Welcome to Utah, Ömer Yurtseven.
Just days after Summer League ended, the Utah Jazz added to their roster by announcing the signing of free agent center Ömer Yurtseven.
Here are five things to know about Utah’s newest big man, Yurtseven.
1.) Youth Legend
Yurtseven has been one of the best young basketball players from Turkey— and his accolades back it up.
He was chosen to the Best Five at the 2014 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championships, also receiving an invite to play at the Jordan Brand Classic International Game that same year.
He then made his Euro League debut in 2015 at 16. Later that year, he faced the Brooklyn Nets in a preseason game in October, becoming the youngest player at the time to ever play in an NBA preseason game.
2.) Wolfpack To Hoyas
Yurtseven left his homeland to further his basketball career, leaving his team Fenerbahce to suit up for NC State in college. Because it was deemed he played some professional basketball in Turkey, he was suspended for the first nine games of his career before being ruled eligible.
He played two years for the Wolfpack, earning all-ACC Third-Team honors after his sophomore season when he averaged 13.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game.
After testing the NBA draft waters, Yurtseven withdrew his name from the draft and transferred to Georgetown. He finished with a near double-double during the 2019-20 season, averaging 15.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.
3.) Life In Miami
After going undrafted during the 2020 draft, Yurtseven was named to the Oklahoma City Blue roster, the G League affiliate of the Thunder. However, Miami pried him away when he signed with the Heat and suited up for their summer league team in 2021.
He made his first career start on Dec. 26 during his rookie season, putting up a double-double of 16 points and 15 rebounds in a win over the Magic. He appeared in 56 games (12 starts) that season, averaging 5.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Looking for an expanded role heading into last year, Yurtseven suffered a foot injury — the first significant injury of his career — and missed nearly the entire season. He returned in March to play in nine games during the regular season before appearing in eight postseason games.
“The toughest part was that it was my first big injury,” he said on Tuesday. “It was rough. With that, I think I learned a lot. ... I upped the intensity with everything that I did.”
4.) Championship Culture
Although he wasn’t a major part of Miami’s rotation during its postseason run to the NBA Finals last year, it didn’t stop Yurtseven from soaking in the revered “Heat culture.”
He watched the Heat go from a team in the play-in to the NBA finals, a massive achievement and show of resiliency. That experience could pay dividends for a Jazz team looking to take the next step forward.
“The competitive side was really helpful,” he said about last season in Miami. “They had a really competitive environment which allowed competitive players to thrive. … I really appreciated that.”
5.) Incredible Statline
While Yurtseven was becoming a local legend in Turkey growing up, what he did in an under-18 youth game was incredibly impressive.
In a game that cemented his legendary status in his country, Yurtseven led his team to a 115-82 victory. He finished with 91 points and 28 rebounds, shooting 34-of-49 from the field, including knocking down five threes.