There was so much fuss about what the Utah Jazz planned to do with Walker Kessler and Keyonte George this summer that it overshadowed their p tolans with Brice Sensabaugh. Sensabaugh has shown undeniable signs of promise, but it is hard to gauge what is a fair contract for someone like him.
The shooting and scoring has been there, but just not consistently. Making the situation even trickier is the fact that the Jazz haven't won a whole lot of games since drafting Sensabaugh three years ago. However, Jamal Shead's new extenstion certainly puts things into perspective.
ESPN's Shams Charania confirmed that Toronto has signed Shead to a three-year, $24 million extension.
Shead and Sensabaugh are not the same player, but the former has been an impactful player for the Raptors, and they plan to count on him this season after the Kawhi Leonard trade went through. Their calling cards are the exact opposite, as Shead is better known for his defense while Sensabaugh is better known for his offense.
Still, Sensabaugh's impact could be similar to Shead's, maybe even better. That's why Shead's new deal will be key. It will set the bar for what Sensabaugh could command. If he turns out better than last year and better than Shead, it would raise his price, but if that's not the case, Shead could be the baseline for what he should ask for.
Sensabaugh looked like he was turning the corner
Sensabaugh's biggest problem has been his consistency. He would go on long stretches of excellent play, but would also go through stretches where you forgot he was playing. Last season, he looked like he was figuring it out around the start of the calendar year.
From New Years Day 2026 to the end of the season, Sensabaugh averaged nearly 19 points while shooing 47.7% from the field and 38.1% from three, all in 27.1 minutes per game. His scoring ebbed and flowed, but not nearly like it did his prior two seasons as a Jazzman.
The only downside? You could count the numbers of games Utah won in that span on your fingers. It will be different this season, as Utah will have Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. back healthy and now Darryn Peterson is in the mix.
This will be a fascinating storyline this season, as there won't be as much playing time nor as many touches. However, Sensabaugh may thrive with less of a focus on him. His scoring average will go down, but his efficiency may go way up. If it does, and it means the Jazz are winning, it may add an extra zero to his next deal.
That's why Shead's deal could actually be the X-Factor here.
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