Clones Confidential
Fansided

NBA Free Agency 2014: Analyzing Diante Garrett’s trade from Utah Jazz to Toronto Raptors

By Doug Winkey

facebooktwitterreddit

Sad news was released last Friday when it was announced that former Cyclone Diante Garrett had been traded from the Utah Jazz to the Toronto Raptors for forward Steve Novak.

More from Iowa State Cyclones

The story was originally broken on Yahoo and you can read their release here.  The trade became official when the NBA’s moratorium on off-season deals ended Thursday.

Last season the Jazz struggled through most of the season.  They signed Garrett from the D-League early on to compensate for Trey Burke’s early absence while recovering from injury and he functioned as Burke’s primary backup through the rest of the season.

During the year he played around 15 mpg and averaged 1.7 apg and 3.5 ppg on 38% shooting for a Jazz team that has embraced the youth movement in recent years.

I fear that Garrett will not be a Raptor for long.  They already have two point guards in Kyle Lowry and Grievous Vasquez, so it is entirely probable they may wave his contract, which is non-guaranteed for $915,000.

There are still a number of teams that could use a solid point guard such as Garrett like the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and Portland Trail Blazers. Many teams are still facing roster issues regarding bench play and the 6’4″ Garrett provides decent size and talent for a very low price.  I wouldn’t be surprised if someone gives the former Cyclone a call as the dust settles towards the end of free agency.

While it is unfortunate the Garrett has left the team where he saw increased professional success, fans should be happy that he was able to prove himself as a reliable backup this past season.  I’m confident that we will see one of Fred’s former disciples in uniform before too long.

Feel free to express your thoughts about the trade or favorite memories of Garrett in the comments section below.

Home/Iowa State Cyclones