SALT LAKE CITY — Former Jazzmen Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver and Grayson Allen are gone but their contributions in Utah won't soon be forgotten.
Once the Utah Jazz’s trade with the Memphis Grizzlies to acquire veteran point guard Mike Conley Jr. became official Saturday — the Jazz traded Crowder, Korver, Allen and future draft picks for Conley — the organization shared a video on Twitter in which former teammates thanked the trio for their time in Salt Lake City.
“Jae, Kyle and Grayson, I have the utmost respect for you guys. You know, after the whole year bonding on and off the court, I wish you guys the best of luck and you know I’m always here if you all need me,” Jazz forward Royce O'Neale said.
All three were Jazz acquisitions in the past two years: Crowder joined Utah in 2017-18 via trade, Allen was a first-round pick by the team in the 2018 NBA draft and Korver joined the Jazz for his second stint last season.
“You know, it’s always tough when you’ve got guys you’re close to in Grayson, Kyle and Jae leaving. I wish them all the best. I’ve talked to all of them and I really do wish them the best,” Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell said.
Added Utah center Rudy Gobert: “Obviously it is sad to know that guys like Ricky (Rubio), Jae, Kyle and Grayson will not be back with us.”
There has been plenty of roster movement for the Jazz this offseason. Deseret News sources confirmed Raul Neto has agreed to a deal with Philadelphia after being waived, Rubio will sign a three-year deal with Phoenix and longtime Jazzman Derrick Favors is being traded to New Orleans. None of those transactions have officially been announced.
In addition to adding Conley, the Jazz have reported deals to bring in power forward Bojan Bogdanovic, center Ed Davis and forward Jeff Green.
Crowder averaged 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists during his two seasons with Utah, while Korver added 9.1 points off the bench last year and Allen played in 38 games with two starts and averaged 5.6 points in his first pro season.
Korver is reportedly going to be traded again. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported he will be shipped to Phoenix in another trade and the Suns will buy out Korver.
With Saturday's news, though, the Jazz wanted to share their thanks and appreciation for the former teammates.
"Jae, Kyle, Grayson, just want to say I’m going to really miss you guys, but I also want to thank you for not only being great teammates and great people but being great friends. We’re going to miss you. Thank you for all that you did for the Jazz,” Utah forward Georges Niang said.
Memphis owner Robert J. Pera, too, shared his sentiments for Conley, who spent his previous 12 NBA seasons with the Grizzlies after the team selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2007 draft.
"Mike Conley represented the Grizzlies and the city of Memphis with true heart and class during his 12 seasons. His talent, determination and resilience elevated our team to a perennial playoff contender, and his altruism and sportsmanship helped shape the community focused nature of our franchise. For his innumerable contributions on the court and in our community, Mike will always be a beloved Memphian. We are proud that Mike's #11 jersey will one day be raised to the rafters in FedEx Forum," Pera said in a statement.