Inside The Jazz

Report: Suns Sign Ex-Jazz First-Round Center

The Phoenix Suns are getting into the Udoka Azubuike business after the Utah Jazz got out.

Chad Jensen

Report: Suns Sign Ex-Jazz First-Round Center
Report: Suns Sign Ex-Jazz First-Round Center /
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It didn't work out for Udoka Azubuike with the Utah Jazz, but the Phoenix Suns are going to try their luck with the 6-foot-11, 270-pound center, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. 

"Free agent C Udoka Azubuike has agreed on a two-way contract with the Phoenix Suns, Zach Kurtin and Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports tell ESPN. He was the 27th overall pick to the Jazz in 2020," Wojnarowski tweeted on Monday. 

Indeed, the course of Utah's center position went in a different direction post-Rudy Gobert with the emergence of Walker Kessler. Kessler, acquired in the Gobert trade via the Minnesota Timberwolves, stormed onto the scene as a rookie last year, and by season's end, he left zero doubt about the future of the position. 

Meanwhile, the former Kansas product found himself very much riding the pine in 2022-23, averaging just 10.0 minutes per game under then-first-year head coach Will Hardy. Azubuike saw 11.5 minutes per game the season prior, with Gobert holding down the fort. 

Some draft picks pan out; some don't. The Jazz opted to get out of the Azubuike business for good reason. 

Utah has some solid bigs. From the All-Star Lauri Markannen to Kelly Olynyk to 2023's No. 9 overall pick Taylor Hendricks (6-foot-10) to the 6-foot-11 John Collins, the Jazz have a versatile core of bigs moving forward. 

Azubuike only appeared in 68 games as a Jazzman with 10 starts after Utah invested the No. 27 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft in him. He now joins Deandre Ayton, Drew Eubanks, Chimezie Metu and Bol Bol in the Suns' rotation at center. 

Happy trails, and best of luck. 

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Chad Jensen
CHAD JENSEN

Chad Jensen is the Publisher of The Frozen Rope — SI.com's team website covering the Utah Jazz. Jensen also covers the NFL as the Publisher of the No. 1 team site on the SI.com network — Mile High Huddle — as well as Horseshoe Huddle. 

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