Jazz star player set on terminating contract for such reasons.
With NBA free agency beginning at 4 p.m. MT tomorrow, the Utah Jazz have made decisions regarding a few players whose contracts have come to an end. Johnny Juzang is now a restricted free agent after Utah extended a qualifying offer to him, as reported by Tony Jones of the Athletic. The Jazz decided not to make a bid for Kira Lewis Jr. or Micah Potter.
The Jazz can match whatever contract Juzang was about to sign with another team by extending the offer to him. This allows the team to negotiate a new deal or let him leave without having to worry about it being a waste of time.
The choice made by Potter and Lewis today opens the door to unfettered free agency, where they will eventually be in charge of their own fate.
In the 20 games he played in, including 5 starts, Juzang averaged slightly under 19 points per game to conclude his second season with the Jazz. During that period, Juzang demonstrated that his impressive shooting could be applied in the NBA, shooting 41.6% on good volume in his limited minutes. Juzang shot about 37% on a sizable sample size in the G-League, despite having hot and cold streaks with his three-point shot.
Standing 6’7 and 215 pounds, Juzang, 23, was one of Utah’s only real wings on the team the previous year. Juzang has been on a two-way deal with the Jazz for the last two seasons. His stature and shooting abilities provide him a special skill set that will help him succeed as an NBA player. Juzang submitted his qualifying offer, thus I anticipate his comeback for the upcoming season.
Potter has had a two-way contract with the Jazz for the past few years, just like Juzang. In addition, the 6’9 big man has demonstrated his skill as a shooter on a regular basis in the G-League and during his little time with the Jazz.
In general, Potter is a very good player that may be used by the Jazz or any other NBA bench. The Jazz are amenable to a reunion with the 26-year-old, according to Jones’ story. It appears improbable now that Utah’s roster positions are filling up with the draft of Kyle Filipowski.
Lewis Jr. was shipped to Utah in February as a part of the Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji trade. The former lottery selection has not yet established a reliable NBA role. Even though he had glimpses of his explosive speed and playmaking while playing for the Jazz, his NBA future is in risk as he is expected to become free agency.
Lewis played very few minutes with the Jazz this spring, averaging 3.8 points and 1.6 assists per contest.
