Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has exercised its fourth-year option on guard Ronnie Brewer for the 2009-10 season. Per team policy, financial terms were not released.
Originally selected by the Jazz in the first round (14th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft, Brewer (6-7, 218, Arkansas) has appeared in 132 games (90 starts) over his first two seasons and holds career averages of 8.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.26 steals in 20.9 minutes per game. In 2007-08, Brewer increased his numbers over his rookie year in every major statistical category, averaging 12.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.70 steals in 27.5 minutes while starting all 76 games in which he played. He led the NBA in steals-per-turnover ratio (1.87) and ranked seventh in field goal percentage (.558). Brewer led the Jazz in both steals and field goal percentage while scoring in double figures on 53 occasions, 46 times more than his rookie year. He was also selected to compete on the sophomore squad in the 2008 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge during NBA All-Star Weekend.
