Utah Jazz forward Royce O’Neale has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $36-million contract extension, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
After going undrafted in 2015 and playing his first three seasons of professional basketball overseas, O’Neale was signed by Utah in 2017 to a three-year deal.
The 26-year-old was set to enter restricted free agency this summer, and rather than accepting the small, one-year qualifying offer ($2,023,150) the team could have tendered him, the two sides evidently worked out a more lucrative long-term deal.
Over his first two seasons with the Jazz, O’Neale only started 20 total games. That’s changed this season (he’s started 39 out of 42 contests), as he’s been a fundamental part of the team’s starting unit, providing stalwart defence and improved three-point shooting for a Jazz squad that’s found themselves climbing the standings to join the Western Conference elite.
O’Neale is averaging 6.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 47.2 per cent shooting (44.3 per cent from distance) from the field.
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