Utah Jazz: Joe Ingles wants Andrew Bogut for 2017-18
By Jason Oliver
As Australian NBL teams are preparing for the NBA preseason, Joe Ingles is recruiting another Aussie to the Utah Jazz for the 2017-18 season.
The Utah Jazz is one of the NBA’s most multi-national teams. Whether it’s signing foreign players or Americans after stints overseas, the Jazz front office isn’t afraid to go off-shore.
Australian forward Joe Ingles wants to add another of his fellow countrymen to join himself and Dante Exum in Utah as they prepare to stay afloat after Gordon Hayward‘s departure.
The Australian Associated Press (AAP) is reporting Ingles is interested in the possibility of Andrew Bogut extending his NBA career with the Jazz.
The 32-year-old Bogut was drafted with the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, but has battled injuries in recent seasons. He lasted just 58 seconds in his Cleveland Cavaliers debut in March, fracturing his tibia after colliding with another player. He expects to make a full recovery, telling Steve Aschburner of NBA.com:
"“I don’t feel like this injury will hurt me long-term, because the bone will heal stronger than it was before.”"
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Injury concerns aside, Ingles is all in on having the University of Utah alum return to the state that hosted his NCAA career, telling the AAP:
"“I would love for him to come over to Utah. He’s got a connection there already and if they want to take him I’ll happily have him.”"
On the back of the announcement three NBL teams are going to be a part of the NBA’s offseason, Ingles has been in Sydney, where he has no doubt spent time with Bogut and broached the subject of his plans to stay in the league.
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Assuming Bogut wants to remain in the NBA, it won’t be a tough sell for Ingles. The Jazz are a brilliantly ran franchise, playoff possibility and the unofficial home for Australians in the league. Ingles may need to put in a little more effort to convince general manager Dennis Lindsey that Bogut is a worthwhile signing, though.
For the Jazz, they already have a nice frontcourt rotation heading into the 2017-18 season.
UNC center Tony Bradley was selected 28th in the draft and could provide some serviceability in garbage time to allow Rudy Gobert and Ekpe Udoh — returning from the Euroleague — to rest before the following game.
Derrick Favors is expected to be somewhat healthy and provides coach Quin Snyder with another option at center with Jonas Jerebko and Joel Bolomboy capable of filling the position when they go small.
It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to use a roster spot on an aging big-man returning from injury — not when there are younger and healthier serviceable options on the roster already.
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As great as it would be to see three Australians all on the court in the biggest stage basketball has to offer, it’s a pipe dream — for Bogut in particular.