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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz look to have their roster complete.
On Monday, the Jazz announced the signing of second-round pick Miye Oni. The wing from Yale was taken with the No. 58 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft — a pick the Jazz purchased from Golden State on draft night in order to take Oni.
Oni will wear No. 24 for the Jazz.
But, wait, that wasn’t the only player Utah reached an agreement with on Monday.
KSL.com confirmed the Jazz have agreed to terms with French forward William Howard. Last season, the 25-year-old averaged 9.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 24.8 minutes per game in the French LNB Pro A league while shooting 41.1% overall and 34% from three. The official signing of Howard can’t be completed until a buyout takes place.
With Oni and Howard, the Jazz have reached the league maximum of 15 players on their roster. Utah can still, however, sign two players to two-way contracts.
Oni was part of a three-player draft for the Jazz — with all three coming in the 50s. Utah invested heavily in the picks, reportedly using $3 million total to purchase two additional picks (the pick used for Oni reportedly cost $2 million) in the late second round. The Jazz also selected Jarell Brantley and Justin Wright-Foreman — both will be possible two-way targets for the Jazz.
Utah believes that Oni has the potential to develop into a strong 3-and-D type of player. He averaged 9.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in two games at the Salt Lake City Summer League. He then played in four contests during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 8.2 points, 2.8 assists and 2.0 rebounds.
He did struggle shooting this summer, though. Oni shot just 37.5% from the field in six games.
Oni averaged 17.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists in his final season at Yale, earning Ivy League Player of the Year.
The Jazz have reached the maximum number of players, but depending on guarantees on contracts, the Jazz might not be done yet. Expect there to be players brought in to compete for the latter spots on the roster — specifically with Howard — during training camp this fall.
But in a way, Monday’s news marks an end to what has been a hectic summer for the Jazz. In a few short weeks, Utah has overhauled its roster in hopes of contending for an elusive championship. The Jazz have just seven players from last year's 50-win team still on the roster.
The Jazz traded Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver and Allen to Memphis for Mike Conley. Then, kept their promise of being aggressive in free agency by trading Derrick Favors and signing Bojan Bogdanovic. The Jazz also have come to terms with veterans Ed Davis and Jeff Green, former lottery pick Emmanuel Mudiay, as well as former second-round pick Nigel Williams-Goss.
Jazz roster shakeup
Returners: Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, Dante Exum, Tony Bradley, Georges Niang, Royce O'Neale
Newcomers: Mike Conley, Ed Davis, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jeff Green, Emmanuel Mudiay, William Howard, Miye Oni, Nigel William-Goss.
