Utah Jazz announce signing of former UMBC star Jairus Lyles

The Utah Jazz have signed former UMBC guard Jairus Lyles, who has been with the Jazz for Summer League in both Utah and Las Vegas.

Terms of the signing have not yet been released, but it appears that UMBC standout Jairus Lyles will be with the Utah Jazz for training camp. The 23-year-old played a huge role in UMBC’s magical run to the NCAA Tournament, where the Retrievers became the first No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed.

During his time with the Jazz in Summer League thus far, Lyles is averaging 8.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 20.3 minutes per game.

He’s shown that he can simply put the ball in the basket. He’s got good scoring instincts, but has also shown his all-around ability. Furthermore, he is able to play either guard position, which is big in today’s NBA.

Lyles could receive a two-way contract from the Jazz, who currently have two open spots in that regard. This would give Lyles up to 45 days with the Jazz, and a good chunk of time and experience with the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s G-League affiliate.

If it’s not a two-way contract, then Lyles will likely be fighting for a final roster spot. After waiving Jonas Jerebko, the Jazz do have an open spot, so training camp will be very competitive for the guys vying to earn that final opening.

Even if Lyles is waived prior to the season, the Jazz would retain his rights. He would then likely join the Salt Lake City Stars.

Lyles is certainly a fun player to watch, and with Grayson Allen resting in Thursday’s Summer League game against Orlando, maybe he will get an uptick in minutes.

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I like this signing by Utah. Jairus Lyles is a talented kid with some upside, and with the right development, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Lyles getting buckets in the best league in the world.

Hopefully this Lyles doesn’t mind three-hour practices.