Inside The Jazz

Former Jazz PG Leaves to Join Rockets' Summer League Squad

This Utah Jazz guard from last season has just found a new home for the summer.

Jared Koch

Apr 14, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Utah Jazz guard Kira Lewis Jr. (13) drives around Golden State Warriors guard Lester Quinones (25) during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 14, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Utah Jazz guard Kira Lewis Jr. (13) drives around Golden State Warriors guard Lester Quinones (25) during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

It looks like the Utah Jazz are losing out on one of the members of their backcourt from last season.

According to NBA insider Kelly Iko of The Athletic, Kira Lewis Jr. has agreed to terms with the Houston Rockets to join their summer league training camp in Las Vegas.

Lewis Jr. was traded to Utah at the trade deadline of the 2023-24 year as a part of the Kelly Olynyk deal after spending his past three and a half seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans. The 23-year-old also spent one game with the Toronto Raptors before being sent down to their G-League affiliate.

The former Alabama guard was a lottery pick during the 2020 NBA Draft, selected at 13th by New Orleans. Through 131 games played, the 6-foot-1 guard averaged 5.2 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 39.7/29.4./84.8 shooting splits.

Now with another shot in Houston, Lewis has an opportunity to cement a spot on the Rockets' 15-man roster before heading into their 2024-25 campaign. It will likely take a strong performance during his summer league stint to find one of those coveted spots, but we've seen crazier things happen around the league during this time.

The Rockets' first game for the NBA Summer League will come on July 12th vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, while the Jazz will kick things off on Monday, July 8th vs. Zach Edey and the Memphis Grizzlies.

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Jared Koch
JARED KOCH

Jared Koch is the Associate Editor of The Frozen Rope — SI.com's team website covering the Utah Jazz. He's covered the NBA and NFL for the past two years, also being the Managing Editor of Inside The Kings — SI.com's team website covering the Sacramento Kings.

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