Word is circulating that the Utah Jazz will guarantee point guard Raul Neto’s contract for the remainder of the season.
It’s been a bit of a rough go for Utah Jazz point guard Raul Neto recently. Although the midway point of the 2017-18 NBA season is already upon us, the third-year pro has appeared in just 17 games for the Jazz. While some of that is just the reality of playing behind both Ricky Rubio and Donovan Mitchell, it’s largely been injuries keeping him on the sidelines.
Nevertheless, Neto has been good for the Jazz when he’s been on the floor. As a result, the team is apparently set to reward him for his efforts.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Jazz will guarantee Neto’s deal for the remainder of the season —
The Utah Jazz will guarantee the contract on guard Raul Neto for the rest of the season, league sources tell ESPN. He has been sidelined recently with a sprained knee.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 6, 2018
In limited action, Neto is averaging 13.4 points and 5.3 assists per 36 minutes this season. Those marks represent career-highs for the 25-year-old; the same could be said for his overall field goal (47.1) and 3-point (45.5) percentages as well.
He’s also had a quantifiable impact on the games he’s actually played in. The Jazz are plus-88 in the 226 minutes Neto has played this season. That’s the highest number on the team despite the fact that only Tony Bradley, Naz Long and Nate Wolters have seen less court time for the Jazz than Neto during the ’17-18 campaign.
Neto last played for the Jazz on December 9 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Knee problems and the league’s concussion protocol have conspired to keep him on the shelf ever since. Earlier in the year, he also battled foot and hamstring issues.
More from The J-Notes
- With the FIBA World Cup over for Simone Fontecchio, it’s clear he deserves minutes for the Utah Jazz
- Best, Worst and Most likely scenarios for the Utah Jazz this season
- Hoops Hype downplays the significance of the Utah Jazz’s valuable assets
- 3 Utah Jazz players who have the most to gain or lose this season
- Former Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gay is a free agent still and it shouldn’t surprise anyone
Nevertheless, the move to guarantee his contract is a good one by the Jazz. In many ways he’s the ideal third point guard; a player who accepts his role, is a willing defender, capably runs the offense and is able to handle additional workload when the need arises.
During his rookie season, Neto was called upon to be the team’s starting point-man for much of the season and he responded by averaging six points and three assists per game while shooting just under 40 percent from distance over 53 starts. He also posted a positive net rating as a first-year pro.
Neto will make just under $1.5 million this season. The Jazz can make him a restricted free agent next summer with a qualifying offer.