The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed guard Diante Garrett of the NBA Development League’s Iowa Energy, marking the NBA’s first D-League Call-Up of the 2013-14 season. Per team policy, financial terms were not released. Following the move, the Jazz roster now stands at 15 players.
The 23-year-old Garrett (6-4, 190, Iowa State) was participating in training camp with the Energy after spending the 2013 NBA training camp and preseason with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he averaged 3.2 points and 1.5 assists in 10.2 minutes in six preseason games before being waived on October 25. Garrett spent the 2012-13 season with the Phoenix Suns, appearing in 19 games (all as a reserve), averaging 2.1 points and 1.6 assists in 7.8 minutes of action. Garrett also saw action last season with the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League while on assignment from the Suns, playing in eight regular season games (six starts) and averaging 17.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.63 steals while shooting .491 (54-110) from the floor and .619 (13-21) from three-point range, in 32.6 minutes per contest. In addition, Garrett started two games in the 2013 D-League Playoffs for the Jam, producing 21.0 points on .500 (17-34) shooting, while contributing 6.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.0 steal in 34.5 minutes per game. He also played for KK Zagreb in Croatia and JSF Nanterre in France during the 2011-12 season.
The Milwaukee native played four collegiate seasons at Iowa State University (2007-11), and finished his career as the Cyclones’ all-time leader in games played (128), ranking second in career assists (611), ninth in steals (153), 13th in three-pointers (98) and 16th in scoring (1,364). His 611 assists also rank fifth in Big 12 Conference history and he is one of only three players in Big 12 history to amass at least 1,300 points and 600 assists (Kirk Hinrich, Kansas; John Roberson, Texas Tech).
As a senior (2010-11), Garrett earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors after averaging 17.3 points, 6.1 assists and 1.7 steals and was one of only two players in the nation (Nate Wolters, South Dakota St.) to average at least 17.0 points and 6.0 assists. He is also one of only nine players in Big 12 history to rank in the top five in the conference in both assists (first) and scoring (fifth).
The son of former NBA player Dick Garrett (1969-74), Garrett’s first name is pronounced “Dee-ahn-tay,” and he will wear uniform #8 for the Jazz.
