Jazz Release Nate Wolters
The Jazz have released two-way signee Nate Wolters, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. The 26-year-old guard only had only seen 3.8 minutes per game of action across five contests with the big league squad so far this season.
Wolters, who hadn’t played in the NBA since a 2014/15 campaign split between the Bucks and Pelicans, has started 13 games for Utah’s G League affiliate the Salt Lake City Stars.
The announcement comes a day after the Jazz let another player on a two-way contract go, waiving Eric Griffin to free up room in order to sign Erik McCree.
With Wolters out of the picture now as well, the Jazz will have one of their two allotted two-way slots free until they find somebody to sign. A player signed to such a deal today would have about 30 days of big league service time (down from the typical 45-day limit based on a full season).
Jazz Release Big Man Eric Griffin
The Jazz have released Eric Griffin, the team’s public relations department tweeted. The 27-year-old rookie was unloaded in order for the team to sign Erik McCree to a two-way contract.
[RELATED: Jazz sign Erik McCree to two-way deal]
Griffin has started 19 games with Utah’s G League affiliate so far this season, averaging 17.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game for those Salt Lake City Stars.
Griffin was previously a training camp cut by the Heat, Mavs and Pistons in 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Jazz Sign Erik McCree To Two-Way Deal
The Jazz have signed forward Erik McCree to a two-way contract, the team’s public relations department announced. McCree went undrafted out of Louisiana Tech last summer but played through training camp with the Heat.
In order to make room on the roster, the club had to release big man Eric Griffin, who had also been on a two-way deal with the franchise (their second two-way signee, who will remain under contract, is Nate Wolters).
Given that the contract is being inked partially through the season, McCree’s 45-day NBA service alotment will be pro-rated to around 30 days, as was the case with Sean Kilpatrick (who signed with the Bucks on December 16).
McCree profiles as a four with three-point shooting range and will look to pilfer some of Jonas Jerebko‘s minutes when up with the big league club. The rest of the time he’ll suit up for the team’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.
Donovan Mitchell Open To Competing In Dunk Contest
The NBA’s highest-scoring rookie is open to the idea of competing in the NBA Dunk Contest, Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News writes. First-year Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is a an obvious candidate to compete in the Rising Stars Game and has a growing portfolio of highlight-reel dunks.
“It would be great, but I haven’t paid any attention to that whatsoever,” the 21-year-old sensation averaging 18.1 points per game for the Jazz said. “Not even the whole weekend. That’s not even been on my head at all. People bring it up, but I don’t even like to entertain it, I just focus on the task at hand.”
As the February festivities grow closer, and participants formally get offered opportunities to strut their stuff, the Jazz rookie may call upon his own background competing in dunk contests. Woodyard writes that Mitchell once competed in the BallIsLife All-American Game dunk contest and won the Derby Basketball Classic dunk contest in 2015.
Rudy Gobert Diagnosed With Sprained PCL, Bone Bruise
DECEMBER 16, 12:12 pm: Gobert has been diagnosed with a sprained PCL in his left knee and a bone bruise in his tibia, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). Gobert is expected to miss at least one month.
DECEMBER 15, 8:05pm: The Jazz watched Rudy Gobert fall to another knee injury Friday night, Ryan McDonald of the Deseret News writes. The big man clutched his left leg in pain after tangling up with Derrick Favors and eventually limped to the team locker room ruled out for the remainder of the contest.
The scary moment comes less than two weeks after the big man made his return to the Jazz, having missed 11 contests recovering from a right knee injury.
Although the center hasn’t undergone an MRI, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets that early evaluation suggests it’s a Grade 1 MCL sprain.
Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News tweets that the injury isn’t “too serious” and that it may have just looked worse than it actually was. Woodyard said in another tweet that it certainly isn’t season-ending.
Hood Returns, Johnson May Be Next
- The Jazz welcome back shooting guard Rodney Hood tonight after he missed the past seven games with an ankle problem, tweets Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Hood was averaging a career-best 17.7 points through 18 games before the injury, which team doctors are calling tendon soreness (Twitter link). Coach Quin Snyder also offered encouraging news about veteran swingman Joe Johnson, who has been sidelined with a right wrist injury. Snyder said Johnson is close to returning, although he won’t be available tonight (Twitter link). He appeared in just seven games before suffering the injury in late October.
Snyder Still Determining Best Use Of Gobert, Favors
- Determining how best to use Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors remains an ongoing issue for Jazz head coach Quin Snyder, writes Mike Sorensen of The Deseret News. “When you play with two big guys, like any team in the league we have to try to maximize what those guys can do,” Snyder said. “And what means is the spacing’s different and the other guys have to adjust to that and get better.”
Rodney Hood Targets Wednesday Return
- Jazz shooting guard Rodney Hood hopes to return to action Wednesday, Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets. Hood, averaging a career-best 17.7 PPG, has been sidelined seven games with a left ankle injury.
Utah Could Be Possible Landing Spot For Jabari Parker
- If Jabari Parker‘s future with the Bucks is uncertain given his health, contract status and the emergence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, one team that could be in play to acquire him is the Jazz. Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News details Parker’s connection to the The Church of Latterday Saints which has famously strong roots in Utah. Parker, it’s worth noting, had BYU in his top five potential colleges coming out of high school.
Jazz Assign Tony Bradley To G League
- The Jazz have re-assigned rookie center Tony Bradley to their G League affiliate, the team announced today (via Twitter). It’s the seventh G League assignment of the season already for Bradley, who has seen limited action in seven games for the Jazz, but has posted 20.0 PPG and 8.5 RPG in four games for the Salt Lake City Stars.