Jazz To Add Bez Mbeng On 10-Day Deal
The Jazz are signing rookie guard Bez Mbeng to a 10-day contract, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reports (via Twitter).
The Yale product has spent the season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat’s NBA G League club. He’s appeared in 41 games with the Skyforce, averaging 6.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals in 27.5 minutes per game.
Mbeng was signed by the Heat to a camp contract in mid-October, then quickly waived. He then joined their G League affiliate.
Mbeng has made a reputation of being a standout defender. He went undrafted in June after a standout four-year college career at Yale. He was named the Ivy League’s Defensive Player of the Year each of the past three seasons and won the conference’s Player of the Year award in 2024/25 as well.
A 6’4″ guard, Mbeng averaged 13.0 points, 5.8 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals on .429/.368/.699 shooting in 29 appearances last season (32.7 minutes per game). He helped the Bulldogs reach the NCAA tournament in three of his four years at Yale and is the school’s all-time leader in steals.
Utah had two other players — Mo Bamba and Andersson Garcia — signed to 10-day deals through next week. The Jazz will need to open up a roster spot to create room for Mbeng.
Jordan Clarkson Talks Jazz Reunion, Plans For Asia Cup This Summer
Jordan Clarkson is set to face off against his former team on Wednesday as the Knicks take on the Jazz, and despite his reduced role in New York, he’s looking forward to the “happiness and joy” of facing the team for whom he won a Sixth Man of the Year award, Stefan Bondy writes for the New York Post.
According to Clarkson, he’s not bothered by his inconsistent playing time because the Knicks were up front with him when he signed with them.
“I ain’t coming in expecting anything, honestly,” Clarkson said. “A lot of people made expectations on my arrival and what I can do and what I’ve done my whole career. But not knowing anything, I came here with an open canvas. I just knew one goal and what we wanted to do, and that’s to win.”
Clarkson added that he has nothing but positive feelings about the Jazz.
“That’s a home for me. I loved the organization. I love the coaching staff. Yeah, I love the city. All I had was love there,” he said. “… I’m going to try to keep my cool in terms of not feeling [emotional], just all the gratitude and everything that the city is giving me.”
The veteran guard also recently spoke to Mark Medina of Essentially Sports about his hopes to lead Team Philippines in this summer’s Asia Cup.
“For us and for me, not making the Olympics and not fully accomplishing what we want to accomplish in the World Cup,” he said, of what was driving him. “Reaching the goal of having a chance to make the Olympics, I think, is a big thing for me and to represent the country.”
He went on to say he thinks the Filipino team has a good shot at the next Olympics, reiterating his hopes for his own role and the team as a whole.
“We just got to figure out how to mesh the guys together and play the right combinations and figure it out from there,” he said. “We got a lot of talent on the team, from older dudes to younger dudes as well. Hopefully, they let me play as a naturalized player and give me some leeway on things so we can continue to get more talent and we stay loaded.”
With the influx of more players in the league with Filipino heritage, such as Jalen Green (Suns), Dylan Harper (Spurs), and Jared McCain (Thunder), Clarkson hopes that his time with the team can help inspire the next generation and build the program up moving forward.
Checking In On Open Roster Spots
As our tracker shows, the following teams currently have one spot available on their 15-man standard rosters:
- Brooklyn Nets
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets
- Orlando Magic
- Toronto Raptors
The Nets have an opening after they decided not to re-sign rookie forward Grant Nelson, whose 10-day contract expired on Sunday night. They’re still operating below the salary cap, so there isn’t anything preventing them from signing another player.
The Warriors and Rockets are operating in luxury tax territory, and while they have plenty of room below their hard caps to add a 15th man, they’re probably not all that eager to increase their projected tax bills by bringing in someone who won’t play at all.
The Magic and Raptors are both operating less than $1MM away from the tax line, but each team has enough room to bring in a minimum-salary veteran on a rest-of-season contract without becoming a taxpayer, so if there’s someone out there they like, they don’t necessarily have to wait.
Toronto is expected to hold off at least a few more days though, in order to avoid a scenario in which the team wins a couple playoff series and Immanuel Quickley’s $500K bonus for making the Eastern Conference Finals pushes the Raptors’ salary over the tax line.
The Kings and Jazz are worth mentioning too. Sacramento’s 15th spot is currently held by Killian Hayes, whose second 10-day contract will expire on Saturday night. Utah, meanwhile, has two players — Mo Bamba and Andersson Garcia — signed to 10-day deals through next week.
Finally, there’s one notable team not mentioned in the list above because they technically have three open 15-man roster spots, not just one. That’s the Celtics. Boston is in the midst of executing an intricately timed plan to meet the NBA’s rules related to roster minimums for the rest of the season while narrowly staying out of the tax.
It’s a safe bet that Boston will stick with just 12 players for the maximum allowable 14 days before making a couple roster additions in mid-March. Current two-way player Max Shulga will likely get a promotion at that time for financial reasons (his rookie minimum salary wouldn’t be subject to “tax variance“). If all goes according to plan, the Celtics will be able to sign a 15th man on the last day of the regular season without surpassing the tax threshold.
Jazz Sign Andersson Garcia To 10-Day Contract
The Jazz have signed free agent forward Andersson Garcia to a 10-day contract, the team announced in a press release.
A native of the Dominican Republic, Garcia went undrafted in 2025 out of Texas A&M. He played five years of college basketball — two with Mississippi State and his final three with the Aggies.
As a reserve for Texas A&M in 2023/24, Garcia led the SEC in rebounds per game (9.1) en route to a spot on the conference’s All-Defense team. He averaged 6.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals on .518/.403/.702 shooting over his final two seasons with the Aggies (26.5 MPG).
Garcia has spent this season with the Mexico City Capitanes, the lone independent team in the NBA G League. In 35 combined games (25.3 MPG) in 2025/26, the 25-year-old has averaged 10.9 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.0 APG and 1.4 SPG on .547/.267/.691 shooting.
Garcia will be eligible to play up to five games with the Jazz and will earn $73,153 during his 10 days with the team. His contract runs through March 20.
The Jazz had an opening on their standard roster and didn’t need to waive anyone to sign Garcia.
Assessing The Chances Of Keeping This Year's First-Rounder
- Kevin Reynolds of The Salt Lake Tribune assesses the chances of the Jazz holding onto this year’s first-round pick after they improved to 20-45 with Monday’s win over Golden State. The pick will convey to the Thunder if it falls outside the top eight, and Utah is relatively safe right now with the fifth-worst record in the league. However, the Jazz are only 1.5 games away from Dallas for seventh place, which would greatly increase the chances of dropping to ninth or worse in the lottery.
And-Ones: Extensions, Draft Sleepers, Edwards, Partizan
In a subscriber-only story for The Third Apron, Yossi Gozlan takes a look at 11 players around the NBA who are currently eligible for veteran contract extensions.
According to Gozlan, Spurs wing Julian Champagnie has been a complete bargain on his current deal and should be in line for a considerable raise. San Antonio holds a $3MM team option on Champagnie for 2026/27, which the team would have to decline to extend him.
As Gozlan writes, the maximum the 24-year-old could receive on an extension would be $87MM over four years. Gozlan suggests a four-year deal in the $75-76MM range could be a reasonable compromise for both sides.
Gozlan also projects extensions for Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (two years, $24MM) and Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic (exact same structure), among others.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- John Hollinger of The Athletic lists nine of his favorite sleepers ahead of the 2026 draft. Hollinger acknowledges that some of the players on his list, including Santa Clara forward Allen Graves and Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie, may decide to return for another college season in 2026/27. A couple other sleepers Hollinger mentions (Corey Camper and Emanuel Sharp) will be automatically draft-eligible, as they’re both fifth-year seniors.
- Former NBA big man Jesse Edwards, who spent last season on a two-way deal with the Timberwolves, is in advanced talks with Spanish club Baskonia about a rest-of-season contract, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. The Dutch center played for Melbourne United in Australia in 2025/26, averaging 13.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 1.1 BPG in 35 games (22.4 MPG).
- In an extensive interview with Milun Nesovic of Serbian outlet Meridian Sport, Partizan Belgrade president Ostoja Mijailovic discussed a number of current and former NBA players, as Eurohoops and Sportando relay. The Sixers were limited to offering Partizan $875K as part of a buyout for Cameron Payne, yet the EuroLeague club received $1.75MM in that agreement. According to Mijailovic, the remaining $875K came from Payne himself. Mijailovic confirmed Partizan forward Isaac Bonga received NBA interest last month, but the team had the option to decline the $875K buyout it was offered for Bonga and did so because it values him. However, the former second-round pick could be on the move this summer, as Partizan will no longer have the option to turn down a buyout offer for Bonga once ’25/26 ends.
- Mijailovic also expressed regret for the lucrative deals given to Jabari Parker and Shake Milton, and said the team remains fond of Dante Exum, who was waived by Washington last month after being traded by Dallas. Exum hasn’t played at all this season due to a knee injury. “It is certainly our desire to bring back players who left a mark at Partizan and who can help the team on the court,” Mijailovic said, per Eurohoops. “Exum is one of the players we all adored, and we still adore him.”
Jazz Waive Vince Williams Jr.
4:14 pm: Williams has officially been waived, the Jazz confirmed in a press release.
1:11 pm: The Jazz are waiving injured guard Vince Williams Jr., Kevin Reynolds of the Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Williams suffered an ACL tear in his left knee in a game against the Rockets on Feb. 23, just his sixth game with his new team. In addition to ending Williams’ 2025/26 season, the injury is also likely to keep him sidelined for a significant chunk of ’26/27.
The 47th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Williams was acquired by Utah from Memphis last month along with Jaren Jackson Jr. and two other players. In six games with the Jazz, Williams averaged 4.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per night. The former Toledo guard played in 34 games with the Grizzlies prior to being traded, averaging 8.0 PPG, 4.4 APG and 4.0 RPG in 21.6 MPG.
Williams has a $2.3MM contract this season. The Jazz held a $2.5MM team option on his contract for 2026/27, which will automatically be declined if he clears waivers.
Utah chose to open up a roster spot due to a wave of injuries. Jackson, Jusuf Nurkic and Walker Kessler had already been declared out for the season and Lauri Markkanen is sidelined with a hip injury.
The Jazz will now have 13 players on their standard roster, plus Mo Bamba, who is on a 10-day deal.
Northwest Notes: Gobert, Sensabaugh, McCain, Wallace
Rudy Gobert has won four Defensive Player of the Year awards, and Timberwolves coach Chris Finch believes he should capture the trophy again, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter links).
“I think he’s far and away the leader for Defensive Player of the Year,” Finch said.
The oddsmakers disagree. Victor Wembanyama is currently the heavy favorite to win the award, with Chet Holmgren second in the betting. Finch laid out his case for Gobert.
“His iso defense has been the top or near the top all year long,” Finch said. “He drives our defense. The on/off numbers for us speak volumes to his importance. … He takes our defense to a whole ‘nother level. There’s nothing he can’t do defensively.”
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Jazz wing Brice Sensabaugh knows his future is still up in the air, despite his recent performances. The 2023 first-round pick averaged 15.6 points per game last month and had a 17-point game against Milwaukee on Saturday. However, defense and turnovers have been issues for him. “I have to keep searching for those catch-and-shoot opportunities,” he told Kevin Reynolds of the Salt Lake Tribune. “I want to improve everything except my shooting, to be honest. But like I said, shooting has to be the driving force.” Sensabaugh has one more year on his contract at a $4.86MM salary before he becomes eligible for restricted free agency in 2027.
- Jared McCain admits he was blindsided by the trade that sent him from the Sixers to the Thunder. He thought he could be a long-term fit with Philadelphia, James Herbert of CBS Sports writes. “I definitely thought it could work,” McCain said. “Long-term, I definitely think it could work. I loved playing with them. It was really fun. And I’m going to miss it, too. So I think there was definitely potential there, but they made the best decision for what they thought it was and we’ve just gotta live with it and kind of move on.” McCain has thrived since the trade, averaging 11.7 points in 19.0 minutes per game through 13 appearances with Oklahoma City.
- Thunder guard Cason Wallace has made a strong case for being selected to the All-Defensive Team, according to Sports Illustrated’s Rylan Stiles, who uses advanced analytics to display Wallace’s prowess this season.
Jazz Sign Mo Bamba To Second 10-Day Contract
The Jazz have re-signed Mo Bamba to another 10-day contract, the team announced in a press release.
Bamba’s first 10-day agreement with Utah expired on Saturday night.
The sixth overall pick in the 2018 draft, Bamba was technically active six times for Utah during his first 10-day pact, but only made two appearances with the Jazz. He averaged 5.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.0 block in 19.0 minutes per contest during road games in Philadelphia and Washington.
Bamba was unable to secure a guaranteed NBA contract ahead of the 2025/26 season and spent training camp with the Jazz before being waived and reporting to the team’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.
The 27-year-old big man has had a big year with the Stars, averaging 17.0 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in 27.7 minutes per game across 22 appearances, with an excellent shooting line of .553/.380/.807.
Bamba, an eight-year veteran who spent about a week with Toronto in late December/early January, will earn $177,064 over the course of his 10-day contract, with Utah taking on a cap hit of $131,970.
Bamba will be eligible to appear in four more games for the Jazz during the course of his second 10-day deal, which will expire on March 17. At that point, Utah will have to either sign him for the remainder of the season or let him become a free agent.
Checking In On 10-Day Contracts
After Mo Bamba‘s 10-day contract with the Jazz expired on Saturday night, there are currently just two active 10-day deals around the NBA, as our tracker shows. Those deals are as follows:
- Brooklyn Nets: Grant Nelson (runs through March 8)
- Sacramento Kings: Killian Hayes (runs through March 14)
Bamba, the sixth overall pick in the 2018 draft, was technically active six times for Utah but only made two appearances with the Jazz. He averaged 5.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.0 block in 19.0 minutes per contest during road games in Philadelphia and Washington.
Bamba was on his first 10-day deal with the Jazz, who could re-sign him to a second 10-day pact if they so choose. At the expiration of that theoretical second 10-day contract, Utah would have to either let the veteran center go or sign him for the remainder of the season.
Hayes, another former lottery pick, is on his second 10-day agreement with Sacramento after re-signing with the Kings on Thursday. The 24-year-old point guard’s deal runs through this Saturday.
As for Nelson, the former Alabama forward will become a free agent on Sunday night. The seven-footer appeared in four games with the Nets, averaging 4.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocks in 8.8 minutes per contest.
Head coach Jordi Fernandez discussed Nelson’s 10-day contract ending prior to Saturday’s game at Detroit, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
“[He’s] a very good basketball player. Everything he does, he does it well,” Fernandez said. “He doesn’t over-dribble or try to do too much. Everything is efficient. His size is great. He’s a multi-positional defender, very good play-maker, fast. All of those things have been very good. It translates to this level. Obviously right now we have one more game and then after that we’ll have to discuss and see what the next move going forward is.”