SATURDAY, 1:10pm: The Jazz announced a contract with McNeal for the rest of the season, via press release on the team's website.
FRIDAY, 11:25pm: Jerel McNeal's 10-day contract with the Jazz expires tonight, and while McNeal hasn't received word on whether he'll get another deal, the team has told him to report to practice Saturday morning, tweets Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune. That seems as much of any indication as any that the 6'3" shooting guard will continue his stint with Utah, whether it's for another 10 days or the rest of the season.
McNeal has yet to log any playing time with the Jazz. Unlike many teams who use 10-day deals as an opportunity to try out talent for the future, Utah is fighting for a playoff spot, and may simply want McNeal around to provide depth if an injury to someone else should occur. The team may also want to get a look at him over the summer, in which case the Jazz may do a rest-of-the-season deal with an option or a non-guaranteed season tagged on for 2013/14.
The 25-year-old McNeal made the D-League All-Star Game this winter for the second time in three years, and put up 18.1 points and 5.5 assists per game in 44 D-League regular season contests for the Bakersfield Jam. McNeal has also played professionally in Italy after going undrafted out of Marquette in 2009.