The Utah Jazz signed Indiana Pacers swingman Bojan Bogdanovic to a four-year, $73 million deal in free agency, but the move required some sacrifice. The Jazz will be forced to waive Derrick Favors, who has been with the team since his rookie season. Center Rudy Gobert — a good Jazzman — “took note.”
Gobert took some time to wish Favors well on Twitter, thanking him for being a mentor and a steady presence in Salt Lake City:
Favors was originally drafted by the then-New Jersey Nets in 2010, but he was promptly shipped to the Jazz as part of the Deron Williams trade.
Although the former Georgia Tech star struggled to find a home in his first few years in Utah, he broke out in his fourth season, averaging 13.3 points and 8.7 rebounds. In each of the next two seasons, he averaged at least 16 points and eight boards while also rating as one of the better defensive fours in basketball.
Injuries during the 2016-17 season threatened to derail the rest of Favors' tenure with the Jazz, but he returned to put in another pair of good seasons. Still, the writing was probably on the wall given how little Favors played during the playoffs.
Head coach Quin Snyder played Favors just over 20 minutes per game in the Jazz's first-round series against the Houston Rockets, even relegating him to a bench role after Game 2.
Although the Jazz could run out a massive frontcourt of Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors, they seemed to sacrifice some offensive playmaking and perimeter shooting.
This could explain why Utah felt more comfortable in allotting so much money to Bogdanovic, especially given that the Jazz now have an elite point guard in Mike Conley.