Dwyane Wade’s Jazz sign former Heat player
Feb 22, 2020; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat former player Dwyane Wade reacts during the second quarter at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dwyane Wade is keeping things familiar this NBA offseason.
The Utah Jazz announced on Monday that they have signed former Miami Heat center Omer Yurtseven in free agency.
Welcome to Utah, @omeryurtseven77 💛#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/Zo4SSEp7Js
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) July 17, 2023
ESPN’s Bobby Marks reports that Yurtseven’s deal is for two years with a starting salary of $2.8 million in the first year.
The 6-foot-11 Yurtseven has some upside on both ends of the floor with averages of 15.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per 36 minutes over his two seasons with the Heat. But he was relegated to mop-up duty for the team last season and would likely not be getting any additional opportunity next season with the arrival of free agent Thomas Bryant and the emergence in Summer League of second-year big Orlando Robinson.
Here are a few of the Turkish center Yurtseven’s highlights.
Yurt with a bucket on one end and a block on the other 🎰 pic.twitter.com/XewKLypqEN
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 14, 2021
BIG YURT 💪 pic.twitter.com/eMHpH4aR2N
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 16, 2021
YURT TRIPLE 🎰 pic.twitter.com/yDDUcApwp8
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 7, 2023
The Jazz are owned (in part) by Wade, the retired Miami Heat legend. While Wade was no longer on the Heat by the time Yurtseven arrived in 2021, he knows Miami’s player scouting as well as anybody. Clearly, Wade and the Jazz see something they like in Yurtseven, who now becomes the latest former Heat player to land with Utah.
