Utah Jazz rank 2018-19: Trey Lewis enters the list at No. 19
By Ryan Aston
Trey Lewis, a former teammate of Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell at Louisville, had a strong showing during summer league play.
Our 2018-19 Utah Jazz preseason player rankings continue today with No. 19, former Louisville guard Trey Lewis. When the 25-year-old combo guard joined the Jazz on a camp deal last month, he made headlines as a friend of Donovan; he and Jazz star Donovan Mitchell were Cardinals teammates during the 2015-16 college season.
However, Lewis is more than just a guy who played with the guy. And he showed as much during his run with the Jazz during summer league.
In six games with the Jazz, he put up eight points, 2.8 boards and 2.5 assists in just 16 minutes per contest. He also knocked down 48 percent of his triples, which is obviously a great number. More than that, though, he made wow plays on the floor.
Like this destruction of 2018’s No. 5 overall pick and former NCAA scoring champ Trae Young —
https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1015043900602535941
Lewis is no greenhorn, either. After going undrafted in 2016, he took his game overseas and became a star in the German Basketball Bundesliga. As a rookie with medi Bayreuth, he was a BBL All-Second Team selection. Last season, he played for Ratiopharm Ulm and was an All-Star.
He wrapped his 2017-18 campaign in France’s first-tier league with JL Bourg-en-Bresse and dropped a 17-4-3 line over 14 games.
Despite his diminutive stature by today’s standards — a Stockton-esque 6-foot-2, 185 pounds — he’s got an all-around game and scoring instincts that could develop into something. Once his camp run with the Jazz comes to a close, look for a spot with the Salt Lake City Stars to be in play for him.
As with the other camp players on the back end of this list, the Jazz can retain his G-League rights after waiving him.
There’s also something to be said for giving players with close relationships to your stars a shot as a show of goodwill. And the Jazz are no strangers to doing it either.
They brought in Gordon Hayward‘s BFF and high school teammate Julian Mavunga for multiple workouts. When Deron Williams was the guy, his former Illini running mates Dee Brown, Roger Powell Jr. and James Augustine all had cups of coffee with the Jazz as well.
In any event, Lewis will be a player to watch as the year unfolds.