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Press releaseSALT LAKE CITY -- Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor announced today that the team has tendered qualifying offers to center Kyrylo Fesenko and guard Wesley Matthews. Per team policy, financial terms were not released.
In accordance with the league's collective bargaining agreement, in order for a team to retain its right of first refusal with respect to a restricted free agent, the team must tender the player a qualifying offer by June 30. A restricted free agent may sign an offer sheet with any team, but is subject to a right of first refusal with the team for which the player last played.
A three-year NBA veteran, Fesenko (7-1, 300, Ukraine) appeared in 49 games (five starts) for the Jazz in 2009-10, averaging 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 8.3 minutes. He also appeared in all 10 Jazz playoff games (nine starts), averaging 3.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.50 blocks in 18.0 minutes. Fesenko scored in double figures three times on the season, and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in Game 4 of the Conference Semifinals vs. the L.A. Lakers. Originally selected by Philadelphia in the second round (38th overall selection) of the 2007 NBA Draft, the Jazz acquired Fesenko's rights in a draft night deal that sent the draft rights to Herbert Hill (55th overall pick) to the 76ers. Fesenko has appeared in a total of 79 regular season games (all with the Jazz) and owns career averages of 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 8.0 minutes per game.
Matthews (6-5, 220, Marquette) appeared in all 82 games (48 starts) for the Jazz as a rookie in 2009-10, averaging 9.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 24.7 minutes. He also started all 10 Jazz playoff games, where he averaged 13.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.80 steals in 37.1 minutes. Matthews became just the ninth rookie in Jazz history to appear in all 82 games, and his 48 starts marked the most by a Jazz rookie since Jarron Collins (68) in 2001-02. Matthews scored in double figures 40 times, scoring 20+ points on three occasions, and started the team's final 28 games of the regular season. He finished the season ranked in the Top 10 in scoring, minutes and free throw percentage among NBA rookies. Matthews was not selected in the 2009 NBA Draft and appeared with the Jazz in the team's summer league entry in the 2009 Orlando Pro Summer League before making the team as an undrafted rookie free agent in training camp.
(Courtesy Utah Jazz)
