. . . but I'm not sure exactly what. All I can say for sure is that it involves "tendering."
On Friday, it was verified that the Jazz front office completed the required tender to retain his rights, according to a team spokesperson. The move was necessary to do by Sept. 5, otherwise the Michigan State product could have become an unrestricted free agent per the NBA's collective bargaining agreement.
This move doesn't guarantee Suton, a sharpshooting 6-foot-10 big man taken 50th overall by the Jazz, will play in Utah this year. The Bosnia-Herzegovina native could still end up playing in Europe, but it ensured that the Jazz will keep his NBA rights for a year.
The Jazz tendered second-round draft pick Goran Suton a non-guaranteed qualifying offer Friday, setting the stage for the former Michigan State center to come to training camp next month and try to win a roster spot. . . .
With 13 players under contract and a payroll pushing $82 million plus an additional $12 million in luxury tax penalties, the Jazz might not have a spot for Suton. They already have two other young centers in Kosta Koufos and Kyrylo Fesenko. . . .
By signing the qualifying offer, Suton would become a free agent if he were released by the Jazz.
So Suton is definitely going to camp to try to earn a roster spot with the Jazz. It's just unclear what happens if he doesn't make the team (which appears to be a distinct possibility, if not a probability, based on the second story).
Suton's certainly been doing whatever he can to make himself a part of the Jazz organization, participating in a recent tour of local schools to meet and play basketball with children. Here's hoping his efforts, both on and off the court, pay off for him.
P.S. I can't tell you how much it warms my heart that my ode to Mr. Suton currently pops up as the second result when you do a Google search for "Goran Suton."