Utah Jazz Hosting Free Agent Mini-Camp
By Ryan Aston
The Utah Jazz have invited 30 players to strut their stuff for the team’s decision-makers during a two-day mini-camp this week.
In what has become a summer tradition for the Utah Jazz, the team has invited 30 free agents to work out for them this week. After physical examinations on Tuesday, the invitees will audition for Jazz brass during morning and evening workouts on Wednesday, followed by a morning workout on Thursday.
It’s all part of Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey’s broad-strokes approach to talent evaluation. Since Lindsey came to power with the organization, the Jazz have held more workouts, both for free agents and potential draftees, inviting an unprecedented number of players to Salt Lake City.
Clearly Lindsey believes in leaving no stone unturned as he works to build a winning roster in Utah. The same could be said for Jazz ownership, who have made a significant investment in allowing their general manager to work out so many players. Bringing in 30-plus free agents, 100-plus draft prospects can’t be cheap.
Jazz fans will undoubtedly recognize the names of some of the players participating in the mini-camp.
Greg Stiemsma, for one, is a 6-foot-11, 260-pound center with four years of NBA experience. He last saw regular season action with the Toronto Raptors in 2014-15 and also spent time with the Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans.
In 203 career games, Stiemsma averaged three points, three rebounds and more than one blocked shot in 15 minutes per contest. He played two preseason games with the Orlando Magic this past fall, but injuries kept him from gaining significant traction and he was waived before the start of the season.
Dionte Christmas may be another familiar face–the six-foot-five guard actually played four games for the Jazz in the Orlando Summer League in 2013. He went on to play in 31 games with the Phoenix Suns that season, averaging 2.3 points in limited action. Most recently, he suited up for Torku Konyaspor of the Turkish League.
Four players with local connections, Tyrell Corbin, Spencer Butterfield, Preston Medlin and Jordan Bachynski, will also be on hand.
Corbin, a six-foot guard, is the son of former Jazz coach/player Tyrone Corbin and starred for West High School in Salt Lake City, as well as Salt Lake Community College. He finished his college career at Cal State Bakersfield, then played for KK Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje in Montenegro and Mongolian club SBL Hasiin Khuleguud last season.
Butterfield and Medlin both played collegiately in Logan with the Utah State Aggies. Butterfield, a six-foot-three sharpshooter, starred for Lithuanian powerhouse BC Utenos Juventus last year and is a career 43-percent three-point shooter in Europe.
The six-foot-four Medlin most recently played for Enosi Kalathosfairisis Kavalas in Greece.
Bachynski, meanwhile, is the older brother of Dallin Bachynski, who played for the University of Utah. The seven-foot-two big man starred for the Arizona State Sun Devils, winning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors, then went on to play in Turkey and the D-League. He was a D-League All-Star for the Westchester Knicks this year.
Next: Utah Jazz 2015-16 Review: Trey Burke
Also attending the free agent mini-camp will be Nicolas Brussino, Chris Hill, Tekele Cotton, Patrick Miller, Elijah Johnson, Ra’shad James, Keifer Sykes, Shaq McKissic, Gary Bell Jr., Trey Zeigler, Jabril Trawick, Royce, O’Neale, Michael Morrison, Alex Davis, Dustin Hogue, Adonis Thomas, C.J. Fair, Brandon Ashley, Talib Zanna, Charles Jackson, Julian Mavunga, DaShonte Riley, David Laury and Elroy Vargas.
Full discretion–if you’ve actually heard of more than seven of those “also attending” players, you’re doing better than me.