Jazz sign another big man to loaded frontcourt
By John Canady
The Utah Jazz have been fairly quiet to start the offseason. With plenty of cap space to play with and an abundance of assets to utilize in trade talks, many expected Utah to be very active this offseason, especially when free agency started. However, it’s clear Jazz CEO Danny Ainge has a different approach.
Nonetheless, Utah made another move to bolster their already talented frontcourt.
Jazz ink Omer Yurtseven to a multi-year deal
Following the Jazz’s failed attempt to land restricted free agent Paul Reed, Ainge didn’t hesitate to pivot to another young and versatile big man. Utah managed to bring Omer Yurtseven in on a two-year deal with a starting salary of $2.8 million in the first year.
Free agent Omer Yurtseven has agreed on a two-year deal with the Utah Jazz, agent Keith Glass tells ESPN. The starting salary in the first year is $2.8M.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 17, 2023
Yurtseven spent two seasons with the Miami Heat, buried in the team’s depth chart. In 65 career games with Miami, the Georgetown product averaged 5.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists on 53.3% shooting from field goal range.
Despite not seeing many minutes with the team’s main roster, Yurtseven played a couple of games in the G-League, dominating in both. The 25-year-old averaged 27.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in the two outings, and despite the limited time, it was clear the Turkish center outmatched the competition.
At 6-foot-11, Yurtseven has shown potential as not only a scorer but a willing passer. A skill that is clearly gaining value around the league as a big man. Not only is Yurtseven’s fit under Will Hardy intriguing, but his ability to develop on a young and upcoming team makes it an exciting signing.
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There’s still a question as to how Hardy and the Jazz plan to split minutes in a loaded frontcourt, and the addition of Yurtseven adds even more internal competition to fight for the minutes. After the acquisition of John Collins, it’ll be fun to see what the team’s rotation looks like in 2023. Whether it’s more of Lauri Markkanen at the small forward position or even Collins, the Jazz will have plenty of options to choose from.