So close

8 MEN

So close to a Jazz game

Men who belonged to the franchise and never played a minute for it. Drafted in the expansion draft and traded the same afternoon, acquired in July and waived in October, signed and let go two days before the opener. They are not in the count of 370 — that number is for the men who actually played — but several of them have a card with JAZZ printed on it, and that card is the only proof the stint happened.

The list

SO CLOSE
SO CLOSE

Dennis Awtrey

Expansion-draft pick from Chicago, traded to Phoenix on 16 September 1974 together with Curtis Perry, Nate Hawthorne and the pick that became Adrian Dantley.

DETAILS →
SO CLOSE

Curtis Perry

Expansion-draft pick from Milwaukee, gone to Phoenix in that same trade. He started for the Suns in the 1976 Finals.

DETAILS →
SO CLOSE

Steve Kuberski

Expansion-draft pick from Boston, traded to Milwaukee on 8 October 1974 — nine days before the first game — for Russ Lee and the pick that became Rich Kelley.

DETAILS →
SO CLOSE

Carrick Felix

Came from Cleveland on 22 July 2014 in the John Lucas III trade and was waived on 27 October, two days before the opener.

DETAILS →
SO CLOSE

John Tonje

Drafted 53rd overall in 2025, signed to a two-way deal, spent his months with the Salt Lake City Stars and was traded to Boston in February 2026 without an NBA appearance for Utah.

DETAILS →
SO CLOSE

Armando Bacot

Signed with Utah after going undrafted in 2024 and never appeared in a regular-season game. Panini printed his rookie autograph in a Jazz uniform.

DETAILS →
SO CLOSE

Joey Hauser

Two-way contract with Utah in 2023, waived the same year without a regular-season minute. His Panini autograph shows him in a Jazz uniform.

DETAILS →
SO CLOSE

Jairus Lyles

Signed as a free agent in 2018 and waived the same year, without a regular-season minute. His Hoops autograph card names the Jazz.

DETAILS →