The Jazz are placing guard/forward Johnny Juzang on waivers, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
A decision was due today on Juzang, whose $2.84MM salary for the 2025/26 season would have become fully guaranteed if he hadn’t been cut by the end of the day, as our tracker of early guarantee dates shows. Now, Utah won’t be on the hook for any of that money.
Waiving Juzang will also help with the Jazz’s roster crunch. Entering the day, the team had 11 players on guaranteed contracts for ’25/26 and four on non-guaranteed deals, plus incoming first-round picks Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr.
After playing sparingly in his first two NBA seasons, Juzang took on a more prominent role with the Jazz in 2024/25, averaging 8.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 19.8 minutes per game across 64 outings (18 starts). The 24-year-old posted a respectable shooting line of .429/.376/.849.
Juzang had signed a four-year, $11.4MM contract with Utah last summer, but only the first season was guaranteed. According to Charania, the former UCLA standout is expected to draw interest from teams. He’ll clear waivers on Wednesday if no club places a claim.
Guys, whatever you do, don’t blame Danny Ainge for this.
Hmm.
Doesn’t he play Donovan Mitchell’s position? Wasn’t Mitchell first-team All-NBA?
Wasn’t Mitchell traded because he wouldn’t be a legit #1.
I’m not sure why they traded Spida but clearly that hasn’t worked out (for Utah). I doubt that’s the reason tho. He was obv a legit #1 as a rookie & has only improved since then.
@Sankara In explaining the trade of Mitchell, Ainge said Mitchell would never lead Utah to the next level because the rest of the team didn’t believe in him.
link to bleacherreport.com
In the previous 2 playoff years, at only 23-24 years old, Mitchell had averages 36 ppg and 32 ppg. Mitchell played his heart out.
IMO, Ainge tore down the Jazz because his ego required he take center stage. Utah fans can be cool with a 6 year rebuild, but I’m not letting Ainge off the hook for trashing Mitchell.
Thats fine. Still struggling with facts though. Don lead jazz and cavs to number 1 seeds. Out in second round in both. Has never been out of second round. Never will be. Enjoy watching him shoot 40 shots a game for same result. But no I am fine with getting yo second rounds in Utah. Its just a fact a 6-1 guard will get bullied in playoffs. Like halliburton did.
Could you be more out if touch. First no he shouldn’t have been traded but exactly who is it you think he is??? Do you follow? Like the jazz they had number 1 seed like cavs. And same result for 7 years. Never out of second round. Same as last two years with cavs. Same guy. He just shoots. No more. And is 6-1. Enjoy whatever you think he is and never get past second round. Fact check it as you run your mouth.Improved how? Same result. Always. Not an improvement
No. They decided to rebuild. But you don’t know Mitchell obviously. Like the cavs the jazz had number 1 seed. And like every year for 7 years he does not make it out of second round. Not this year or any year no matter the team. He is 6-1. Always will be bullied in playoffs. Just fact check it. Everyone likes him. But it will and has always been same result.
> Like the cavs the jazz had number 1 seed. And like every
> year for 7 years he does not make it out of second round.
That kind of thinking is exactly how Utah went from a top-tier team to league doormat when they traded Donovan Mitchell. The numbers are undeniable.
In Mitchell’s 5 years, Utah ALWAYS made the playoffs. After Mitchell, Utah has NEVER made the playoffs. It’s been 3 years at the bottom, and the end is still nowhere in sight. Before Mitchell, Utah had missed the playoffs in 4 of 6 years.
Before Mitchell, Cleveland had missed the playoffs the previous 4 seasons; with Mitchell, they’ve made the playoffs in all 3 seasons. In fact, Cleveland has made the 2nd round in 2 of Mitchell’s three seasons.
From 21-25 years old, Donovan Mitchell was statistically the best playoff scorer in his first five years than anybody in the history of the NBA. (In his 5 playoff seasons, he scored 24, 21, 36, 32, and 26 ppg.)
Only Danny Ainge would trade a rising, 25 year-old superstar and blame him for not doing better. A GM’s job is to add talent around his young star, not blame him for not doing enough.
At 28 years old, Mitchell was named First Team All-NBA. The Mitchell trade transformed their franchise. Meanwhile, 3 years later, Utah has the worst roster in the NBA. Who’s to blame if not Danny Ainge?
Like I said. Enjoy the shooting. #1 seeds and being ousted in playoffs. Thats what he is. And this was not Jazz way of thinking pre Ainge. They couldn’t have another Hayward walk for nothing scenario however. Have to get return. They know what he is. Thats why 12 teams passed and Jazz got him. Called good management. Different time. Ainge chose a rebuild. Fine. But Mitchell is exactly what he always will be. No more. And I would rather have him here. You just deny fact.
As for Mitchell not being “good enough” for your high standards, you do realize that the Jazz has made it past the 2nd round ONCE in the last 25 years right? And never won a ‘Chip in their history? Learn to appreciate the successes, but there won’t be many.
Only Utah fans think this is, in your words, “good management”. If Ainge wasn’t a favored son in the state of Utah, he’d be fired by now. Time has passed on the “big game hunting”.
As Ainge said when he sent out Mitchell and Gobert 3 years ago, “hold me accountable”.
The results are in. After 6 straight years in playoffs he arrived, Ainge has missed in all 3 years. There is no end in site to this historically disastrous “rebuild”.
Grade: “F”.
We agree. You just want to argue. Im simply telling you who Mitchell is and always will be. Simply giving you facts. Its just regular season numbers and playoff losses. I dont think anyone is saying good management is going on. I am not. You just don’t know who mitchell is.
> You just don’t know who mitchell is.
Whatever Mitchell’s deficiencies, he’s in another class than any player the Jazz have had since Ainge sent him not
Is he a Top 5 player? No. But, please, this is the NBA and you’re in Utah.
Thats why they drafted him and you passed. Would rather have him here. And Rudy. They are not. But the west never sweated mitchell. Nor does the East. Number 1 records. Early exits. Feel free to look them all up. Jazz have also always half rebuilt. They doing it all in now. I don’t get to make that decision. Cleveland also now has to shed payroll. Allen or mobley for sure gone. Take your pick and probably garland. Then mitchell will get supermax and like lillard and Westbrook it destroys teams.
Classic! “Early exits”.
You’re the worst team in basketball. Since Mitchell left, Utah has had nothing to “exit” from.
When all you do is lose, think how silly that sounds.
Rubuilding teams loose. And no. In fact they didn’t loose as much as they should. So more facts you missed. Kept Conley. Bojan. In the wemby draft. Got 9 pick. Same thing last year. 10 pick. So no haven’t been worse team. This year yes. Ainges biggest mistake was winning too much and not trading everyone in wemby draft. Thats why I am not a fan. But yes teams rebuild. Pistons did it for 6 years. Hornets 20 years. Washington now at 8 years. And you don’t claim a team anyway.
Yes another early exit shooter
They were already playing in playoffs before mitchell. Jazz are one of the few trams in league to have a 20 year consecutive playoff streak. They have nothing to hide. Danny needs to be gone this isn’t your Charlotte hornets. And no you don’t go to playoffs in rebuilds.
Utah has sucked from the moment Ainge traded Mitchell. Bottom of the league.
Mitchell has never missed the playoffs in his 8 years, including his last 3 years in Cleveland. First-team All-NBA.
Like I said enjoy your regular season numbers and playoff letdowns as number 1 seeds. They traded them to rebuild. Not sure why you are thinking they would win. Silly.
Yes the 4 year two way player was bringing Utah out of the rebuild. 🤣🤣
What a misleading useless 4 yr contract that was…. At least he had legit playing time and developed…
Didn’t play till last year. Two way player on rebuilding team. Never had real contract. Will do nothing. Jazz have to play their young guys. Get serious. He isn’t pulling you out of rebuild cause as you said: its been 4 years.
A 6’7″ guard who can shoot – I think there will be multiple teams interested.
Trade Markkanen to raps.
With that contract, I could see him not even making it through waivers.
I’m surprised they just let him go. He shot the ball well for them.
He did. But they just drafted 3 guards. Ace also plays guard at times. 1 last year. 1 year before. Cleared clarkson and sexton. Whether we agree or not they want playing time for these guys.we are bad but weren’t getting better with him