Utah Jazz add Stephaun Branch, then trim roster to 17

The Utah Jazz signed Stephaun Branch to a deal, then quickly waived him along with a host of other players over the weekend.

Opening night in the NBA is just days away now and, as such, teams are finalizing their rosters for tip-off. The Utah Jazz are no different, and while the 17-man crew for Wednesday’s bout with the Sacramento Kings (including two two-way players) looks exactly as expected, there was a flurry of roster activity over the weekend.

The Jazz began Saturday by waiving big man Isaac Haas, which freed up a spot on their camp roster. That spot was quickly filled when the team inked Stephaun Branch to a deal. Branch’s tenure with the Jazz was short-lived, however, as he was waived in short order along with fellow guards Jairus Lyles and Isaiah Cousins.

So why would the Jazz sign Branch only to release him hours later? As with Utah’s previous camp signings, the move was likely made for the Jazz G-League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.

By signing Branch to a contract, the team could secure his G-League rights, and he’s a player who could potentially help the Stars while developing in the Jazz system. The soon to be 23-year-old put up 11 points, six boards and 1.4 steals per game last season for the South Bay Lakers. Along the way, he notched five games of 20-plus points.

His road to becoming a pro baller has been a wild one; from getting cut from the high school team to JUCO ball to the Drew League, a tour of China and an open tryout in South Bay.

I would anticipate Haas, Lyles and Cousins all finding their way to the Stars as well. None received significant court time during Utah’s exhibition run, but all three show promise in different areas of the game.

For his part, Haas has elite-level size, length and strength. He was an ultra-efficient scorer in the post as a collegiate and may have some untapped defensive potential. If not for an injury to his right knee, he may have gotten more of a look from the Jazz during preseason play.

Lyles’ talents hit the scene in a major way last spring when he led UMBC to a win over Virginia; the first-ever Round 1 upset of a top seed in the NCAA tournament by a No. 16 team. He scored 28 points and added six rebounds, four assists and four steals in the game. He’s a bit undersized, but clearly has game.

As for Cousins, he already has a year in the Jazz system under his belt. He averaged 13 points, four assists, four rebounds and 1.3 steals over 36 games (25 starts). He has good size for a point guard at 6-foot-4 with a wingspan approaching 6-foot-7.