After striking out on one player to bolster their depth at center, the Utah Jazz have made another move to address the position.
The team announced Monday that it signed unrestricted free agent Omer Yurtseven to a two-year contract.
Agent Keith Glass told ESPN that the deal is for two years, with the starting salary for the 2023-24 season at $2.8 million. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that the first season has a partial guarantee, while the second season is nonguaranteed.
Yurtseven, a 25-year-old native of Istanbul, Turkey, spent the past two seasons with the Miami Heat. He has career averages of 5.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 53.3% from the field and 64.2% from the free-throw line.
He was a more substantial part of Miami’s rotation in 2021-22, when he appeared in 56 games and averaged 12.6 minutes. This past season, he played in just nine NBA games, averaging 9.2 minutes per contest.
He has 18 career attempts from 3-point range, making just four (22.2%).
The 7-foot, 255-pounder spent two seasons playing for Fenerbahce in his home country, before coming to the United States, where he played two seasons for North Carolina State, then a season for Georgetown.
He now provides the Jazz some depth at center, where All-Rookie Team honoree and Team USA roster member Walker Kessler will start, and Kelly Olynyk will serve as the primary backup.
The Jazz had previously attempted to fortify the position by taking a swing at restricted free agent Paul Reed with a uniquely structured offer sheet, only for the Philadelphia 76ers to match the deal.
