Second chances are few and far between in the NBA. For Kennedy Chandler, he’s showing why he deserves a spot on an NBA roster with his current stint with the Jazz.
Due to a plethora of injuries, Utah signed Chandler to a 10-day contract on March 20. The next day, Chandler shined in his first action with the Jazz in a game against the 76ers.
The 23-year-old point guard scored a career-high 19 points in 37 minutes of action in his debut with the team.
“I thought he handled himself great,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said postgame. “It’s not easy to do what he just did in terms of stepping in. I thought he played great.”
Chandler, a former second-round pick in the 2022 NBA draft, has been out of the NBA since the conclusion of his rookie season. He appeared in 36 games as a rookie with the Grizzlies in 2022-23.
Despite being in a new situation, Chandler is surrounded by some familiar faces from his time with Memphis.
“It's been great just seeing guys here, like Jaren (Jackson Jr.) and Vince (Williams Jr.) and John Konchar,” Chandler said. “I was with them my rookie year, so just seeing them just, they give me the positivity to just go out there and be yourself. So those guys have given me confidence.”
After being waived by the Grizzlies, Chandler bounced around the G-League, where he has spent the majority of the past three seasons.
“I was so excited, because this is what I've been waiting on,” Chandler said. “The grind of the G-League is very hard. It makes you sometimes doubt yourself to wonder, ‘Do I still keep trying? Do I still keep pushing myself? Does anybody still have faith in me as a player?’”
Coming out of high school, Chandler was one of the top point guard prospects in the country, a five-star recruit who starred at Tennessee and earned second-team All-SEC honors as a freshman.
In Memphis, opportunity was limited. With Ja Morant entrenched as the franchise point guard and the Grizzlies boasting a deep rotation, consistent NBA minutes were difficult to come by.
“When you get waived as a rookie, it's like, ‘Dang,’ and now you have to start the whole process over,” Chandler said.
Chandler spent the 2023 season with the Long Island Nets before joining the Raptors 905 in 2024. However it was until he joined the Delaware Blue Coats that Chandler started to regain his confidence.
In 28 games with the Blue Coats this season, Chandler averaged 15.3 points, 9.0 assists (which led the G-League), 2.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals.
The time spent in the G-League helped Chandler work on his game and rebuild his confidence so when his next NBA opportunity came, he’d be ready.
“Those guys gave me the confidence in myself and just telling me ways that this is going to get you here – picking up full court, finding teammates, let the scoring take care of itself,” Chandler said. “So I feel like without all those guys, I wouldn’t be here.”
That advice shows up in the way Chandler has played with Utah.
Rather than trying to force offense or prove himself as a scorer, Chandler has leaned into the traits that can keep a guard in the league: pace, ball pressure, decision-making, and playmaking.
Chandler has looked poised running the offense, has been active defensively, and shown a capability of creating shots for others, as well as himself.
Chandler has taken full advantage of the minutes he’s received from the Jazz as he averaged 14.4 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in seven games with Utah.
The Jazz have liked what they’ve seen from Chandler so far, as they signed him to a second 10-day contract on Wednesday.
Whether this opportunity turns into a permanent roster spot in Utah or elsewhere remains to be seen, but Chandler is starting to show others why he belongs.
“It gives me more hope, it gives me confidence,” Chandler said. “Play as hard as I can, watch film, learn, and go from there.”
There are no guarantees in the NBA, and Chandler knows that better than most. After years of waiting for another chance, Chandler is making the most of this one.