SALT LAKE CITY — And then there were 17.
The Utah Jazz waived NBA hopefuls Trey Gilder and Brian Butch today, bringing the roster total to 17, which is two above the maximum allotted for the regular season.
Disgruntled guard Raja Bell remains on the roster — and is set to make $3.5 million this season. Unless that situation is resolved prior to the beginning of the Oct. 31 season tipoff, the chances of making the team are slim for remaining free agents Chris Quinn and Darnell Jackson.
Over the years, the Jazz have preferred to carry 13 or 14 players, allowing flexibility with the final one or two roster spots. New general manager Dennis Lindsey hasn't revealed whether or not he'll subscribe to that tradition.
This is the second year in a row Gilder has been cut during camp and fallen short of making the team. The 6-9 forward from Northwestern State only played in two of the Jazz's first five preseason games, totaling seven rebounds and two points in 10 minutes.
Butch, a 6-11 center from Wisconsin, also made two brief preseason appearances. He had seven rebounds in 15 minutes. He was scoreless on 0-for-6 shooting.
Utah has the day off after spending the past five days in Southern California, where the Jazz beat the Lakers twice before falling to the Clippers on Wednesday.
The Jazz will practice again on Friday before Saturday's rematch with Blake Griffin and Chris Paul at Energy Solutions Arena. The 7 p.m. game will be televised on ROOT Sports and has been picked up by NBA TV.
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