Utah Jazz Part Ways with Former First-Round Pick

The marriage between the Utah Jazz and Josh Christopher was short-lived.

The Utah Jazz have waived former first-round pick Josh Christopher. The development was reported by Tony Jones of The Athletic.

The Utah Jazz have waived two-way guard Josh Christopher

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) January 9, 2024

Christopher was drafted with the No. 24 overall pick by the Houston Rockets in 2021. In his short time in Houston, he logged a total of 138 games over two years and had some shining moments that stand out.

In his rookie year, Christopher had an 18-point performance against the Brooklyn Nets, shooting 7-for-7 from the field. Later that season, he also scored a career-high 30 points on 11-for-14 shooting against the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

Christopher fell out of the rotation in his second year in Houston and ultimately was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of the Dillon Brooks exchange. Memphis waived Christopher on September 30 of last year.

Christopher never logged a minute in a Jazz uniform. He did have some nice moments playing for the Utah Stars, but with the Jazz's crowded backcourt, was never able to work his way up the pecking order.

In a subsequent move, the Jazz also agreed to a two-way deal with guard Jason Preston. This news was reported by Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype.

The Utah Jazz agreed to a two-way deal with guard Jason Preston, league sources told @hoopshype.

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) January 9, 2024

Preston was the 33rd overall pick of the 2021 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic and was then traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. The young prospect has only logged 14 NBA games, and his latest stint was with the Memphis Hustle of the G-League.

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