Jazz Trade Derrick Favors To Thunder For Future Second Round Pick
Jul 30, 2021, 6:22 AM | Updated: 11:27 am
Donovan Mitchell and Derrick Favors of the Utah Jazz (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz agreed to trade Derrick Favors to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for a future second-round pick.
The Jazz will also send a future first-round pick to Oklahoma City along with Derrick Favors.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN first reported the deal and the Jazz later confirmed the news in a press release.
The Utah Jazz have agreed to trade C Derrick Favors and a future first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a future second-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Jazz create some financial flexibility and Thunder grab another first-rounder.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 30, 2021
Rumors surrounding Favors future with the Jazz have been swirling as free agent opens in early August and the team facing significant luxury tax penalties should they choose to re-sign All-Star guard Mike Conley.
Favors is set to make nearly $10 million next season, with a player option worth over $10 million in the 2022-23 season.
Having turned 30 earlier this month, Favors has considerable wear on his tires after joining the NBA as a 19-year-old. After signing with the Jazz last summer, the big man was relegated to bench duty behind Rudy Gobert in his second stint with the Jazz and averaged just 15 minutes per game.
Always family 🖤
Thank you, @dfavors14 pic.twitter.com/qLrH5CHPtk
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) July 30, 2021
Outside of a few strong performances in the first round of the playoffs, Favors looked like a replacement-level reserve for most of the season backing up Gobert.
The 11-year veteran averaged a career-low 5.4 points per game for the Jazz last season and just 5.5 rebounds, the lowest number since his rookie season.
Favors first joined the Jazz with guard Devin Harris in a blockbuster trade that sent All-Star Deron Williams to the then New Jersey Nets. The Jazz traded Favors to New Orleans in the summer of 2019 to clear space to sign Bojan Bogdanovic but quickly re-signed the longtime Jazzman when he hit free agency last winter.
The Thunder are in the process of rebuilding and have been willing to take on large salaries in exchange for draft picks.
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