Jazz Rumors: Favors, Hayward, Hill, Burks
Jazz big man Derrick Favors will return to the court on Wednesday after missing the last 12 games of action due to a left knee injury, league sources told Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. Although Favors won’t get a ton of playing time, the Jazz will get another chance to see him play alongside Rudy Gobert, something head coach Quin Snyder wants to see more of.
As Zach Lowe of ESPN.com details, the Jazz face several important decisions on players who are eligible for extensions or will soon reach free agency, so it’s crucial that the team gets as much information as possible about how those players fit together. If possible, the team would also like to see how certain lineups – like ones featuring Favors and Gobert – fare in a playoff series.
“The answer to whether Derrick and Rudy can play together is unequivocally yes,” Snyder said. “The bigger question is in what situations, and how best to maximize every player. On some level, you don’t know. We might find challenges that are hidden to us now.”
Here’s more on the Jazz from Lowe:
- The new CBA is expected to help Utah when it comes to re-signing Gordon Hayward, since the new deal should widen the advantage incumbent teams get (in terms of money and years) for re-signing their own players, says Lowe. Still, the Jazz need to show progress this year to convince Hayward they’re capable of developing into a serious contender. Hayward on his looming free agency: “It comes down to where I can compete for a title. Where I live — that doesn’t affect me. The limelight doesn’t matter to me. I just want to make a run at it.”
- Lowe suggests that “almost everyone with max-level cap room” will at least check in with Hayward’s agent next summer. Lowe adds that the Clippers explored a sign-and-trade for Hayward in 2014, and that Doc Rivers “loves” him, though L.A. won’t have a clear path to max space in 2017.
- The Jazz can extend George Hill now, and doing so would help improve the team’s odds of retaining Hayward, since the two players are close. Still, while Hill is open to listening to any offer from the Jazz, he may wait out Hayward’s decision, Lowe writes.
- The Jazz are hoping to get Alec Burks back in January and see their whole team in action well before the trade deadline, sources tell Lowe. The ESPN scribe identifies Burks as a potential trade candidate, since Utah can’t afford to keep everyone.
Woj: Celtics Continue To Monitor Gordon Hayward
- Wojnarowski wonders if the Celtics are overvaluing some of their own players, including perhaps Marcus Smart, in trade talks. Boston also continues to keep an eye on Gordon Hayward in case there’s any chance the Jazz make him available in a contract year.
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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/12/16
Here are Monday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
8:20pm:
- The Jazz have recalled Joel Bolomboy from the Salt Lake City Stars, the team announced via press release. The second-round pick posted a team-leading 23 points and 12 rebounds with the D-League affiliate on Sunday night. Bolomboy has seen action in seven NBA games so far this season, most recently on November 25.
- The Kings have recalled rookie Georgios Papagiannis from the Reno Bighorns, but he isn’t expected to play tonight, reports James Ham via Twitter. The 13th overall pick has averaged 10.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game across six contests with the Sacramento affiliate but has seen just one game of NBA action on the year.
- In addition to recalling Bembry (noted below), the Hawks have assigned forward Mike Scott to the affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, marking his second D-League stint since returning from a knee injury, Vivlamore writes for the AJC.
1:46pm:
- The Hawks have recalled DeAndre’ Bembry from the D-League, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Assigned to the Salt Lake City Stars on Saturday, Bembry scored 19 points for Utah’s affiliate on Sunday.
- The Pacers have recalled Georges Niang from their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. Niang, a 2016 second-round pick, played in three games with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants during his NBADL assignment. His most impressive game came on Saturday, when he recorded 22 points, six boards, and six assists in a win over the Texas Legends.
Austin Kent contributed to this post.
Jazz Nearing Turning Point In Rebuild
- The Jazz have spent several years rebuilding their roster, and are starting to come into their own, but with so many players eligible for extensions or nearing free agency, the team could soon face a turning point, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. We recently took a closer look at Utah’s extension candidates in a Community Shootaround discussion.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/11/16
Here are Sunday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- Jazz forward Joel Bolomboy was assigned to the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz’s D-League affilitate, the team announced via its website. This marks the fourth assignment this season for Bolomboy.
- The Pistons recalled forwards Stanley Johnson and Henry Ellenson and guard Michael Gbinije from the team’s D-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive, Detroit announced in a press release. That was Johnson’s first D-League stint and it lasted one day.
- The Bulls announced via press release that guard R.J. Hunter was recalled from the Windy City Bulls.
- The Lakers recalled Ivica Zubac from their D-League affiliate, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/10/16
Here are Saturday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
10:59pm:
- The Magic have recalled center Stephen Zimmerman from their Erie affiliate, the team posted on its website. Zimmerman spent four games with Erie, averaging 21.8 points and 15.5 rebounds per game. He has appeared in two games with Orlando.
3:05pm:
- The Pistons have assigned Stanley Johnson, Henry Ellenson, and Michael Gbinije to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Ellenson and Gbinije have already spent some time in Grand Rapids this season, but it’ll be Johnson’s first D-League stint of the season. According to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link), the 2015 eighth overall pick discussed the move with Stan Van Gundy, and will return to the Pistons after playing tonight with the Drive.
- Jerian Grant and Paul Zipser have been recalled from the D-League by the Bulls, the club announced in a press release. Both players contributed to the Windy City Bulls’ victory over Canton on Friday night, with Grant making the game-winning shot. R.J. Hunter remains on assignment with the club.
- The Hawks don’t have their own D-League affiliate, but they’ve assigned DeAndre’ Bembry back to the Salt Lake City Stars, per Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. In a one-game stint with the Stars earlier this season, Bembry poured in 16 of 22 shots and racked up 35 points.
- A day after being assigned to the D-League to practice with the Salt Lake City Stars, Joel Bolomboy has been recalled by the Jazz, according to a team release.
- The Lakers have sent rookie big man Ivica Zubac back to the D-League, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. Zubac will suit up tonight for the Los Angeles D-Fenders in their game against Austin.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/9/16
Here are Friday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
10:30pm:
- The Nuggets assigned guard Malik Beasley to the Sioux Falls SkyForce of the NBA D-League, the team announced via press release. The rookie has appeared in in nine games this season for Denver, averaging 2.9 points in 6.0 minutes per outing.
- The Hawks confirmed via press release that Scott was recalled from Delaware. The forward was there on a rehab assignment as he continues to make his way back from a knee injury.
1:26pm:
- The Nets have assigned Chris McCullough to their D-League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, according to a team press release. McCullough is averaging 19.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game for Long Island this season.
- The Bulls have assigned Jerian Grant, R.J. Hunter and Paul Zipser to the Windy City Bulls, according to a team press release.
- The Hawks have recalled Mike Scott from the D-League, Chris Vivlamore of Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Atlanta doesn’t have its own affiliate, so Scott played his two games for the Delaware 87ers, the affiliate of the Sixers.
- The Jazz have assigned Joel Bolomboy to their D-League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, according to the team’s website. This will be Bolomboy’s third assignment of the season.
- The Lakers have recalled Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles D-Fenders, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link).
Community Shootaround: Jazz Extension Candidates
Most NBA teams don’t even have one viable candidate for an in-season veteran extension on their rosters, but the Jazz, armed with the cap space necessary to renegotiate a deal and provide an immediate raise, have two realistic candidates for a new deal. George Hill and Derrick Favors were two of the five players we identified last month when we listed some veteran extension candidates worth watching.
The Jazz have until the end of February to work out an extension with Hill or Favors that gives them a raise for the 2016/17 season, and a few months later, the team’s extension window for two more key players will open. Starting on July 1, Rodney Hood and Dante Exum will be able to negotiate new contracts with the Jazz, as they enter the final year of their respective rookie deals.
The Jazz are currently sitting below the salary floor for 2016/17 and have more than $13MM in cap room at their disposal, but their favorable cap situation won’t last forever. Rudy Gobert‘s lucrative new extension takes effect in 2017/18, as his salary will jump by more than $19MM. Gordon Hayward is also on track to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, and if Utah hopes to re-sign him, it will likely take a max deal, or something close to it.
With the salary cap projected to easily exceed $100MM for the first time in 2017/18, the Jazz will still have some flexibility to accommodate a couple more big-money deals, but the team may have to be selective about which of its extension candidates it locks up. Kincade Upstill of The Deseret News explored this subject earlier in the week, suggesting that an extension next year for Hood should be a “no-brainer.”
Upstill also likes the idea of keeping Hill in the fold, but writes that patience may be required for Favors and Exum. Both players are under contract through 2018, so it may make sense for the Jazz to wait for Favors and Exum to reach free agency rather than trying to extend them early. That’s especially true for Exum, who was selected fifth overall in 2014, but missed all of last season with an ACL injury and has yet to take a major step forward in his development.
What do you think? Which of Utah’s extension candidates should the team prioritize? Does it make sense to extend Hill or Favors during the 2016/17 season? Should Hood or Exum be locked up next offseason? Should the Jazz be willing to let some of those players walk? Jump into the comments section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
Hill Finds A New Home In Utah
- The Pacers thought they needed to unload George Hill to switch to an up-tempo style, and the Jazz were happy to take him, writes Nate Taylor of The USA Today Network. Hill has brought stability to the point guard position in Utah, while providing the Jazz with an upgrade in ballhandling and defense. “I knew he was a good defensive player, a team player, an unselfish guy,” said teammate Rudy Gobert. “I thought that was great for our team. A guy that’s tough and unselfish and can shoot the ball and create. He can do a lot of things. I knew he was a very good player.”
Hayward/Hill Combo Has Been Effective For Jazz
- As Jody Genessy of The Deseret News details, the Jazz have been a much better team this season when George Hill and Gordon Hayward are playing together than when at least one of the two players are out of action. Utah will have to try to figure out a way to keep the duo together long-term, since both players are eligible to reach free agency in 2017.