Luka Samanic Gets $400K Salary Guarantee With Jazz
Jul 19, 2023, 11:32 AM
Utah Jazz forward Luka Samanic (19) dunks the ball during an NBA basketball game between the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on April 4, 2023. (Courtesy of Deseret News)
(Courtesy of Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – Luka Samanic earned $400,000 on Tuesday by remaining on the Utah Jazz roster.
The Croatian forward signed a contract with the Jazz late last season which featured three separate guarantee dates spread throughout the 2023-24 NBA calendar.
Tuesday’s guarantee date coincided with the end of the Las Vegas Summer League. Samanic’s next guarantee date worth $600,000 is opening night for the NBA on October 23. His $2 millions salary will become fully guaranteed if he remains on the roster through January 10, 2024.
No waiver for Luka Samanic yesterday, which means an additional $400K of his contract for 2023-24 has been guaranteed.
His next guarantee date ($600K) is opening night on October 23.
His deal would become fully guaranteed ($2M) on January 10.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) July 19, 2023
Samanic Played Well For Jazz In Summer League
Samanic appeared in three games for the Jazz during the Salt Lake City Summer League and three more while in Las Vegas.
In Salt Lake City, the forward averaged 13.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 36 percent from three.
In Vegas, Samanic averaged 16.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 51 percent and 36 percent.
Samanic Career Prior To Joining Jazz
Before joining the Jazz, the Zagreb, Croatia native played professionally in Europe, the NBA, and the G League. He didn’t start playing basketball until he was 11 years old.
“I’m so grateful for Utah,” Šamanić said after the news broke. “They gave me a second chance and the coach and front office, really it’s been a crazy ride since San Antonio so I’m just very grateful.”
From 2017-18, Šamanić played for FC Barcelona B. After his time in Spain, the forward played for Slovenia’s Petrol Olimpija from 2018-19.
Luka's always lurking 👀#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/SYLa980SEm
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) July 15, 2023
In 2019, the San Antonio Spurs selected Šamanić with the No. 19 overall pick in the NBA Draft. While with the Spurs, Šamanić was coached by Jazz head coach Will Hardy, who was an assistant for Gregg Popovich.
Šamanić played for the Spurs and their G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, from 2019-21. As a member of the Spurs, Šamanić averaged 3.8 points per game on 43.0 percent shooting, including 29.4 percent on three-pointers.
He also averaged 2.2 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.2 steals, and 0.3 blocks in 9.9 minutes per game. He played in 36 games for San Antonio, including five starts.
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.
