Story by
Utah Jazz Sign G League Standout Tamar Bates on Two-Way Deal
- Story by
- Utah Jazz Sign G League Standout Tamar Bates on Two-Way Deal
(Bob Frid-Imagn Images)
With the NBA Draft disappearing over the horizon, the Utah Jazz are wasting no time in rounding out their roster with the announcement that they've signed Tamar Bates to a two-way contract. Bates was the 27th-rated player in his high school class of 2021 and laced up for Indiana and Missouri as a college athlete.
Bates spent last season as a two-way player for the Denver Nuggets after going undrafted, but was stunted by a foot injury for much of the year and has yet to play actual NBA minutes.
Advertisement
A sweet-shooting lefty, Bates averaged nearly 20 points on 44% three-point shooting with the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver's G-Leage affiliate, and boasts strong positional rebounding and defending metrics despite standing at 6'4" -- slightly small for a shooting guard.
With his addition, the question becomes which of Utah's two-way contracts get bumped? Last season, the Jazz held to Oscar Tshiebwe , Elijah Harkless , and Blake Hinson to two-way deals. With a maximum of three two-way contracts on any given roster, that means one player is getting the bump.
The feeling is that Tshiebwe is first on the chopping block, despite being perhaps the best rebounder on the team. He's still undersized at center -- that's never changing -- and with a limited offensive game, it'll be hard for this former NCAA Player of the Year to find his groove at the NBA level.
Advertisement
Of course, with Harkless and Hinson both being guards like Bates, diversification could be a strong case for Tshiebwe's retention.
Hinson's deal extends past this season, with both Tshiebwe and Harkless being eligible for free agency this season. Hinson showed real flashes of brilliance in his late-season opportunities with the Jazz, and Harkless is one of the most flexible defenders on the entire roster, proving capable of bothering stars from across the league in a variety of positions.
The Jazz are now shifting gears on the offseason now, focusing on building out the roster around their pre-established core. Signing a backup center -- and certainly retaining Walker Kessler -- will be a top priority, and likely a few veterans to be the adults in the room to elevate this group of relative youngsters.
Projected Utah Jazz Roster 2026-27 Season
Starters:
Keyonte George
Darryn Peterson
Lauri Markkanen
Jaren Jackson Jr
Walker Kessler
Advertisement
Key Reserves:
Ace Bailey
Brice Sensabaugh
Cody Williams
Kyle Filipowski
Isaiah Collier
John Konchar
This is a team potentially ready to reach the playoffs for the first time since the Donovan Mitchell-Rudy Gobert era. But when built on a foundation of inexperience, a team like this can only travel so far. Filling the gaps strategically will be crucial for the Jazz moving forward.
