One of the major surprises of the NBA Draft in late June was that, a forward from Duke, was not chosen in the first round.
Although early projections had the All-American as a potential lottery pick, most final evaluations anticipated the 7-footer would be selected within the top 30 picks. Instead, Filipowski fell to the No. 32 pick and was chosen by the Utah Jazz. The situation was made official on Monday night when the Jazz confirmed an agreement with the Duke standout.
Kyle Filipowski signed a 4-year, $12 million contract, marking the largest deal for a second-round draft pick in the past two years. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the contract’s value in the first year is comparable to that of a player drafted in the mid-20s.
Marks also indicated that the franchise’s remaining $3 million in salary cap space went toward Filipowski’s contract.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the agreement is completely guaranteed for the first two years but non-guaranteed for the third, with the Jazz having a team option for the fourth.
Filipowski was the final of Utah Jazz’s three draft picks to sign his rookie contract.
Kyle Filipowski played 22.2 minutes per game in the NBA Salt Lake City and Las Vegas Summer Leagues, averaging 11.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.0 steals. This includes his final game in Vegas, where he had 26 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Throughout his sophomore season with the Blue Devils, he averaged 16.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.
It will be fascinating to watch how much playing time Kyle Filipowski gets in the NBA this season, but the Utah Jazz will undoubtedly give him every opportunity to prove his worth in the league.
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