UCLA Basketball: Former Bruin Being Sat For Likely Summer League Finale With NBA Club

Where will he go from here?

Former UCLA Bruins All-American Third Team shooting guard Johnny Juzang, who spent his 2022-23 rookie season with the Utah Jazz after going undrafted out of school, may have already played his last Summer League game.

Per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, the 6'7" swingman will sit for Utah's Summer League Semifinals contest today with a reported left quad contusion. The Jazz are scheduled to play the Houston Rockets at 3 p.m. PT, a broadcast slated for ESPN2.

It appears Utah is effectively ending its Summer League season by sitting most of its best players. 

All three of the Jazz's 2023 first round picks (ninth pick Taylor Hendricks out of the University of Central Florida, No. 16 pick Keyonte George out of Baylor, and No. 28 pick Brice Sensabaugh out of Ohio State) will all miss the bout tonight. 

2022 lottery selection Ochai Agbaji will also miss the matchup with a tight low back. Power forward Luka Samanic is reportedly dealing with a tight upper back. In your 30s, having a tight back is just reclassified as "being alive," but these young guns have the luxury of considering these back ailments freak issues that will soon be corrected.

Juzang inked a two-way contract with the Jazz in 2022-23. He played spot minutes for Utah across 18 games last season, averaging a modest 4.8 points and 2.2 rebounds. In 17 contests with the club's G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, Juzang averaged 20.8 points on a .429/.364/.907 slash line, 5.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists.

It remains to be seen whether Juzang will return to the Jazz next year.