Category: Utah Jazz Blog

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Jazz trade Derrick Favors to Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder has acquired forward/center Derrick Favors and a future first-round draft pick from the Utah Jazz in exchange for a 2027 second-round draft pick and cash considerations, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Favors (6-10, 265) has appeared in 751 games (68 starts) with the Jazz, Nets and Pelicans and holds career averages of 10.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.23 blocks in 24.7 minutes per game.

The 2027 second-round pick the Thunder is trading to Utah is the least favorable of Oklahoma City’s four second-round picks.

Dennis Lindsey steps down, will now act as advisor for Jazz

After nine seasons with the Utah Jazz and 25 years in the NBA, Dennis Lindsey has decided to step down yesterday as executive vice president of basketball operations. He will transition into a role as an advisor to the Utah Jazz.

Justin Zanik, who was named general manager in 2019, will continue in his role overseeing the day-to-day management of Jazz basketball operations.

“In recent years, I have had conversations with the Miller family and then Ryan Smith when he came on board about moving into an advisory role,” Lindsey said. “This is an appropriate time to make the transition with the organization on such solid footing. I am proud of the progress we have made in raising our level of competitiveness in the Western Conference. We have built sustaining infrastructure around the team from enhanced performance analytics and upgraded training facilities to the local presence of the Salt Lake City Summer League and Salt Lake City Stars. I greatly value the many individuals that I have worked with and the players who have been a part of the Jazz during my tenure. I look forward to making contributions to the Jazz in a different way, while enjoying more time with my wife Becky and our four children.”

Lindsey came to Utah in 2012 after spending five seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and 11 seasons with the Houston Rockets. In Utah, Lindsey assembled teams that reached the Western Conference Semifinals in 2017 and 2021, including drafting Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, adding Jazz standouts Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, and Joe Ingles, and hiring head coach Quin Snyder. This season’s team had three NBA All-Stars, the Defensive Player of the Year and the Sixth Man of the Year. Lindsey finished as the runner-up for the NBA’s Executive of the Year award as the Jazz posted the NBA’s best regular season record.

“Dennis Lindsey has had an incredible impact on the organization, and we are grateful for his dedication to the Utah Jazz,” said Ryan Smith, owner of the Utah Jazz. “We look forward to his contributions as an advisor to the Jazz and to Justin Zanik’s ongoing leadership as general manager. As an organization, we are committed to continuing our pursuit of excellence and will relentlessly work to achieve sustainable success and win championships.”

Zanik originally joined the Jazz as assistant general manager in 2013 and held the role for five seasons. He also served as assistant general manager for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2016-17 before returning to Utah.

Jazz and Mike Conley face big free agency decision this offseason

The Jazz were the league’s most winning team this regular season, but were sent home earlier than hoped in the playoffs, falling to the Clippers in six second round games. Will veteran point guard Mike Conley’s time on the team be extended? Via the Deseret News:

Following the Utah Jazz’s postseason exit on Friday night at the hands of the LA Clippers, a huge question facing the team in the offseason is the future of point guard Mike Conley.

The 33-year-old is a free agent who had an excellent 2020-21 season for the Jazz, and the team doesn’t have the financial ability to go out and sign another floor general of his caliber.

On the other hand, the Jazz could bring Conley back (teams can go over the salary cap to re-sign their own free agents), but it would put the team deep into the luxury tax, meaning owner Ryan Smith would be on the hook for a big bill to the NBA aside from the team’s total salary.

The rest of the Jazz core, including Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O’Neale, Rudy Gobert, Jordan Clarkson, Joe Ingles and Derrick Favors, are all signed at least through next season.

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard will miss Game 5 against Jazz

The Clippers, who are already without the services of center Serge Ibaka, now have a major injury problem at the forward spot. Via the LA Times:

When Kawhi Leonard was asked about his right knee Monday night following Game 4 of the Clippers’ second-round playoff series against Utah, he replied quickly, “I’m good.”

Because the answer was hard to hear through the videoconference’s feed, he was asked again.

“Yeah,” Leonard said. “Next question.”

Less than 48 hours later, with Game 5 of a deadlocked series looming Wednesday night in Salt Lake City, Leonard is not good. The forward, who has averaged more than 30 points, seven rebounds and four assists while shooting 57% in the postseason, is out for Game 5 because of a strained right knee suffered in the final five minutes of Game 4, when he was bumped by Utah’s Joe Ingles.

And from the OC Register:

Leonard – who was named to the All-NBA first team on Tuesday, his third such honor – reportedly could miss the rest of the best-of-seven series, which is tied, 2-2. He was not listed on the Clippers’ official injury report Tuesday, but according to ESPN, the 29-year-old forward told teammates Tuesday night to prepare for him to be out. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Clippers are fearful Leonard has suffered an ACL injury.

The five-time All-Star from Moreno Valley planted awkwardly on a drive to the basket in the fourth quarter of the Clippers’ 118-104 victory on Monday night at Staples. He grimaced following the play but remained in the game, missing both free throws he was awarded on the drive after a foul was assessed to Bojan Bogdanovic. Leonard remained in the game briefly after that, too, drawing another foul and making both of those free throws.

The Jazz remain without the services of point guard Mike Conley. But Leonard being out is a bigger problem for L.A. than Conley being out is for Utah.

Jazz guard Mike Conley remains out, will miss Game 3 vs. Clippers

The Jazz remain without the services of their starting point guard. Via the Deseret News:

Mike Conley will miss a third straight game on Saturday.

The Utah Jazz’s All-Star guard was ruled out of playing Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Clippers because of the right hamstring strain he sustained in Game 5 of the Jazz’s first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Clippers lead the series 2-0. Game 3 is tonight in Los Angeles at 8:30PM ET, televised on ABC.

Jazz center Rudy Gobert wins 2020-21 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award

Rudy Gobert has done it again. The Jazz center was named 2020-21 NBA Defensive Player of the Year today, marking the third time he’s won the award. Gobert joins Dwight Howard, Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace as the only players in NBA history to win the award three-or-more times.

Gobert (7-1, 256, France) led the NBA among qualified players in defensive rating (100.6), defensive win shares (5.2), defensive rebounds (10.1) and was second in blocks per game (2.7) during the 2020-21 season. He also led the NBA in +/- (+728) and total rebounds (960). Helping the Jazz to the best-record in the NBA at 52-20, and the team’s first overall no. 1 seed in franchise history, the eight-year pro was the anchor to the NBA’s third best defense, which owned a defensive rating of 107.5. According to FiveThirtyEight’s defensive RAPTOR metric, Gobert posted the highest such rating (+8.0) last season by a player since 1977.

On the offensive end, he led the NBA in field goal percentage (.675), dunks (231) and was second in screen assists per game (6.1). For the year, he finished with 14.3 points, a career-high-tying 13.5 boards, 2.7 blocks and 1.3 assists in 30.8 minutes per game. The Frenchman posted the third most double-doubles in the NBA with 49 and was named an All-Star for the second-straight season.

In addition to winning the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award in three seasons (2018, 2019 and 2021) and being named a two-time NBA All-Star (2020, 2021), Gobert has been named to the All-NBA Second Team (2017), selected to the All-NBA Third Team twice (2019, 2020) and received All-NBA Defensive First Team honors in four seasons (2017-20).

Appearing in 545 games (453 starts), he owns career averages of 12.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.3 steals in 29.7 minutes per contest. Over the last five seasons no other player in the NBA has more blocks (855) than Gobert and he’s collected 4,554 boards during that stretch, the second most in the NBA.

Competing in his fifth-straight postseason, Gobert has helped Utah to the 2021 Western Conference Semifinals, averaging 16.2 points, 12.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in 32.7 minutes per game during the playoff run.

Gobert has passed the late Mark Eaton for the most Defensive Player of the Year honors in Jazz history with Eaton winning twice in 1985 and 1989.

Other finalists for NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year were Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons and Golden State’s Draymond Green. Gobert received 84 first-place votes and earned 464 points from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Simmons finished in second place with 287 points (15 first-place votes). Green finished in third place with 76 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

Former Utah Jazz center Mark Eaton has died

A big loss was suffered today. Via the Salt Lake Tribune:

Utah Jazz All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year Mark Eaton has died, the Jazz confirmed to The Salt Lake Tribune on Saturday morning. He was 64.

KUTV reports that Eaton’s death came after he went for a bike ride in Summit County around 8 p.m. MT, and didn’t return home. It is not immediately clear if that was due to a medical episode or some other sort of accident.

From the Utah Jazz: “The Utah Jazz are profoundly saddened at the unexpected passing of Mark Eaton, who was an enduring figure in our franchise history and had a significant impact in the community after his basketball career. Mark played his entire 11-year NBA career with the Jazz and his number was retired as an NBA All-Star and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. His presence continued around the organization as a friend and ambassador while giving back as a businessman and volunteer to his adopted hometown in Utah. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Teri and their extended family. Mark will be greatly missed by all of us with the Jazz.”

Eaton played his entire NBA career (1982-93) with the Utah Jazz. The 7-4 center out of UCLA was drafted by the Jazz in the fourth round of the 1984 NBA Draft. In his 11 NBA seasons, he appeared in 875 games, totaling 5,216 points, 6,939 rebounds and 3,064 blocked shots (fourth-most in NBA history). He led the league in blocks in 1984, ’85, ’87, and ’88.

Eaton was a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1985 and 1989), a 1989 NBA All-Star and was named to five All-Defensive teams (three First Team and two Second Team honors). One of the best defensive players in NBA history, Eaton holds the NBA record for most blocks in a season (456) and career average blocked shots per game (3.50).

After Eaton retired from the game in 1993, he only further established himself as a member of the Salt Lake community. Eaton owned two restaurants, Tuscany’s and Franck’s in Holladay. He also became an author and a motivational speaker.

Eaton’s #53 jersey was retired by the Utah Jazz during the 1995-96 season.

Mike Conley returns for Jazz in win over Thunder

The Jazz are without Donovan Mitchell, but still one of the NBA’s best teams, and made short work of the Thunder tonight. Via the Salt Lake Tribune:

Mike Conley is back.

Not really all the way back yet, y’know, but back enough.

The Utah Jazz and their fans will happily take what they can get right now.

After missing nine late-season games due to right hamstring soreness, the veteran point point returned to action Friday night in the Jazz’s penultimate matchup of the regular season, a 109-93 decimation of the thoroughly-tanking Oklahoma City Thunder.

He started at point guard, sending Georges Niang back to a reserve role, and came out aggressive.

Conley’s shot was off a bit, as he made just 2 of 7 overall and 1 of 3 from deep, but he impressed with his activity level.

In the win for the Jazz tonight, Bojan Bogdanovic scored 22 points, Jordan Clarkson scored 18 off the bench, and Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 18 rebounds.

The team should have Mitchell back for the first round of the playoffs. Hopefully.

If Donovan Mitchell makes All-NBA Team, Jazz contract goes way up

Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz are having a fantastic season. The team has their eye on the Finals, and it’s a realistic vision. In terms of what Mitchell’s personal success may mean to each side’s wallets, here’s the Salt Lake Tribune:

This week, the collective decisions of 100 NBA media members are worth $32 million to the Utah Jazz.

Let me explain. You’ll remember that Donovan Mitchell signed a maximum contract extension this summer, but the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement has a provision that says that Mitchell’s maximum can be for a higher percentage of the salary cap if he makes All-NBA in the season before his extension kicks in.

Mitchell’s contract is guaranteed for 5 years and $163 million — 25% of the Jazz’s salary cap. If he makes an All-NBA team, that contract would jump to $195.6 million — 30% of the Jazz’s salary cap.

Mitchell is currently injured, and will make his return to action in the postseason. Via the Deseret News:

He suffered the injury in a win over the Indiana Pacers and has since missed 13 consecutive contests. During that stretch, the Jazz have won eight games and lost five, most recently Monday night against the Golden State Warriors, all while trying to hold off the Phoenix Suns for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Before sustaining the injury, Mitchell was in the midst of a career year, averaging new highs of 26.4 points, 5.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game.

Joe Ingles and Rudy Gobert impressive shooting stats this season

A pair of Jazz players are doing big things in the “true shooting” department. Via the Deseret News:

Joe Ingles is having a historic season, according to a stat that he doesn’t understand.

“I honestly Googled it one time to try to figure out what they’re talking about, and I had (expletive) no idea still after reading it,” Ingles told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I didn’t understand it when they said it; I didn’t understand it when I Googled it.”

Ingles leads the NBA in true shooting percentage, with a true shooting percentage of .690. Teammate Rudy Gobert is second on the list, with a true shooting percentage of .684.

The Jazz are 48-18 this season, which is the best record in the NBA.

Their leading scorers so far in 2020-21 are Donovan Mitchell at 26.4 points per game, Jordan Clarkson off the bench at 17.5 ppg, Mike Conley at 16.4 ppg, Bojan Bogdanovic at 16.3 ppg, Gobert at 14.4 ppg, and Ingles at 12.3 ppg. Everyone else on the squad scores under 7 ppg.