Derrick Favors Returns To Pro Basketball With Big3
Feb 18, 2026, 2:18 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – Derrick Favors is returning to the hardwood as a member of the Houston Rig Hands in the Big 3 basketball league.
The Big3 announced Favors new team after the former Utah Jazz fan favorite signed with the league in January.
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Derrick Favors Returns With Houston In Big3
Favors, 34, last played in the NBA in 2022 as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, but left the league amid a series of back and knee injuries.
The Georgia native signed a 10-day contract with the Atlanta Hawks in 2023 but never took the floor for his hometown team.
Favors will serve as a player-captain for the Houston Rig Hands.
Rookie Derrick Favors has signed on as Player-Captain for the Houston Rig Hands, giving the franchise an immediate interior anchor🚨🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/URgecKTMTq
— BIG3 (@thebig3) February 17, 2026
Ahead of the 2025 season, the Big3 reduced its league size from 12 to eight, with each team now representing a specific city, rather than competing as a traveling roster.
Teams were also assigned entirely new players and coaches for the season. NBA legend Calvin Murphy coaches Favors and the Rig Hands. Former NBA player Jonathan Simmons will be a co-captain for the Houston roster.
Three-time league MVP and former Jazzman Joe Johnson will also return to the Big3 for season nine as a member of the Detroit Amps.
Other notable former Jazz players who have suited up in the Big3 include Carlos Arroyo, Carlos Boozer, Al Jefferson, and Deshawn Stevenson.
Games are played in the halfcourt, with the first team to score 50 points taking home the victory.
Derrick Favors Career in Utah
Acquired by the Jazz in 2011 in the blockbuster trade that sent All-Star Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets, Derrick Favors became a mainstay in Utah for most of the next decade.
The No. 3 pick out of Georgia Tech, Favors established himself as a strong defensive rebounder and shot blocker, pairing effectively with Al Jefferson and Rudy Gobert in the Jazz frontcourt.
Signing Alert 🚨🚨🚨
Derrick Favors is BIG3 bound.
The former No. 3 pick, 12-year NBA vet and one-and-done at Georgia Tech brings size, strength and elite experience to Season 9. What squad ya’ll want to see him on? pic.twitter.com/PiVj01oa0t— BIG3 (@thebig3) January 30, 2026
Though Favors never grew into the All-Star many hoped the Jazz had acquired, he provided steady production in the starting lineup and helped the franchise reach the playoffs five times in his 10 seasons in Utah.
During his Jazz career, Favors averaged 11.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while appearing in 644 games, including 413 starts. He ranks among the franchise’s top 10 all time in games played (eighth), field goals (seventh), free-throw attempts (10th), offensive rebounds (fourth), defensive rebounds (fifth), total rebounds (fourth), blocks (seventh), field goal percentage (fourth), blocks per game (eighth), PER (ninth) and win shares (seventh).
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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, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
