Utah Jazz news on the eve of the team’s showdown with LeBron and the Cavs; Alec Burks, Dante Exum and Raul Neto have been recalled from the D-League.
After a difficult road trip during which the team played five games in seven nights, finishing with a 2-3 record, the Utah Jazz had a day off on Monday. Nevertheless, Jazz brass wanted a handful of players to get some work in. Namely Alec Burks, Dante Exum and Raul Neto, who mostly watched from the bench on the trip.
So with the team not practicing, they elected to option the trio to the D-League‘s Salt Lake City Stars for some extra court time.
Following a daytime practice and scrimmage session with the Stars, Burks, Exum and Neto have already been recalled to the main roster. The team announced the move on Monday evening, just hours after the initial assignment.
All three should be in uniform for Utah’s showdown with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.
After a solid day of practice, we've recalled Exum, Neto and Burks from the @slcstars.
Details: https://t.co/4IuSY0OXXn pic.twitter.com/ZUOcwj3QXu
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 9, 2017
Strange though it may have seemed to see a group of former rotation regulars sent to the D-League, it’s exactly the kind of move the Jazz envisioned when they moved their affiliate squad to Salt Lake. None of the three played significant minutes on the road trip, with Exum and Neto registering multiple DNPs.
The quick jaunt back and forth between the Jazz and the Stars provided them with some much-needed reps.
It was especially valuable for Burks, who has missed the better part of the last three seasons with various injuries. He may even be back with the club before too long. According to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune, the 6-foot-6 wing is actually expected to return to the Stars for their game on Wednesday.
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With main roster minutes currently looking scarce, it’s a good opportunity for Burks to get some game action and work on his conditioning.
The same could also probably be said for his cohorts. Hopefully the Jazz look into get Neto and/or Exum into a few D-League games as well.
