Utah Jazz Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Josh Richardson, Josh Okogie Among Players On Jazz’s Radar

February 2nd, 2022 at 8:27am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics swingman Josh Richardson and Timberwolves swingman Josh Okogie are among the wing options the Jazz have discussed as they weigh their trade options, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on HoopsHype’s latest podcast.

Utah also continues to keep an eye on Kings forward Harrison Barnes and Trail Blazers forward Robert Covington, according to Scotto. Barnes – whom new Jazz executive Danny Ainge pursued during his time in Boston – and Covington have previously been identified as potential targets for the club.

Barnes and Covington would certainly come at a higher cost in a trade than Richardson or Okogie. Scotto has heard from executives around the NBA that the Kings are seeking at least a first-round pick in any deal involving Barnes. Utah has a future first-rounder to offer along with Joe Ingles‘ expiring contract, but Scotto thinks Sacramento might push for a player like Bojan Bogdanovic, who could contribute right away, over Ingles, who will be sidelined for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL.

If the Jazz are unable to use Ingles and draft assets to land a player like Barnes or Covington, they could shift their focus to a target like Richardson. In his latest roundup of leaguewide trade rumors, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report says that Utah has been “consistently mentioned” as a possible destination for Richardson.

A January report indicated Boston has been “surprisingly open” to discussing Richardson after trading for him and signing him to a one-year extension during the 2021 offseason. Richardson’s scoring average has dipped to 9.8 PPG, his lowest mark since his rookie season in 2015/16, but he’s hitting 39.1% of his three-point attempts and is a versatile defender.

Okogie, who is shooting a career-worst 35.6% from the floor in just 12.7 minutes per contest (32 games) in 2021/22, will be a free agent at season’s end and is likely viewed as a fallback option for Utah. The former first-round pick is earning just $4.1MM and is a solid defender, but won’t contribute much on offense and probably can’t be counted on to play a significant role on a contending team. He has been in and out of Minnesota’s rotation this season.

Donovan Mitchell Visits Specialist For Concussion Symptoms

February 1st, 2022 at 10:05pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-Star Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell visited with a specialist today as to address continuing concussion symptoms, reports Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Jones notes that Mitchell has been sidelined for two weeks and counting due to his concussion symptoms, and was held out of today’s practice with Utah.

Mitchell, 25, seems set to make his third straight All-Star appearance this season when NBA head coaches’ picks for 14 All-Star reserve spots are announced this Thursday. Through 40 games with Utah, the 6’1″ shooting guard is averaging 25.5 PPG, 5.2 APG, 4.0 RPG, and 1.6 SPG, with shooting splits of .450/.339/.876.

The fifth-year vet out of Louisville is not the only crucial Utah player currently sidelined. The 30-21 Jazz are also without All-Star center Rudy Gobert, who has missed the past four games with a calf injury, and key reserve forward Joe Ingles, out for the season due to an ACL tear.

Joe Ingles Out For Season With Torn ACL

January 31st, 2022 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Jazz forward Joe Ingles has been diagnosed with a torn left ACL, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Ingles will miss the rest of the 2021/22 season.

The plan is for Ingles to undergo surgery to repair the ACL tear within the next few weeks, once he gets a range of motion back in his knee, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter links).

Ingles, the runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year award to teammate Jordan Clarkson in 2020/21, was having a down year this season, averaging just 7.2 PPG, 3.5 APG, and 2.9 RPG on .404/.347/.773 shooting in 45 games (24.9 MPG). However, he was still a regular rotation player for the Jazz and is viewed as one of the club’s locker-room leaders.

Ingles’ injury is a tough blow to a slumping squad that is already dealing with a series of other injuries. Donovan Mitchell has been in the concussion protocol for two weeks, having last played on January 17, while Rudy Gobert has missed Utah’s last four games due to a calf ailment. After starting the season with a 28-10 record, the Jazz have lost 11 of their last 13 games, including five in a row.

Mitchell’s and Gobert’s injuries, at least, aren’t considered long-term issues, but the Jazz will need to find a way to make up Ingles’ production. In the short term, forwards like Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O’Neale, and Rudy Gay will be leaned on more heavily.

Because he’s in the last year of his contract and has had an up-and-down season, Ingles had been viewed as a potential trade candidate for a Utah team seeking an upgrade on the wing. The 34-year-old and his $13MM expiring deal seem even more likely to be moved now. Like the Cavs have done with Ricky Rubio since he suffered an ACL tear of his own, the Jazz will probably shop Ingles with a draft pick in the hopes of acquiring a player who can help the club contend this season.

The Jazz won’t be able to apply for a disabled player exception in response to Ingles’ injury, since the deadline to submit a DPE request was January 15.

Replacing Ingles' Impact Won't Be Easy For Jazz

January 31st, 2022 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

If Joe Ingles‘ left knee injury sidelines him for an extended period, it won’t be easy for the Jazz to replace his presence on the court and in the locker room, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. While Ingles still has to undergo an MRI to confirm the severity of the injury, team doctors – who conducted an initial examination on Sunday – fear that it’s significant, according to Jones.

“It’s not even about the basketball at this point,” Jazz forward Rudy Gay said. “Just having him in the locker room is good for us. That’s our guy.”

“Seeing Joe at halftime, that took a lot out of guys,” Jazz point guard Mike Conley said. “Seeing him in pain. Seeing him in tears that was tough. We knew how much this meant to him. All we could do was tell him that we loved him and tell him to keep his head up.”

Ingles, who is on an expiring contract, was already considered a potential trade candidate for a Jazz team seeking a defensive upgrade on the wing. If the 34-year-old is ruled out for several months – or possibly the rest of the season – as a result of his knee injury, the Jazz will be under even more pressure to acquire another forward or wing if they want to have a chance to seriously contend for a title this season.

Joe Ingles To Undergo MRI On Injured Knee

January 30th, 2022 at 8:37pm CST by JD Shaw

Jazz forward Joe Ingles will undergo an MRI on his injured left knee on Monday, according to Adrian Wojnrarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter) that the team fears he has suffered a significant injury.

Ingles’ left knee buckled during the club’s game against Minnesota on Sunday. He was helped off the floor after recording two rebounds and three assists in just over 12 minutes.

The Jazz are already playing without Donovan Mitchell (concussion), Rudy Gobert (calf) and Trent Forrest (ankle). The team also lost head coach Quin Snyder and forward Danuel House to protocols on Sunday. Utah is 30-20 on the season and 2-8 in its last 10 games.

Ingles has played a regular rotation role for the Jazz this season, averaging 7.4 points and 2.9 rebounds in 25.2 minutes per game. He’s started in 14 of those 44 games to this point.

Quin Snyder, Danuel House Enter Protocols

January 30th, 2022 at 5:31pm CST by JD Shaw

Jazz head coach Quin Snyder has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced (via Twitter). Lead assistant Alex Jensen will serve as acting head coach when the club plays the Timberwolves on Sunday.

According to Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter links), Snyder was at the team’s morning shootaround. He’s currently feeling “alright,” Jensen said. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN also notes (via Twitter) that Snyder is the 18th head coach to enter health and safety protocols this season.

The Jazz will be playing without Donovan Mitchell (concussion), Rudy Gobert (calf) and Trent Forrest (ankle) in the contest. The team has been dealing with availability issues throughout the month, dropping to fourth in the Western Conference at 30-20. Utah owns just a 2-8 record in its last 10 games.

In addition to Snyder, forward Danuel House has also entered protocols. House is currently on his third 10-day contract with Utah. His first deal was signed via a hardship exception, so he’s currently on his second traditional 10-day contract.

Snyder is in his seventh season as Utah’s head coach. Following Sunday’s road game, the Jazz will return home for a six-game stint that starts with facing Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets on Wednesday.

Jazz Sign Danuel House To Third 10-Day Contract

January 28th, 2022 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

12:09pm: House has officially signed his new 10-day contract with the Jazz, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

8:10am: The Jazz are re-signing forward Danuel House to a new 10-day contract, league sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link). House’s previous 10-day deal with the club expired on Thursday night.

House, 28, has appeared in six games so far with Utah, averaging 6.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 1.7 APG in 19.8 minutes per contest. He has a shooting line of .429/.333/.636 in those six games and has played his usual solid defense on the wing.

House, who began the season with the Rockets, was waived in December by Houston and quickly caught on with the Knicks on a 10-day hardship deal. After that deal expired, he signed with the Jazz, first on a 10-day hardship contract, then on a standard 10-day pact.

A player typically isn’t permitted to sign more than two 10-day contracts with the same time in a season, but hardship deals don’t count toward that limit, so House is permitted to sign a third 10-day contract with the Jazz, since it’s only his second standard 10-day.

According to Jones, House is expected to finalize his new deal on Friday and to be active for tonight’s game in Memphis. That means his contract would run through February 6, covering the Jazz’s next four games. At that point, Utah would have to either sign him for the rest of the season or let him walk, since he wouldn’t be eligible for another standard 10-day deal.

The Jazz currently only have 13 players on standard, full-season contracts, so even if they were to make a rest-of-season commitment to House before the trade deadline, they’d still have an opening on their 15-man roster, giving them some roster flexibility.

Jazz Notes: House, Mitchell, Gobert, Barnes

January 27th, 2022 at 12:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Danuel House is playing on his second 10-day contract with Utah (the first was via a hardship exception, the current one is a standard deal, which expires Friday), and Sarah Todd of The Deseret News makes the case for the Jazz to keep him around. If they want to prioritize roster flexibility, the Jazz could opt to re-sign House to a second standard 10-day contract which would expire just ahead of the February 10 trade deadline.

Utah has two open roster spots and needs high-energy wing defenders, which House has provided thus far, according to Todd. House says playing for the Jazz has been a great experience.

“They welcomed me with open arms, accepted me, no one has ever turned me down, they always ask me if I need anything, they always make me comfortable,” House said. “So especially being a guy that has been accustomed to a certain way for years, and then you come over here and to be welcomed — it makes you really enjoy the process and everything.”

Through six games in a limited role with Utah (19.8 MPG), House is averaging a modest 6.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 1.7 APG. However, Todd writes that House’s impact goes beyond the standard stat sheet, creating deflections, hustling after loose balls and contesting shots. Coach Quin Synder likes what he’s seen from House.

“Just intensity and competitiveness,” Snyder said of House after the Jazz’s 115-109 loss to the Suns on Monday night. “I think playing hard is as much a skill as anything else and you saw a guy who’s hungry and played hard.”

Todd thinks it’s an easy decision for Utah to give House another 10-day contract and believes the Jazz should seriously consider signing him for the remainder of the season after that.

Here’s more on the Jazz:

Two-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell might return to action this weekend, Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune relays. Mitchell has been in the NBA’s concussion protocol after receiving an inadvertent elbow from Russell Westbrook on Jan. 17. He could suit up as soon as Friday at Memphis.
Within the same column, Walden says that Rudy Gobert‘s calf strain is still causing him problems. His recovery timeline remains murky, with Walden stating that Gobert could be sidelined for “several more games at the very least,” but that isn’t set in stone. The Jazz plan to be conservative with the injury, as calf strains can be tricky to recover from. He will be listed as day-to-day for the time being.
Count Kings forward Harrison Barnes among the players Utah has shown interest in, per Sam Amick of The Athletic (hat tip to HoopsHype).

Blazers Rumors: McCollum, Powell, Covington, Patterson

January 27th, 2022 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers are considered one of the NBA’s most active teams in trade discussions leading up to the February 10 deadline, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who says the Hawks, Pacers, Kings, and Pelicans also fall into that group.

While it remains to be seen exactly what direction Portland will take at the deadline, it seems clear the team remains motivated to shed a little salary to get out of luxury tax territory, Fischer writes. Rival executives who have spoken to Bleacher Report suggest CJ McCollum, Norman Powell, Jusuf Nurkic, and Robert Covington could all be trade candidates.

Here’s more on the Blazers:

The Pelicans have been the team most frequently linked to McCollum, says Fischer. Fischer suggests a package of Jonas Valanciunas and Josh Hart might make sense, but acknowledges that New Orleans will be reluctant to part with Valanciunas, preferring to move players like Tomas Satoransky and Jaxson Hayes.
Noting that Portland has been among Jerami Grant‘s suitors, Fischer wonders if Powell might appeal to the Pistons. Detroit is believed to prefer draft picks and young players in any Grant trade, but Dwane Casey coached Powell in Toronto and Fischer says the Pistons were one of Powell’s top options as a free agent last summer.
Despite their reported interest in Covington, the Jazz have been described by Fischer’s sources as an unlikely landing spot for the Blazers forward.
The Blazers moved quickly earlier this month to hire former Cavaliers executive Andrae Patterson as an assistant general manager, according to Fischer, who says Patterson received a job offer just one day after Portland requested permission to interview him. He’ll have “significant input” in the team’s draft and free agency planning.
Besides hiring Patterson, interim GM Joe Cronin has also made changes to the Blazers’ scouting department, public relations department, and medical staff, so there’s no reason to believe he won’t have the go-ahead to make major roster changes too, Fischer writes.

Injury/COVID Notes: Gobert, Mitchell, FVV, Barnes, Banes, More

January 25th, 2022 at 7:08pm CST by Rory Maher

Jazz stars Rudy Gobert (left calf strain) and Donovan Mitchell (concussion protocol) continue to be sidelined and will miss Wednesday’s game against the Suns, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). It will be Gobert’s second consecutive absence, while Mitchell has missed five straight. Both players are having strong seasons for the reeling Jazz, who are 4-9 in their last 13 games (30-18 overall, fourth in the West).

Here are some more injury and COVID-related notes from around the NBA:

The Raptors are playing without Fred VanVleet (knee soreness) and Scottie Barnes (swollen right wrist) on Tuesday night against Charlotte. Coach Nick Nurse called VanVleet “day-to-day,” while Barnes was a late scratch, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports relays (all Twitter links). VanVleet could be an All-Star this season, averaging 21.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.7 steals on .421/.393/.870 shooting through 41 games. He leads the league in minutes per game at 38.2. Barnes is one of the leading candidates for the Rookie of the Year award.
Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane has rejoined the team after clearing the league’s health and safety protocols, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon tweets.
De’Aaron Fox (ankle) and Chimezie Metu (knee) were both late scratches for the Kings on Tuesday at Boston, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes. Thankfully, coach Alvin Gentry said neither injury is serious. “It’s no big deal,” Gentry said. “If this was a playoff series or something, they would be playing, but it’s precautionary measures and stuff.”
Spurs forward Keita Bates-Diop has entered the health and safety protocols, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
Matisse Thybulle returned to action for the Sixers against New Orleans on Tuesday after a five-game absence. Thybulle suffered a sprained shoulder after being pushed in the back on a dunk by Dennis Schroder, resulting in a flagrant foul, according to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer.