According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Utah Jazz are signing big man Drew Eubanks to a two-year, $10 million contract.
Free agent C Drew Eubanks has agreed on a two-year, $10 million deal to join the Utah Jazz, sources tell ESPN. Eubanks spent the past season with the Phoenix Suns and stays in the West on the Jazz’s frontline. pic.twitter.com/5ejnjRNp7h
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2024
Eubanks has been in the league since 2018 and spent the 2023-24 season with the Phoenix Suns. Last season, the 27-year-old averaged 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Furthermore, he shot 60.1% from the field.
At the beginning of the offseason, the Oregon State product declined his $2.6 million player option.
News of Eubanks signing with the Jazz comes less than 24 hours after the Suns signed big man Mason Plumlee in free agency and re-signed Bol Bol. Furthermore, the Jazz recently released center Omer Yurtseven.
Utah Jazz to Sign 6-Year Veteran Big Man
What Drew Eubanks Will Bring to the Utah Jazz
The Jazz signed Eubanks mostly for depth and to bring in another veteran presence to the team. Utah already has John Collins, Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, and recent draft choice Kyle Filipowski as guys who can play the center position. However, the Jazz are reportedly open to trading Kessler, Markkanen, and Collins have all appeared in trade rumors recently. Eubanks is not an everyday starter. However, he provides immediate stability and can play well off the bench for the team when needed. Furthermore, with this contract, Eubanks is a cheap low-risk, high-reward option for the Jazz.
On the court, Eubanks provides size and is efficient on offense. He does not stretch the floor, but he is a solid rebounder and is a good presence in the paint. Depending on what the Jazz do with their other big men on the roster, Eubanks could see decent minutes with the team.
The Utah Jazz Tried Trading for Former Brooklyn Nets Forward
According to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, the Jazz pursued Mikal Bridges prior to the Nets trading him to the New York Knicks.
“The Utah Jazz have all the cap space, veteran salaries and exorbitant draft capital to add the type of co-stars — such as Mikal Bridges, once upon a time, whom the team attempted to land this week, sources said, before New York splurged six years of first-round draft assets for the Villanova product — to round out a roster that already features All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen.”
While the trade ultimately never happened, it is telling about what the rest of their offseason could look like. It seems like the team, who finished as the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference last season, is aiming to contend as soon as possible. With free agency only having just begun, it will be interesting to see where the Jazz go from here.
