Utah Jazz Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jazz To Guarantee Ekpe Udoh’s 2018/19 Salary

July 9th, 2018 at 7:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have informed center Ekpe Udoh and his representatives that they intend to keep him on their roster, guaranteeing his salary for the 2018/19 season, league sources tell Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune.

Udoh, 31, returned to the NBA in 2017 after a two-season absence, inking a two-year deal with the Jazz. However, that contract was only guaranteed for the first year. Utah could have avoided the second-year guarantee for Udoh by waiving him today. Instead, his $3.36MM salary will become guaranteed.

Udoh didn’t have a significant role with the Jazz in 2017/18, averaging just 12.6 MPG in 63 contests. However, he showed off his impressive shot-blocking ability in those limited minutes, posting 1.2 BPG. As Jones writes, the big man also provided veteran leadership to younger teammates in the locker room.

With Udoh set to return, Utah’s roster for 2018/19 is all but set, according to Jones. The Jazz entered the offseason with seven players on guaranteed contracts. They’ve subsequently drafted Grayson Allen, re-signed Derrick Favors, Dante Exum, and Raul Neto, and guaranteed salaries for Thabo Sefolosha and Udoh.

Royce O’Neale‘s non-guaranteed salary is also a lock to be guaranteed, which increases the club’s roster count to 14 players, leaving one spot on the projected 15-man roster. For now, David Stockton occupies that spot, but he also doesn’t have a guaranteed salary. If the Jazz do add a 15th man in Stockton’s place, it figures to be a younger player, sources tell Jones.

Georges Niang, who is a two-way restricted free agent for the team, could be a candidate for that last roster spot based on his Summer League play so far.

Contract Details: Exum, Favors, Neto

July 8th, 2018 at 6:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Dante Exum can technically only earn the full $33MM on his three-year deal with the Jazz if he maxes out his incentives. The base value of the deal is $9.6MM per year, but it can drop to $9.1MM annually or increase to $11MM depending on his bonuses (Twitter link).
Derrick Favors can earn up to $18.8MM per year in his deal with the Jazz, or as little as $16MM annually (Twitter link). The cap hit for now is $16.9MM per year, with a July 6 guarantee date for year two.
Raul Neto‘s pact with the Jazz also includes modest incentives — he has an annual cap charge of $2.15MM, which can increase or decrease by $50K depending on his bonuses (Twitter link). Neto’s second year has a July 6 guarantee date.

Jazz Waive Jonas Jerebko

July 7th, 2018 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have officially waived Jonas Jerebko, the team announced today in a press release. He’ll become a free agent on Monday, assuming he goes unclaimed.

Jerebko’s 2018/19 salary was still non-guaranteed, but would’ve become fully guaranteed if Jerebko had remained on Utah’s roster through Monday. As a result of the move, the Jazz will clear the forward’s full $4.2MM cap hit from their books.

The move comes as a bit of a surprise, since Jerebko had a solid season as a reserve for the Jazz in 2017/18. In 74 games (19 starts), the 31-year-old averaged 5.8 PPG on .466/.414/.807 shooting, stretching the floor from the power forward spot.

Waiving Jerebko won’t free up any cap room for the Jazz, but it’ll create more breathing room below the tax line, perhaps opening up an opportunity for the team to use a chunk of its mid-level exception.

Utah’s offseason so far has been primarily focused on bringing back incumbent free agents, with Derrick Favors, Dante Exum, and Raul Neto inking new deals. Thabo Sefolosha had his 2018/19 salary guaranteed, and the Jazz will still need to make a decision on Ekpe Udoh, whose $3.36MM would also become guaranteed next week.

Jazz Re-Sign Derrick Favors

July 6th, 2018 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6, 11:55am: The Jazz have officially re-signed their top free agent priority for the summer, the team announced on its website. Favors has been with Utah longer than anyone else currently on the roster and is the 12th player to reach 500 games for the franchise. The Jazz also finalized deals with Dante Exum and Raul Neto.

JULY 2, 2:02pm: The Jazz and free agent big man Derrick Favors have reached an agreement on a new contract that will keep Favors in Utah, reports Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter links).

League sources tell Jones that the deal will be for two years, while agent Wallace Prather informs Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) that it’ll be worth $36MM. Michael Scotto of The Athletic adds (via Twitter) that Favors’ earnings over two years could exceed $37MM via incentives.

However, the second year on the agreement will be non-guaranteed, according to Jones (Twitter link). That will allow Utah to retain flexibility for 2019, when several contracts could come of the club’s books.

Favors, who will turn 27 later this month, enjoyed a strong bounce-back season for the Jazz in 2017/18 after an injury-plagued 2016/17 campaign. In 77 games (all starts) last season, Favors averaged 12.3 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 1.1 BPG with a career-best .563 FG%.

While Favors probably isn’t an ideal frontcourt partner for Rudy Gobert, given their overlapping skill sets, the duo found a way to make it work last season. Favors also provides the Jazz with rim protection and rebounding at the five when Gobert is on the bench — or when Gobert misses time due to injury, as he did last season.

Favors reached his decision after meeting with the Jazz in Atlanta for a few hours on Sunday. According to Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News (via Twitter), “a couple” other teams were in the mix for the veteran.

With Favors back in the fold, the Jazz – who are focusing on internal growth and development – figure to focus on retaining point guards Dante Exum and Raul Neto. The team will also have decisions to make soon on the non-guaranteed salaries for Jonas Jerebko and Ekpe Udoh, which would become guaranteed next week.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nigel Williams-Goss To Sign With Olympiacos

July 4th, 2018 at 7:01pm CST by clarkcrum

The Jazz’ 2017 second-round draft pick, Nigel Williams-Goss, has agreed to terms on a new, three-year contract with EuroLeague club Olympiacos, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

We heard in May that the 23-year-old guard out of Gonzaga had drawn attention from a number of EuroLeague teams for next season, so the deal comes as no surprise, especially after Utah re-signed Raul Neto.

Williams-Goss, who played for the Jazz in last year’s summer league, spent last season with Serbian club Partizan.

Udoh Cautiously Optimistic Of Role Next Season

July 4th, 2018 at 5:03pm CST by clarkcrum

The Jazz have been relatively generous during free agency so far this summer compared to most teams, handing out a two-year, $36MM contract to forward Derrick Favors, agreeing to a three-year, $33MM deal with backup guard Dante Exum, and reaching terms on a two-year, $4MM pact with seldom-used guard Raul Neto.

Furthermore, Utah has already guaranteed the 2018/19 salary of Thabo Sefolosha, who was limited to only 39 games last season. As such, it would appear that the Jazz are intent on sticking with their 2017/18 roster for now, which means that both Jonas Jerebko and Ekpe Udoh can be cautiously optimistic while waiting for their 2018/19 salary to become guaranteed.

Udoh in particular, who averaged 2.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 63 games for the Jazz last season, and whose $3.36MM salary becomes fully guaranteed if he remains on Utah’s roster past July 9, is trying to remain positive while awaiting Utah’s decision on his future, writes Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News.

Per Woodyard, Udoh is excited and prepared to return in a Jazz uniform next season, but also understands the business-like nature of the NBA.

Dante Exum Re-Signs With Jazz

July 3rd, 2018 at 5:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 6, 11:46am: Exum’s new contract is now official, the Jazz announced on their website.

JULY 3, 5:03pm: Free agent point guard Dante Exum has agreed to a three-year, $33M deal with the Jazz, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

A restricted free agent, Exum has been limited by injuries through most of his career. He appeared in just 14 games last season after a preseason shoulder injury that required surgery. However, he performed well enough in the playoffs for Utah to bring him back.

Exum, who turns 23 later this month, has averaged 5.7 PPG in four years with the Jazz. He sat out the entire 2015/16 season after tearing his left ACL.

Having entered the offseason intent on keeping their own free agents in the fold, the Jazz have now accomplished that goal. Before reaching a deal with Exum, they also agreed to terms with restricted free agent point guard Raul Neto and unrestricted big man Derrick Favors. Neto and Favors will each sign two-year contracts with non-guaranteed second years.

With the new deals for Favors, Neto, and Exum taken into account, Utah’s projected team salary is up to about $122MM, putting the team very close to the $123.7MM tax line. However, the Jazz could create a little more breathing room by waiving non-guaranteed players like Ekpe Udoh, David Stockton, and even Jonas Jerebko, which could generate the flexibility necessary to use their mid-level exception.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jazz Sign Raul Neto To Two-Year Deal

July 3rd, 2018 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6, 11:48am: Neto’s new contract is now official, the Jazz announced on their website.

JULY 3, 3:37pm: The Jazz have reached a contract agreement with free agent point guard Raul Neto, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter), Neto will sign a new two-year, $4.4MM contract with Utah. The second year will be non-guaranteed, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.

Neto, 26, served as a backup point guard in Utah during the 2017/18 season, averaging 4.5 PPG and 1.8 APG in 41 games (12.1 MPG). He was a restricted free agent this summer after receiving a qualifying offer from the Jazz last week, and will be re-signed using his Bird rights.

Neto will be behind Ricky Rubio on the depth chart, and Donovan Mitchell will see plenty of ball-handling opportunities for Utah as well. Neto’s role will be determined in part on Dante Exum‘s status — the former fifth overall pick is also a restricted free agent, and the Jazz would like to re-sign him. If Exum returns, Neto’s minutes going forward will remain very limited.

The Jazz, who entered the offseason focused on retaining their own free agents, have now reached agreements with both Neto and Derrick Favors. Both contracts include non-guaranteed second years, allowing Utah to maximize its cap flexibility for 2019.

Jazz Meet With Raul Neto

July 3rd, 2018 at 8:39am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz, who have reached an agreement with Derrick Favors and are hoping to re-sign a couple other key free agents, met with point guard Raul Neto on Monday, league sources tell Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). Utah has expressed interest in bringing back RFA point guards Neto and Dante Exum.

With Favors returning, Thabo Sefolosha‘s salary guaranteed for 2018/19, and Grayson Allen now locked up to his rookie contract, the Jazz have 10 players on guaranteed deals so far for next season. If the club intends to keep its remaining three non-guaranteed players – Ekpe Udoh, Jonas Jerebko, and Royce O’Neale – that would leave just two open roster spots for Exum and Neto. I would guess that with Favors back, Udoh isn’t a lock to be retained, but we’ll see what the Jazz have in mind in the coming days.

Jazz Sign First-Round Pick Grayson Allen

July 2nd, 2018 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Guard Grayson Allen has signed his rookie contract with the Jazz, the team tweets.

The 6’6” Duke star was the 21st pick of the draft. Allen will receive approximately $2.07MM in the first year of the deal.

Allen averaged 15.5 PPG and 4.7 APG in his senior year and made 38% of his 3-point attempts during his college career.

Primarily a shooting guard, he will compete for minutes at both guard spots behind Ricky Rubio and Donovan Mitchell and perhaps get some playing time at small forward in smaller lineups.