Report: Jazz In Talks To Send Favors To Thunder
Jul 30, 2021, 2:18 AM | Updated: 2:20 am
Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz are in talks to send veteran center Derrick Favors to the Oklahoma City Thunder according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Rumors surrounding Favors future with the Jazz have been swirling as free agent opens in early August and the team facing significant luxury tax penalties should they choose to re-sign All-Star guard Mike Conley.
“The Utah Jazz are in serious talks on a deal to send center Derrick Favors to the Oklahoma City Thunder, sources tell me and @Tjonesonthenba,” Charania tweeted.
The Utah Jazz are in serious talks on a deal to send center Derrick Favors to the Oklahoma City Thunder, sources tell me and @Tjonesonthenba.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 30, 2021
Favors is set to make nearly $10 million next season, with a player option worth over $10 million in the 2022-23 season.
Having turned 30 earlier this month, Favors has considerable wear on his tires after joining the NBA as a 19-year-old. After signing with the Jazz last summer, the big man was relegated to bench duty behind Rudy Gobert in his second stint with the Jazz and averaged just 15 minutes per game.
Outside of a few strong performances in the first round of the playoffs, Favors looked like a replacement-level reserve for most of the season backing up Gobert.
What should @utahjazz fans make of the latest trade rumors surrounding Derrick Favors, Joe Ingles, and Bojan Bogdanovic?#takenote https://t.co/QRFAKRx5RM
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) July 19, 2021
The 11-year veteran averaged a career-low 5.4 points per game for the Jazz last season and just 5.5 rebounds, the lowest number since his rookie season.
Favors first joined the Jazz with guard Devin Harris in a blockbuster trade that sent All-Star Deron Williams to the then New Jersey Nets. The Jazz traded Favors to New Orleans in the summer of 2019 to clear space to sign Bojan Bogdanovic but quickly re-signed the longtime Jazzman when he hit free agency last winter.
The Thunder are in the process of rebuilding and have been willing to take on large salaries in exchange for draft picks.
