Free-agent power forward Ersan Ilyasova has agreed to a sign a rest-of-season contract with the Jazz, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, Ilyasova is currently completing the COVID-19 testing necessary to receive clearance to join the team.
Last season’s 36.5% mark from three-point range matches Ilyasova’s career rate, and his ability to stretch the floor from the power forward spot has been valuable over the years. While he’s not the most switchable or versatile defender, the 33-year-old has shown an uncanny knack over the years for taking charges on the defensive end.
The Jazz had been carrying 13 players on standard contracts since waiving Shaquille Harrison on Feb. 24. Since the NBA allows teams to dip below the required 14-player minimum for only two weeks at a time, they needed to add a player before the second half got underway this week, as we detailed on Monday. After signing Ilyasova, Utah will still have an open spot on its 15-man roster, but won’t have to fill it immediately — or at all.
Assuming Ilyasova’s contract is a minimum-salary deal, he’ll earn $17,567 per day for the rest of the regular season, with Utah’s cap hit working out to $11,100 per day. The exact rest-of-season figures will depend on when he officially signs — if it happens on Wednesday, he’d earn $1,194,542 with a cap charge of $754,783.
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