The Utah Jazz have claimed swingman Jordan Hamilton and forward Joe Ingles off waivers, the team announced on Monday. The two don't figure to be prominent parts of the rotation, but they give head coach Quin Snyder some additional depth. In order to facilitate the moves, Utah cut second-year forward Carrick Felix, who was acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the offseason.
Hamilton, who spent training camp with the Toronto Raptors before being waived on Saturday, played his first two and a half seasons with the Denver Nuggets. He was moved to the Houston Rockets at last year's trade deadline. Hamilton a wing player with good size and range on his jumper, but he's underwhelmed defensively and not exhibited the sort of shot selection you'd want from a role player. He has talent, though, and there's little downside in taking a chance on the 24-year-old.
Ingles, who played for the Los Angeles Clippers in the preseason, will give rookie Dante Exum an Australian buddy after the Jazz waived forward Brock Motum. The Clips had interest in re-signing him "in the near future" had he cleared waivers, according to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. Ingles, 27, has played key roles for top international clubs Maccabi Tel Aviv and FC Barcelona in recent years, but this will be his first season in the NBA. If he can consistently make 3s, he should have a shot at cracking the rotation.
