Ed Davis Picked Utah Jazz Quickly After Talking To Mike Conley
Jul 26, 2019, 11:58 AM
New Utah Jazz center/forward Ed Davis talks to members of the media during a press conference at the Zions Bank Basketball Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 26, 2019. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz officially welcomed Ed Davis to the organization after signing with the team in free agency.
He told the media at his press conference that his conversation with former Memphis Grizzlies teammate and new Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley made the decision to sign with Utah fairly easy and quickly.
“I talked to Mike Conley before I made the decision to come here and he said this team was ready, so that’s why I made my decision so quickly,” Davis said at the introductory press conference.
Through his nine NBA seasons, Davis has averaged 6.5 points and 6.8 rebounds. Last season in Brooklyn, he posted 5.8 points, a career-high 8.6 rebounds and shot 61 percent from the field in 18 minutes per game. He appeared in 81 games last season.
Why He Chose The Jazz
The Jazz have made a lot of moves this off-season, bringing in Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic and Emmanuel Mudiay along with Davis and Jeff Green. The main reason that all of the players pointed to their decision to join the Jazz is the opportunity to win a championship.
“At this stage in my career, I wanted to play for a team that can contend for a title,” Davis said.
The Jazz have a reputation of being a first class organization, piled with the opportunity to contend for a championship.
“I feel like the Jazz has always been a first class organization. I always look at this organization as a team that is respected and fights to get into the playoffs,” Davis added.
Both Green and Davis said they wanted to come to Utah for a chance to compete for a title. #TakeNote #UtahJazz pic.twitter.com/qx3JUlyz1t
— Sam Farnsworth (@SFarnsworthKSL) July 26, 2019
Warm Welcome To Utah
After making his decision to join the Jazz after a conversation with Mike Conley, the future point guard was the first to welcome him to the team but Donovan Mitchell wasn’t far behind. Now the trio has a group text message thread going.
“I played with Mike Conley in Memphis so I talked to him and we have a group chat with Donovan Mitchell,” Davis said.
He is a great rebounder and is a physical post presence who can play alongside Rudy Gobert if needed or even be the backup center.
The North Carolina product was drafted 13th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft to the Toronto Raptors.
Davis has also spent time with the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers and Brooklyn Nets.
