Former Lone Peak High School shooting guard Frank Jackson is coming back home. The Utah Jazz wasted no time signing the Utah native after his release with the Phoenix Suns. Tony Jones of The Athletic reported the news on Saturday.
Jackson won't be on Utah's initial 15-man roster, but will start the season with the Salt Lake City Stars, who are the NBA G affiliate of the Jazz.
Jazz fans might remember the homegrown product when Jackson led Lone Peak to a State Championship in 2014 as a sophomore. Heavily recruited out of high school, he chose to attend Duke and then declared himself eligible for the 2017 NBA draft after just one season.
On June 22, 2017, Jackson was drafted in the second round by the Charlotte Hornets before being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans for cash considerations. After spending two years in New Orleans, the 6-foot-3 guard signed a two-year deal with the Detroit Pistons, where he averaged 10.1 ppg last year.
Jackson is only 24 years old and will have his eyes set on getting on the Jazz roster at some point. Proven NBA commodities don't grow on trees, and the Jazz got themselves a low-risk prospect that may have room to grow.
The Jazz currently have a log jam at the guard position, though, with Collin Sexton, Mike Conley, Malik Beasley, Jordan Clarkson, Talen Horton-Tucker, and Ochai Agbaji vying for minutes.
We’ll see if Jackson can take his game to the next level and, at some point, latch onto Utah's 2022-23 roster. The Salt Lake City Stars enter their seventh season, but will have a new home this year as they make their debut at the Maverick Center in West Valley.
It’s a great way to watch pros live and up close without breaking the bank, with tickets starting at $14. The Stars' schedule consists of 24 home games and gets underway on November 21.
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