Boise State’s Alston Jr. ‘ready to get to work’ after signing with Utah Jazz
The No. 10 scorer in Boise State men’s basketball history has signed with the Utah Jazz.
Derrick Alston Jr. inked the deal Monday, but terms were not released, per Jazz policy.
“I couldn’t be more excited to join the Jazz franchise,” Alston wrote in a text message to the Idaho Statesman. “They are a first-class organization from top to bottom. Their record of player development is second to none, and the attributes that they most value in their players aligns perfectly with my skill set.
“I’m ready to get to work!”
Alston’s contract is reportedly a nonguaranteed deal called an Exhibit 10 contract, according to KSLSports.com, which is essentially a training camp invite that would allow the Jazz to waive his contract at any time while maintaining control of his G League rights. If he doesn’t make the Jazz roster, Alston could sign a two-way contract or be assigned to the Salt Lake City Stars.
The Jazz open training camp at the end of this month, and their first regular-season game is Oct. 20 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Alston played for the Golden State Warriors’ summer league team after going undrafted.
After joining the Broncos as a walk-on in 2016, Alston finished his career as a three-time All-Mountain West pick, earning first-team honors last season with a team-high 17 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 32.5 minutes per game. He averaged 18.1 points a game against conference teams, and he was one of four Division I players in the country to score at least 475 points while shooting at least 44% from the field, 38% from 3-point range and 85% at the free-throw line.
The 6-foot-9, 190-pound Houston native ranks No. 10 on Boise State’s all-time scoring list with 1,479 career points, and he was a top-10 finalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award the past two years.
