As expected, Danuel House Jr. will be with the Utah Jazz at least through the rest of the season.
The Jazz announced Friday morning that they have signed him to a contract. Although the team did not specify that it would be for the rest of the season, that was the only option if Utah wanted to keep him since he had already played under two standard 10-day contracts.
The Jazz signed House on Jan. 6 as a 10-day hardship exception player as they were in the midst of major COVID-19 problems within the team.
“He’s been part of some really productive deep playoff run teams, is a rotational player, even a starter,” Jazz general manager Justin Zanik said. “He was available and we just looked at him as like, ‘Hey, this is an opportunity.’”
While hardship contracts are for 10 days, they do not count toward the two 10-day maximums that players can sign before a team has to decide if it wants to keep the player through the rest of the season,
On Jan. 18, however, House did sign his first standard 10-day deal, and then signed another one when the first contract expired.
The second deal ran out and House was not immediately signed as the Jazz kept roster flexibility for Thursday’s trade deadline, but when that passed, the two sides came to an agreement on a deal for the rest of the season.
It was little surprise that such would happen, as the 6-foot-6, 215-pound House has been very solid for Utah.
In seven games, including one start (he also ended up missing time because of COVID-19), he averaged 8.3 points on 41.7% from 3, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
Not only that, but he is the sort of rangy wing the Jazz sorely need on the defensive end of the floor.
“He’s a guy that is still a young veteran, right in the middle of his career and he’s stayed ready,” Zanik said.
“His activity level, the ability to defend, his ability to make a shot — we wanted to give him a shot and he has integrated seamlessly within this group ... when he was still available and we got through the deadline, it made sense. He’s done well with his opportunity and we’d like to see it continue.”
With the 28-year-old House now under contract for the remainder of the season, Utah still has one roster spot open.