Utah Jazz Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Wiggins, Stockton, Harkless

March 17th, 2018 at 9:05am CST by marksuleymanov

Despite reports of whispers this week that Andrew Wiggins is unhappy as the Timberwolves‘ third option, the Minnesota guard and head coach Tom Thibodeau rejected those reports, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes.

Wiggins, 23, is in his fourth season with the Wolves but his numbers are down from the past two seasons. The former first overall pick is averaging 17.9 PPG and 4.1 RPG in 69 games. However, Thibodeau denied that the team’s leading shot-taker is unhappy with his role.

“I know Andrew’s character,” Thibodeau said. “There’s no way in the world Andrew is saying any of that, particularly from a guy who’s taken the most shots on our team.”

Earlier this week, Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN (Twitter link) said that Wiggins has “whispered to teammates” that he’s unhappy being a third option behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Jimmy Butler — who is sidelined with a torn meniscus. “It’s just someone’s word of mouth. It wasn’t no quote from me,” Wiggins said. “Everyone that knows me knows I don’t talk much, I just go with the flow … I don’t whisper. If I say something, I’m going to say it clearly and loudly.”

Check out more Northwest Division notes below:

David Stockton, the son of Jazz legend John Stockton, agreed to a 10-day contract with Utah on Friday. The elder Stockton played with the Jazz for 19 seasons, becoming the NBA’s all-time assists leader and 2008 Hall of Fame inductee. Brad Rock of The Deseret News writes that John and the rest of the Stockton family are excited for the 26-year-old and his newest NBA opportunity. “I’m glad to stay out of that,” John Stockton said of his comparisons between him and his son. “He’s his own player and it wouldn’t do him any good to try to be me. He can just be the best he can be.”
Having reached 100 three-point attempts on the season, Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless is now eligible to receive a $500K bonus for his three-point shooting percentage, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Harkless will receive the bonus if his percentage is greater than 35%; he’s shooting 37.6% from the beyond the arc.

Dante Exum Available Thursday For Jazz

March 15th, 2018 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing the first 68 games of the season with a shoulder injury, point guard Dante Exum will be available on Thursday night, the Jazz announced (via Twitter). Exum likely won’t play a major role for Utah, but with Raul Neto sidelined due to a fractured wrist, the former No. 5 overall pick should get a chance to see some action.

Dante Exum Practices With SLC Stars Again

March 14th, 2018 at 9:00pm CST by Luke Adams

For the second consecutive day, the Jazz sent Dante Exum to the G League and then recalled him later in the day, the team announced in a press release. The former fifth overall pick is preparing for his return from a shoulder injury by practicing with the Salt Lake City Stars.

What To Expect From Exum; Jazz View Him As Long-Term Piece

March 14th, 2018 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

With Dante Exum just about ready to make his 2017/18 debut, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune takes a look at what the Jazz should expect from the former No. 5 pick down the stretch. While Exum’s role will likely hinge on how he plays in his first couple games back, he has looked good in practice, according to head coach Quin Snyder (link via Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News).

As Jones notes, Utah could initially have Exum share ball-handling duties with Donovan Mitchell or Joe Ingles when he’s on the court if he’s not 100% ready to run the team’s offense. However, all indications are that the Jazz have confidence in the fourth-year guard and view him as a piece of their future.

Exum will be eligible for restricted free agency this offseason, and given how injuries have hampered his development, a big-time payday seems unlikely. That could work out well for the Jazz, who “certainly” would like to keep him on the roster long-term, writes Jones.

Jazz Assign Dante Exum To G League

March 13th, 2018 at 9:50pm CST by Luke Adams

After assigning him earlier today (as noted below), the Jazz have recalled Exum from the Salt Lake City Stars, according to Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News (Twitter link). Woodyard added that the former No. 5 overall pick could play for Utah at some point this week.
The Jazz have assigned point guard Dante Exum to the G League, the team announced today in a press release. Exum, who has missed the entire 2017/18 season due to a shoulder injury, is aiming to return to the court later this week, so he’s participating in a practice with the Salt Lake City Stars as part of his rehab process.

Dante Exum Aiming To Return This Week

March 12th, 2018 at 6:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jazz point guard Dante Exum is expected to return to action at some point this week, league sources informed Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).

It’s been another injury-marred season for Exum, who was viewed as the Jazz’s long-term solution at point guard when they drafted him No. 5 overall in 2014. Exum suffered a separated left shoulder and ligament damage during a preseason game in early October.

Exum underwent surgery later that month and began non-contact basketball activities in mid-January. He’s made steady progress since that point and his expected return comes at a good time. Raul Neto suffered a left wrist fracture over the weekend and will miss multiple weeks. Exum could fill the No. 3 point guard role behind Ricky Rubio and Donovan Mitchell.

Exum appeared in 66 regular-season games a year ago, averaging 6.2 PPG and 1.7 APG in 18.6 MPG. Exum will be a restricted free agent this summer if the team extends a $6.62MM qualifying offer. Otherwise, he’ll be unrestricted.

Exum missed the entire 2015/16 season after tearing his left ACL.

Raul Neto Fractures Wrist, Out At Least Two Weeks

March 12th, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Jazz guard Raul Neto has been diagnosed with a fractured left wrist after undergoing an MRI today, the team announced in a press release. No formal timetable has been set for Neto’s return to the court, but he’ll be re-evaluated in two weeks, according to the Jazz.

It’s the latest injury for a player who has been plagued by health problems over the last two seasons. After appearing in just 40 games last season, Neto has played in 39 in 2017/18, having been slowed at various times by a concussion and by ankle and knee issues.

When has has played, Neto has been solid in a part-time role for the Jazz, posting 4.6 PPG and 1.8 APG in 12.3 minutes per contest. Utah has performed well when the 25-year-old has been in the lineup — the club has a 27-12 record in those 39 games, and has won 17 in a row when Neto has played.

With Neto sidelined and fellow point guard Dante Exum still on the shelf too, Ricky Rubio and Donovan Mitchell figure to handle point guard duties in Utah, with Alec Burks as a backup option. The Jazz also have an open roster spot, so they could sign a player to a 10-day contract or rest-of-season deal if they have any depth concerns.

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Utah Jazz
Raul Neto

Deadline Looming For Disabled Player Exceptions

March 6th, 2018 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

Teams that still have disabled player exceptions at their disposal for the 2017/18 season have less than a week to make use of those exceptions. Typically, disabled player exceptions must be used by March 10 of a given league year, but since that date falls on a Saturday this year, the deadline is extended until Monday, March 12. If a team doesn’t use its DPE by that date, it will expire.

As we detailed earlier this season in a glossary entry, a disabled player exception can be granted by the NBA when a team has a player go down with an injury deemed to be season-ending. The exception gives the club some extra cap flexibility to add an injury replacement by signing a player to a one-year contract, trading for a player in the final year of his contract, or placing a waiver claim on a player in the final year of his contract.

The deadline for teams to apply for a disabled player exception was January 15. Seven clubs received DPEs this season, with three of those clubs having used them already. Here’s that list:

Boston Celtics
- Received $8,406,000 DPE for losing Gordon Hayward.
- Used to sign Greg Monroe.
Brooklyn Nets
- Received $6,000,000 DPE for losing Jeremy Lin.
- Used to trade for Dante Cunningham.
Detroit Pistons
- Received $5,248,660 DPE for losing Jon Leuer.
- Used to trade for James Ennis.

That leaves just four teams that still have their disabled player exceptions. These four clubs will see their DPEs disappear if they’re not used by March 12:

Miami Heat
- Received $5,500,000 DPE for losing Dion Waiters.
Los Angeles Clippers
- Received $2,756,757 DPE for losing Patrick Beverley.
Utah Jazz
- Received $2,625,000 DPE for losing Thabo Sefolosha.
New Orleans Pelicans
- Received $2,480,899 DPE for losing Alexis Ajinca.

While it’s still possible that one or two of these teams will use their disabled player exceptions, those exceptions are less useful at this point in the season. The trade deadline has passed, ruling out the possibility of using the DPE in a trade. And any player placed on waivers at this point wouldn’t be eligible for the postseason, limiting the appeal of using the DPE for a waiver claim.

That leaves free agents, and there simply aren’t there many unsigned players out there who would be worth more than the minimum salary. Veterans like Derrick Rose and Tony Allen remain available, but they started the season on minimum salary deals before being waived, so it’s not as if they’d warrant more lucrative contracts now.

Ultimately, it seems likely that the remaining four disabled player exceptions will expire without being used, but we’ll keep an eye on them through next Monday, just in case.

Ingles Providing Great Value To Jazz

March 4th, 2018 at 8:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There was skepticism when the Jazz signed Joe Ingles a four-year, $52MM contract last summer but it’s proving to be a bargain, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Advanced metrics rate Ingles as one of the league’s top 10 small forwards this season and the intangibles he brings add to his value, as coach Quin Snyder told MacMahon. “There just hasn’t been anything that he’s not willing to do for the team,” Snyder said. “That’s where he’s found his game. He’s found his game making the team better when he’s on the floor.”

Tony Bradley Reassigned

March 3rd, 2018 at 9:10pm CST by clarkcrum

The Jazz have assigned rookie Tony Bradley back to the Salt Lake City Stars, per an official press release from the team. Bradley has appeared in 23 games for the Stars this season, averaging 15.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 29.6 minutes per game.