Report: Jazz's Omer Yurtseven Officially Signs Two-Year Deal Overseas

Happy trails to the now former Utah Jazz big man...
Apr 5, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Utah Jazz center Omer Yurtseven (77) is fouled by Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 5, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Utah Jazz center Omer Yurtseven (77) is fouled by Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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It looks like another member of the 2023-24 Utah Jazz roster has officially parted ways for the coming season.

According to BasketNews, Omer Yurtseven will sign a two-year deal with Greek club, Panathinaikos, effectively departing from the NBA after three years of service, also spending two seasons with the Miami Heat. The news comes after both sides remained intrigued about a contract coming to form without an official agreement, but now, the terms are settled.

Yurtseven was an offseason signing for the Jazz last summer and even ended up securing some reps as a starting center for them across this past season. During 48 games played, Yurtseven posted averages of 4.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.6 assists a night on 53.8% shooting from the field and a 20.8% clip from three-point range.

He served primarily as a depth center for the Jazz across the 2023-24 campaign, but now, the reigns for that role look to go elsewhere. Expect to see John Collins emerge as a prime candidate to get a solid chunk of minutes as a key reserve for Utah's frontcourt, with offseason additions Drew Eubanks and rookie Kyle Filipowkski to get some of the runs there as well.

As for the starting spot, Walker Kessler should be the one to hold that down barring any unforeseen changes. The Jazz frontcourt rotation will look a bit adjusted from the season prior due to the turnover, but there's some clear room for improvement from what we saw across their last campaign.

While Yurtseven's deal is inked for two years, the contract also holds an opt-out clause after the 2024-25 season to allow him to seek another NBA opportunity when the time comes. In the meantime, Yurtseven is set to earn 1 million euros for the coming season with his new squad.


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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.