Free agent swingman D.J. Stephens will work out for the Jazz this weekend, a source tells Boston Globe correspondent Jake Fischer (Twitter link). Stephens appeared in three games while on a 10-day contract with the Bucks this past season, though there’s been little chatter this summer about a return to the NBA for the 23-year-old who went undrafted out of Memphis in 2013.
Stephens spent most of last season playing in Greece and Turkey, averaging 8.4 points and 7.0 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per contest over a combined 25 games overseas. His otherworldly jumping ability helped offset his relatively short 6’5″ stature as he went after those boards, and the 46-inch vertical leap he performed at the predraft combine in 2013 was the highest ever recorded at the showcase, as DraftExpress shows.
Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey has cast a wide net in his player evaluations during his tenure with the club, so the chance that Stephens’ workout is a precursor to a deal isn’t quite as strong as it might be if he were auditioning for another NBA team. The Jazz are carrying 18 players, and 17 of them are known to have partially guaranteed salary, as our roster counts show, so Stephens has no easy path to the opening-night roster in Utah.