Utah Jazz Waive Vince Williams Jr. After Season-Ending Injury

The Utah Jazz have officially parted ways with one of their trade deadline acquisitions in Vince Williams Jr.

According to a report from HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, the Jazz are waiving Williams Jr. after his season-ending ACL tear from last month.

"The Utah Jazz are waiving Vince Williams, league sources told HoopsHype. WIlliams previously suffered a torn ACL and is out for the rest of the season. He’s averaged 7.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 21.3 minutes per game in four seasons with the Grizzlies and Jazz."

The Utah Jazz are waiving Vince Williams, league sources told @hoopshype. WIlliams previously suffered a torn ACL and is out for the rest of the season. He’s averaged 7.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 21.3 minutes per game in four seasons with the Grizzlies and Jazz.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) March 9, 2026

The move now allows Williams Jr. to hit the open market a bit earlier than he would've before this offseason, as he was slated for a team option in Utah worth less than $3 million for the 2026-27 season.

And instead of a new deal or re-signing Williams this summer, the Jazz will go in a different direction–– freeing up a roster spot for the rest of the season in the process, and ending the former Memphis Grizzlies guard's tenure after just over a month in Salt Lake City.

What Does Vince WIlliams Jr.'s Release Mean for Jazz?

It's a tough ending for Williams Jr. in Utah after he had shown initial promise as a plus-defender and backcourt depth in the short time he was with the Jazz, ultimately playing in six games with Utah before suffering a season-ending ACL tear towards the end of February against the Houston Rockets.

In that time with the Jazz, he had averaged 4.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists, shooting 35.7% from the field throughout.

Feb 11, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Vince Williams Jr. (0) brings the ball down court while defended by Sacramento Kings guard Isaiah Stevens (24) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images | Peter Creveling-Imagn Images

The release comes to fruition for the Jazz for two reasons: they clearly weren't willing to hand Williams Jr. a roster spot for next season, as he's likely still in recovery with a torn ACL, and it gives them further flexibility for this season in the process.

Even though Williams Jr. was an appealing piece that came onto the Jazz's roster as a part of the Jaren Jackson Jr. deadline deal, there simply wasn't enough incentive for Utah to give him the ample time and roster space on next year's team, and therefore led to a release as the end result.

In the event the Jazz wanted to sign another player to their traditional roster, they now have room on the roster to do so.

As to who would be the most deserving or likely of that spot? Keep an eye on some internal names already with the Jazz's roster, as opposed to external additions for the one to secure that deal.

Mo Bamba, who's currently on his second 10-day deal could be worth a look if the Jazz wanted to emphasize more frontcourt depth on their roster for the rest of the season.

Another name that makes logical sense is two-way guard Elijah Harkless, who's played well on the defensive end of Utah's backcourt that's come with notable praise from head coach Will Hardy when he's been on an NBA floor as opposed to being with the G League as a part of the SLC Stars.