Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team will sign guard Sundiata Gaines (pronounced sun-DEE-ah-tuh) of the NBA Development League’s Idaho Stampede to a 10-day contract pending the outcome of a successful physical on Wednesday, January 6. Gaines becomes the fourth D-League Call-Up to the NBA this season.
Gaines (6-1, 185, Georgia) is currently averaging 23.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists while shooting .522 from the field through 14 games with Idaho this season. Gaines, who has led the Stampede to a 9-5 record, currently ranks fifth in the D-League in scoring, third in assists and third in steals (2.29). The guard has scored a season-high 31 points on four occasions and dished a season-high 12 assists twice. Gaines was named the D-League’s Co-Performer of the Week for games played during the first 10 days of the season after averaging a league-leading 27.0 points while shooting .603 percent (38-63) from the field and handing out 8.3 assists.
The Jamaica, New York, native was selected by the Idaho Stampede in the first round (15th overall) of the 2009 D-League Draft. He spent the 2008-09 campaign in Italy with NGC Cantu, averaging 13.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 30 games. A 2008 graduate of the University of Georgia, Gaines spent four seasons with the Bulldogs averaging 11.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists. The guard led Georgia to the 2008 Southeastern Conference (SEC) tournament title.
Gaines becomes the fourth D-League Call-Up in Jazz history, joining Rusty LaRue (2000-01), Mikki Moore (2003-04) and Louis Amundson (2006-07).
