Utah Jazz granted disabled player exception for Thabo Sefolosha
By Ryan Aston
The Utah Jazz could be getting some relief in the wake of Thabo Sefolosha’s season-ending knee injury.
As has been their lot recently, the Utah Jazz have once again fallen prey to a seemingly endless onslaught of injuries. The latest major setback was suffered by Thabo Sefolosha, who is out for the season after undergoing surgery to repair an avulsion in his right MCL.
Sefolosha’s injury was particularly troubling; the 33-year-old had been one of the squad’s leaders both on and off the floor. He was also enjoying a resurgence offensively. In 38 games, he averaged 8.2 points per contest and knocked down 38 percent of his 3-point shots. While the Jazz undoubtedly miss his presence, they may be getting some relief following his injury.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA has granted the Jazz a disabled player exception for Sefolosha. With the $2.62 million dollar exception, the Jazz can bring in a player to replace him.
The NBA has awarded the Utah Jazz a $2.62M disabled player exception for @ThaboSefolosha, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 23, 2018
There had been some concern over whether it would be possible to gain approval for the DPE. The application deadline was on January 15, just three days after Sefolosha incurred the injury in a game against the Charlotte Hornets. The exception also required a determination by a league-designated physician.
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The Jazz managed to get in just under the wire.
In addition to potentially using the exception to sign a free agent for the remainder of the season, the Jazz could instead use it in a trade or to claim a player off waivers. However, in those circumstances, its scope is limited to players in the final year of their contract. They must be making less than or equal to the approved exception as well.
Again, this is an exception to the cap. The Jazz aren’t off the hook for Sefolosha’s salary. Such relief is typically only awarded in extreme/career-ending situations.
Whether or not the team uses the DPE remains to be seen. By applying for and receiving one, however, the Jazz have given themselves some options and flexibility going forward.