Former BYU guard Halford 'just trying to get better' in workout with Jazz


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SALT LAKE CITY — Former BYU shooting guard Skyler Halford watched arguably the biggest shot in Utah Jazz history from a different viewpoint.

Halford, who grew up in Orem, was a Chicago Bulls fan as a child, but he remembers clearly his mother sending him to his room before John Stockton hit his iconic shot against the Houston Rockets to send the Jazz to the 1997 NBA Finals.

“I remember they told me to go to bed, but I was at the top of the railing, peeking down,” Halford said. “I remembered it pretty well; that was fun.”

Halford was speaking to the media after working out for the Jazz on Friday morning, the final Jazz pre-draft workout before the 2015 NBA draft, in which the Jazz have the No. 12 overall pick. The pre-draft workout also included Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker, Arizona’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Arkansas’ Rashad Madden, among others.

Much like his unconventional vantage point from the top of the stairs as a child, Halford knows he isn’t a typical workout player or the “last man in” before next week’s draft.

The former Timpanogos High standout played at Salt Lake Community College after walking on to Utah State before serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil. The 6-foot-1 shooter averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game for the Bruins before joining BYU before the 2013-14 season.

Under BYU coach Dave Rose, Halford averaged 7.9 points, 1.6 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game while helping the Cougars to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.

Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer, right, drives around BYU's Skyler Halford during the first half of the West Coast Conference tournament championship NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, March 10, 2015, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer, right, drives around BYU's Skyler Halford during the first half of the West Coast Conference tournament championship NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, March 10, 2015, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Halford’s workout with the Jazz was his first with an NBA team, but he has had contact with a few clubs in Europe about continuing his playing career.

“It was great,” Halford said of the invitation to come to Zions Bank Basketball Center. “It was so much fun, a dream come true for me to come here and work out for the Jazz. A great workout, great competitors and a great time here working out.”

Grateful for any chance he gets, Halford said the next step after the draft is to find an NBA Summer League team or go play for another startup league in Las Vegas. But he’s open to any avenue of making his playing days last as long as he can.

"I might look to play in Europe, the D-League, or anywhere else,” Halford said. “We’ll see what happens.

“You don’t want to put too much pressure on yourself, so I’m just trying to get better today.”

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