The Downbeat

The Downbeat #1964:The Olympics Start Today Edition

Your Friday Downbeat!

By dianaallen@dianaallen Aug 5, 2016, 7:30am MDT

Hey so it's August, which means next month the Jazz will report to training camp! I mean granted its the end of next month but still. But before training camp we have the olympics. We have Joe Ingles, Rudy Gobert, Boris Diaw, and Raul Neto participating for their teams. Am I forgetting anyone? Kudos to those men for sacrificing time with their families to play for their countries.

The open ceremonies are tonight!

Since everyone is talking about ~~expansion~~ I mean extensions, here is an interesting article by Dan Leroux at Sport News. The article is about how Russell Westbrook's extension and how it could help teams secure their stars. Here is what he said about the Jazz and Derrick Favors. He also talks about George Hill, so go read!

Power forward Derrick Favors
Remaining contract: two years, $23 million
Eligible for extension: Oct. 19

Outside of Harden, Favors may be the most logical choice for a renegotiation and extension in 2016. Favors fits the bill because he can get a significant raise on his comparatively paltry $11.5 million average salary over the next two seasons and help balance out the Jazz’ books since he would get a higher maximum salary by waiting, compounding the raises Rudy Gobert and likely Hayward lock in next summer. Elevating Favors to his maximum — which would be his value on the open market — would almost double his salary for the next two years and add either one season at about $25.4 million or two for a combined $52.5 million.

The NBPA did their awards yesterday. I found this interesting. Each team voted for their best teammate.

Check out the Western Conference #PlayersVoice Award winners for Best Teammate pic.twitter.com/fOlzy2XhBo
— NBPA (@TheNBPA) August 4, 2016

It's interesting to me yet not surprising that the Jazz players voted for Trevor Booker. He brought leadership and unity to the Jazz. I wonder who will fill that void now that Booker is on the Nets. George Hill? Joe Johnson?

Gordon Hayward has been playing tennis matches for a charity. Andy Larsen has all the updates on his Twitter feed. So go read his TL if you are interested in such things.