SALT LAKE CITY (September 30, 2013) – The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed free-agent forward Brian Cook, guard/forward Justin Holiday and center Dwayne Jones II. Per team policy, financial terms were not released. All three players will join the Jazz prior to this week’s training camp at Zions Bank Basketball Center. Following the three additions, Utah’s roster now stands at 19 players.
Cook (6-9, 234, Illinois) has appeared in 421 career NBA games (74 starts) over nine seasons from 2003-12. He spent his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers before stints with the Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, and Washington Wizards and holds career averages of 5.5 points and 2.6 rebounds. The 32-year-old has also seen action in 31 career playoff games over four appearances with the Lakers and Rockets. In 2012-13, he appeared in two games for the Piratas de Quebradillas of Puerto Rico, averaging 9.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in 19.1 minutes. Cook was originally selected by the Lakers in the first round (24th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft.
Holiday (6-6, 185, Washington) split time between the NBA and NBA Development League as a rookie in 2012-13, playing 47 games for the Idaho Stampede after attending training camp with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He finished the season with the Philadelphia 76ers, appearing in nine games for the Sixers, averaging 4.7 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 15.8 minutes of play. He averaged 17.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 34.7 minutes during his time with the Stampede and was selected to the 2013 NBA Development League All-Defensive Second Team. This summer, the 24-year-old native Californian participated for Philadelphia in the Orlando Pro Summer League, appearing in four games and averaging 9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists.
Jones II (6-11, 250, Saint Joseph’s) has played in a total of 82 career games in the NBA, split between Boston, Cleveland, Charlotte, and Phoenix, owning career averages of 1.3 points and 2.3 rebounds in 7.8 minutes of action. The 30-year-old appeared in 21 games (17 starts) for the Texas Legends of the D-League during the 2012-13 season, averaging 8.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 30.5 minutes. Jones II most recently participated in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas with the Golden State Warriors. A native of Morgantown, W. Va., Jones was previously selected to the 2010 All D-League First Team, and was the Atlantic-10 Defensive Player of the Year his final year at Saint Joseph’s.