SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz agreed Friday to trade center Derrick Favors and a future first-round pick to Oklahoma City in exchange for a future second-round pick. It's the second time in three years the team has dealt the fan favorite in a salary dump.
Favors previously spent 9 years in Utah before being traded to New Orleans for a single season before being traded back to the Jazz. In 68 games last season, Favors put up modest numbers, averaging a career low 5.4 points per game, 5.5 rebounds and one block.
Favors' contract carries a $9.7 million guaranteed salary for next season, followed by a $10.2 million player option in 2022-23. With the trade, Utah gets $13 million dollars below the luxury tax with hopes the team will face a lesser financial penalty as re-signing Mike Conley is a priority to the organization.
Marc Stein of ESPN reported the Jazz are pressing hard to re-sign Conley. League sources say that Utah is preparing an offer estimated in the three-year, $75 million dollar range.
In addition to the Favors' trade, the Jazz selected Jared Butler from the national champion Baylor Bears with the 40th pick in Thursday's NBA Draft. Utah traded down from the final pick in the first round in a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. Butler's heart condition lowered his draft stock, but he has been fully cleared by the NBA to play.
A 6'4 combo guard who does a lot of things well, Butler is a knock-down shooter off the catch and off the dribble; one of those players who really improved over his college career. Butler averaged 16.7 points,4.8 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2 steals in 30 games last season.
