Jazz will not pick up option on Almond

Oct 31, 2008 - 8:51 PM SALT LAKE CITY (Ticker) -- The Utah Jazz will not pick up the third-year contract option on shooting guard Morris Almond, according to multiple published reports.

The 25th overall draft pick in 2007, Almond spent most of his rookie campaign with the Utah Flash of the D-League. He led the league in scoring at 25.6 points per game, including a league-record 53 in a January 30 win over the Bakersfield Jam.

However, the sharpshooter struggled to crack Utah's rotation this fall, buried on the depth chart in a crowded backcourt. Almond himself confirmed to the Salt Lake Tribune that his third-year option, which would have been worth $1.157 million, would not be picked up.

"I've seen that coming for a while," he told the paper. "Something had to give, and this is the start of that."

The Tribune also reported Friday that the Jazz are trying to shop the 23-year-old Almond. In nine career NBA games, he averaged 1.4 points on 27 percent shooting.