When Do Jazz Players Contracts Expire?
Aug 26, 2021, 4:13 PM

Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) salutes as the Utah Jazz and the Cleveland Cavaliers play an NBA basketball game at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 29, 2021. Utah won 114-75. (Courtesy of Deseret News)
(Courtesy of Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – While the Utah Jazz were active in signing Rudy Gay, Hassan Whiteside, Eric Paschall, and Jared Butler for this season, the team’s front office must also be keenly aware of when the contracts of each player on the roster expire.
Ideally, the team’s core pieces would be signed to long-term extensions ensuring the cornerstones of the franchise remain intact, while the role players are signed to more flexible deals.
Here’s a look at when the current contracts are set to expire for each player on the Jazz.
Contracts Expiring In 2022
With only 14 players signed to the main roster for the 2021-22 season, the Jazz could see nearly half the team hit the free agency market in the summer of 2022.
Joe Ingles – Ingles has one year left on his contract with the Jazz worth between $13-14 million.
Due to the size of Ingles deal, the fact that expires this season, and the many ways in which he can help teams, he will be an attractive trade piece this season.
Joe Ingles and Dante Exum came up huge in the second half to help @BasketballAus win their first Olympic medal. #Tokyo2020 | @utahjazz https://t.co/Ngv61LJD9i
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 7, 2021
Hassan Whiteside – The Whiteside signing came out of left field as the Jazz needed a replacement for Derrick Favors.
There are real questions about his fit with the roster and future in the NBA, but on a one-year deal, it’s a relatively low-cost gamble at the veteran’s minimum.
Eric Paschall – The Jazz acquired Paschall for a future second-round pick, a reasonable investment for a player on a $1.7 million deal who could have long-term upside on a roster that lacks youth.
However, the Jazz must hope he fits with the roster or risk losing another draft pick for a short-term rental like they did last season with Matt Thomas.
Miye Oni – Oni is owed south of $2 million this season and his contract won’t become fully guaranteed until January.
If the guard is beaten out in the rotation by Trent Forrest or Jared Butler, he could be an option to trade or waive by mid-season.
Career highs for Miye Oni with 14 points and 7 rebounds, including 2-4 shooting from three. #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/52843IB83K
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 7, 2020
Elijah Hughes – Hughes didn’t have the breakout performance during summer league that many Jazz fans would have hoped.
The good news however is that the wing has his contract guaranteed this season to prove he belongs in the NBA.
Jarrell Brantley – The Jazz extended the qualifying offer to Brantley making him a restricted free agent before the summer league began.
However, that doesn’t guarantee that he’ll be on the roster come next summer and he could be a candidate for a third two-way contract with the team this season.
Trent Forrest – Forrest signed a second two-way contract with the Jazz amid a standout performance during the summer league.
The Jazz can release Forrest at any point during the season, but costing less than a half-million dollars this season, he’s a low-cost, high floor option for the roster.
At the @SLCSummerLeague, Trent Forrest made a convincing case that he deserves a guaranteed contract with the @utahjazz next season. #takenote https://t.co/D5wZEiOes5
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) August 7, 2021
Udoka Azubuike – Azubuike could hit free agency as soon as next summer, but it would be a surprise if the Jazz didn’t bring the center back for a third year.
Contracts Expiring in 2023
After what should be somewhat significant turnover in the summer of 2022, the Jazz should find more continuity in 2023.
Bojan Bogdanovic – Bogdanovic will be the big question mark for the Jazz heading into the summer of 2023.
He’s got an expiring contract next season valued at nearly $20 million and a skillset that every team in the NBA desires. The Jazz are unquestionably better with him on the roster, but with repeater tax concerns, could be a tantalizing trade piece.
Jared Butler – Butler signed a two-year minimum-value deal with the Jazz after slipping to the second round.
The advantage for the Jazz is they will now own his Early Bird rights if he proves he’s worthy of a second contract in the NBA.
Pen to paper for @utahjazz rookie, @J_Hooper11. 🎷🏀✍️#TakeNote #NBA #NBATwitter https://t.co/ZpbAtDUA4L
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 12, 2021
Jordan Clarkson: Player Option – Clarkson could hit free agency as soon as the season of 2023 if he were to opt-out of the final year of his contract.
The guard is set to earn over $14 million in the 2023-23 season but could find longer-term guaranteed money elsewhere.
Rudy Gay: Player Option – Like Clarkson, Gay has a player option before entering the 2023-24 NBA season.
He’ll be 37-years-old at that point and likely won’t find more money elsewhere. However, he could choose to sign with a different team if it seems the Jazz championship hopes are far-fetched.
Udoka Azubuike – Azubuike could hit free agency here if the Jazz bring him back for the 2022-23 season.
The team would have an additional option year for the center on his rookie deal.
Contracts Expiring in 2024
The Jazz will once again be inundated with significant change in the summer of 2024 as several big names will become free agents.
Mike Conley – Conley re-signed with the Jazz over this past summer and should be a main rotation piece atop the team’s roster over the next two seasons.
Conley’s deal is only partially guaranteed in 2023, but the guaranteed price tag is big enough to expect him to stick around.
Mike Conley will reportedly sign a three-year, $68 million contract to remain with the @utahjazz. #takenote https://t.co/XxYRoOoRKX
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 2, 2021
Royce O’Neale – O’Neale’s four-year contract is set to expire in the summer of 2024.
The forward has become a mainstay in the Jazz starting lineup but will likely be looking for a bigger payday next time he becomes a free agent.
Udoka Azubuike – Assuming the Jazz brought him back for each of the final two team options on his rookie contract, Azubuike would become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2024.
Jordan Clarkson – If Clarkson were to pick up his player option in the summer of 2023, he would become a free agent in 2024.
Rudy Gay – If Gay were to pick up his player option in the summer of 2023, he would become a free agent in 2024.
Contracts Expiring in 2025 or 2026
The Jazz roster will look significantly different by this point regardless, but the summers of 2025 and 2026 will be big for the franchise’s future.
Donovan Mitchell – Mitchell is signed through the 2024-25 season, and has a player option going into his fifth year.
If he were to opt-out, he’d be a free agent in 2025. If he picks up the final year of his deal, he’ll be a free agent in 2026.
With his new contract in hand, Donovan Mitchell expects to do bigger things on and off the floor. https://t.co/OVM8M5nVxN
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 27, 2020
Rudy Gobert – Like Mitchell, Gobert is signed through the 2024-25 season and has a player option going into his fifth year.
If he were to opt-out, he’d be a free agent in 2025. If he picks up the final year of his deal, he’ll be a free agent in 2026.