Ahead of the NBA’s contract guarantee deadline on January 10th, the Utah Jazz have decided to retain both Luka Samanic and Omer Yurtseven for the rest of the season, declining their option of waiving either to avoid paying for their full deal.
The decision was reported by Tony Jones of The Athletic on Sunday via X, relaying that Utah would be gearing up to guarantee the contracts of both players.
Both Samanic and Yurtseven have managed to secure some minutes on the back end of Utah’s rotation through the first third of the NBA season. Samanic has averaged 3.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.2 assists in his six minutes a night through 13 games, while Yurtseven has put up 3.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in about 11 minutes for 21 games. Omer also stepped in place as a starter for six games earlier in the year at the center position, while Walker Kessler got sidelined with an injury.
Yurtseven’s deal spans this season and next, while Samanic is set to hit free agency this upcoming summer. As we get deeper into this NBA season, both guys will continue to create some staying power on the roster by providing some depth for Utah’s frontcourt rotation.
Follow Inside The Jazz on Facebook and X.
Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Jazz news videos and live-stream!
More must-reads: