Former BYU Cougar Kyle Collinsworth is looking to 'make the most' of his opportunity with the Jazz


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SALT LAKE CITY — In the summer of 2016, Kyle Collinsworth sported a Utah Jazz practice jersey and ran through drills at the team's practice facility as part of a pre-draft workout.

Three years later, he was back.

On Sunday afternoon, Collinsworth, the former BYU and Provo High star, went through his first practice as a member of the Utah Jazz.

“I've gotten a lot better,” said Collinsworth, comparing himself to when he was last in the Jazz facility. “That's the biggest difference — shooting the ball, everything. I've gotten a lot better.”

That’s why Utah is giving him a chance.

No, Collinsworth isn’t on the 20-man Jazz training camp roster because he’s a former local college star. He’s on it because, as Jazz coach Quin Snyder said, he’s “a basketball player.”

That might sound simplistic, but it was Snyder giving him high praise.

“He has the ability to impact the game in different ways,” Snyder said. “With his size, he can make plays for people handling the ball; real versatile player. I think he's excited to have an opportunity to play and get better. That's been the key for us — bringing guys in that really want to work, that like playing. That's what he brings.”

To say Collinsworth is simply excited about the opportunity is underselling it. He gets the chance to be part of the team that he grew up rooting for, he gets to be a part of a system that he has admired as he’s made his way from Texas to Canada playing professional basketball, and — maybe most importantly — he gets to be home.

He couldn’t ask for a more perfect scenario.

“My wife is a professional runner for Nike,” Collinsworth said. “She trains out of Provo. So it's just nice to be able to have both of us be able to be here. We've paid our dues and we've put in the work and it's nice to be able to be together and stay home.”

Kyle Collinsworth, seen here playing for the Mavericks, had his first practice with the Jazz on Sunday. (John Raoux, AP Photo)
Kyle Collinsworth, seen here playing for the Mavericks, had his first practice with the Jazz on Sunday. (John Raoux, AP Photo)

Since the news of his signing broke, Collinsworth has heard from numerous old teammates from Provo and BYU. They've expressed how happy they are for him, but they've also mostly had the same question: Does he have a chance of making the roster?

“I haven't heard much,” Collinsworth said about what the coaches have told him about his chances. “For me, I've been in these situations where it's gone in my favor and not in my favor. I just take it day by day, just stay present, just maximize each day. Because if you just keep thinking ahead, you get anxious a little bit. So just stay in the moment, enjoy playing basketball, stay grateful.”

Collinsworth can play four positions, he can guard, he can shoot, he can pass — there’s a lot to like about his game. And if the short viewing period the media was able to see on Sunday was any indication, Collinsworth might have a fighting chance at the final 15-man roster.

He teamed up with Miye Oni in two-on-two ball against Dante Exum and Jarrell Brantley. Collinsworth didn’t just hold his own — he often looked like the best of the group. With Utah’s 15th roster spot still very much up in the air, he could just play his way into the conversation.

But wherever he is when the regular season starts — on the Jazz bench or honing his skills with the Salt Lake City Stars — he’s just happy to be back.

“I'm just here to learn and get better,” Collinsworth said. “To make the most of it.”

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