After a disappointing end to the 2023-24 NBA season, in which the Utah Jazz finished with an ugly record of 31-51, Danny Ainge and company seem to have come to terms with the fact that the team needs to start from scratch and potentially move some of its best players, like Collin Sexton, Walker Kessler and most notable, Lauri Markkanen.
That said, the Jazz have been a team mentioned frequently in trade rumors over the summer, with every team on the cusp of becoming a playoff squad or a title contender seemingly interested in acquiring the services of Markkanen.
Right now, it seems as though the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors are the serious contenders to land Markkanen in a blockbuster trade, while the Los Angeles Lakers and others are hoping they have enough to land him in a deal.
Although everyone is talking about Sexton, Kessler and Markkanen potentially being on the move during this offseason when it comes to the Jazz and their plans for the rest of the summer, Utah is still making moves, as it just came to terms with guard Johnny Juzang on a four-year deal worth $12 million, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Restricted free agent guard Johnny Juzang has agreed on a four-year, $12 million deal to return to the Utah Jazz, sources tell ESPN. Juzang played on consecutive two-way deals after going undrafted out of UCLA and now lands a long-term deal as part of the Jazz’s rebuild. pic.twitter.com/tWRHtOD3Rb
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 12, 2024
The undrafted guard out of UCLA appears to have proven his worth to Ainge and the team’s front office as well as the coaching staff in Utah, prompting the team to commit to him for the next four years, which is an impressive feat, to say the least.
Last season, Juzang played 20 games for the Jazz, averaging 7.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, shooting 46.4% from the floor and 41.6% from beyond the arc in 18.6 minutes per contest.
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