Jazz Officially Welcome Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones
Feb 10, 2023, 3:11 PM | Updated: 3:16 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz officially welcomed Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damian Jones after Wednesday’s blockbuster trade.
The team confirmed the trade Friday that sent Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to Minnesota and Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Toscano-Anderson and Jones are expected to join the Jazz in New York before the team faces the Knicks on Saturday, but no timeline has been set for guard Russell Westbrook who was also acquired in the trade.
Justin Zanik on Damian Jones and Juan Toscano-Anderson:
"They'll both have opportunities for them to get to know us and us to get to know them and see how we can help [and] see if there's an environment here where there's something going forward."#takenote | @kslsports
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) February 10, 2023
Who Are The Newest Jazz Players?
Juan Toscano-Anderson
Juan Toscano-Anderson burst on the NBA scene by earning a spot in the Golden State Warriors rotation during the 2019-20 season before eventually earning a ring with the team last year.
Toscano-Anderson played a total of 49 minutes in the Warriors’ Finals run, and after winning a ring, was signed by the Lakers to a one-year, veteran minimum salary last summer.
Let’s get to work! Welcome to Utah, @juanonjuan10 💛 pic.twitter.com/0xBX75Gt25
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 10, 2023
The wing averaged just 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 30 appearances with the Lakers before being rerouted to the Jazz.
Toscano-Anderson is a career 52 percent shooter from the floor and 34 percent shooter from three.
Damian Jones
Damian Jones began his career with the Warriors and won two NBA titles in 2017 and 2018 before spending time in Atlanta, Sacramento, Phoenix, and LA (twice).
Jones, 27, has made 221 appearances in the NBA including 75 starts with career averages of 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game.
It’s official! Welcome to Utah, @dameology 💛 pic.twitter.com/CyBC0keD4T
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 10, 2023
As evidenced by his numbers, Jones is best served as a backup center, though he struggled to find the floor with the Lakers appearing in only 22 games this season.
Jones has a one-year, $2.6 million player option in his contract for next season.
Will Russell Westbrook Join Jazz?
Russell Westbrook is one of the most decorated players in NBA history with nine All-Star appearances, nine All-NBA selections, and an MVP trophy to his name.
However, his future with the team remains uncertain. The Jazz did not welcome the guard on social media, and general manager Justin Zanik said the situation is fluid.
Russell Westbrook is open to being in Utah according to @utahjazz general manager Justin Zanik.
"[He's] been very complimentary of the Jazz and the organization and is open to being here.”#TakeNote https://t.co/KuBtp7iiRR
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 10, 2023
“We are open to all sorts of possibilities with him,” Zanik said. “And he has been very positive on being here in Utah and we’ve been very open to the possibilities of him.”
Westbrook averaged 15.9 points, 7.5 assists, and 6.2 rebounds for the Lakers this season coming off the bench before he was acquired by the Jazz in the trade.
Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.
