear in the next few weeks, but Zeller should have a shot at a 15-man roster spot due to the team’s lack of veteran frontcourt depth.
- Tony Jones of The Athletic sounds unconvinced that Saben Lee is part of the Jazz’s plans going forward, tweeting that he believes the newly acquired guard will need to have “a hell of a camp” in order to stick.
8 surgeries in 9 years is crazy
Sounds funny to say but the jazz are somewhat talented and have a very deep roster. Conley, sexton, Horton tucker, Clarkson, Beasley, markketon, Vanderbilt, gay, olynyk, Kessler. 10 plus rotation quality guys
Agreed, they aren’t that bad.
More work to be done.
Ridiculous comment, loaded with bench players and overpaid has beens. Nothing here worth a first.
Saying they are “somewhat talented” is ridiculous?
Hopefully they’ll compete for wins not for losses. Ridiculous system.
They actually got a better team than people are giving them credit for. Jordan Clarkson good as gone. Just a matter of time. It will be very difficult to move Mike Conley Jr.