SALT LAKE CITY (October 25, 2012) – The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has elected to exercise its fourth-year team options for forwards Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward, as well as the third-year team options on guard Alec Burks and center Enes Kanter. The options for all four players are through the 2013-14 season. Per team policy, financial terms were not released.
The 21-year-old Favors (6-10, 263, Georgia Tech) has appeared in 143 of a possible 148 games (36 starts) over his first two seasons for the Jazz and New Jersey Nets, owning career averages of 7.7 points and 5.9 rebounds in 20.4 minutes. He improved his averages in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks from his rookie season to his second year, averaging 8.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 65 games (nine starts) during his sophomore campaign. He also registered 13 double-doubles, grabbing double-digit rebounds 18 times and scoring in double figures on 26 occasions, earning him a spot in the 2012 NBA Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend. Originally selected third overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by New Jersey, Favors was acquired by the Jazz on February 23, 2011 and was selected to the 2010-11 NBA All-Rookie Second Team following his first season. Favors was also chosen to the 2012 USA Basketball Men’s Select Team that trained against the gold-medal winning USA Men’s National Team prior to the Olympic Games this past summer.
Hayward (6-8, 215, Butler), who is 22 years old, owns career averages of 8.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 138 career games (75 starts) following his first two NBA seasons with the Jazz. The Jazz’s first-round pick (ninth overall) in the 2010 Draft, Hayward at least doubled his averages in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocks between his first and second years. He appeared in all 66 games (58 starts) for the Jazz in 2011-12, averaging 11.8 points, 3.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 30.5 minutes and was selected to participate in the 2012 NBA Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend. Hayward scored in double figures 41 times and hit for 20-plus points on 10 occasions, leading the team (including ties) in scoring seven times and assists 11 times. Like Favors, Hayward was also chosen to the 2012 USA Basketball Men’s Select Team this past summer.
Burks (6-6, 205, Colorado) is entering his second NBA season after appearing in 59 games (all as a reserve) and averaging 7.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 15.9 minutes as a rookie for the Jazz in 2011-12. He scored in double figures on 16 occasions, including a career-high 18 points (6-9 FG) in 23 minutes in the regular season finale vs. Portland on April 26. The 21-year-old was originally selected by the Jazz with the 12th overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft. Burks averaged 9.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 19.0 minutes in eight preseason games for the Jazz, shooting .500 (27-54) from the floor and .636 (7-11) from three-point range.
The 20-year-old Kanter (6-11, 248, Kentucky) is also entering his second NBA campaign after appearing in all 66 games for the Jazz as a rookie last season. The center from Turkey averaged 4.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in 13.2 minutes in 2011-12, scoring in double figures seven times. He grabbed double-digit rebounds on four occasions, including 11 rebounds in his NBA debut at the L.A. Lakers on December 27, 2011, the most by a Jazz rookie in his debut since the team relocated to Utah prior to the 1979-80 season. He posted his first career double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) in the regular season finale vs. Portland on April 26. Kanter posted four double-doubles in eight games during the 2012 preseason, averaging 13.1 points and 9.4 rebounds on .580 (40-69) shooting in 21.3 minutes per game.