Utah Jazz exercise options on CJ Miles, Favors and Gordon Hayward

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has elected to exercise its fourth-year team option on guard/forward C.J. Miles’ contract for the 2011-12 season, as well as the rookie contract options for forwards Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward for the 2012-13 season.  Per team policy, financial terms were not released.
A six-year NBA veteran, Miles (6-6, 232, Skyline H.S. (TX)), appeared in 78 games (19 starts) for the Jazz in 2010-11, averaging career-highs in points (12.8), rebounds (3.3), assists (1.7) and minutes (25.2) and improving in all four categories for the fourth straight season.  Miles scored in double figures in 50 games, tallying 20+ points on 16 occasions including a career-high 40 points (14-18 FG, 6-7 3FG) in a win over Minnesota on March 16.  Originally selected by the Jazz in the second round (34th overall) of the 2005 NBA draft, Miles has appeared in 333 career games (145 starts), all with Utah, and owns career averages of 8.3 points and 2.2 rebounds.
Selected third overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by New Jersey, Favors appeared in 78 games (27 starts) for the Jazz and Nets as a rookie, averaging 6.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 0.87 blocks in 19.7 minutes per game.  The 6-10, 246-pound forward out of Georgia Tech was acquired by Utah from New Jersey on February 23 and appeared in 22 games (four starts) for the Jazz, averaging 8.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 20.2 minutes.  The 19-year-old Atlanta native was the youngest player in the NBA this past season and scored in double figures 20 times and had 10+ rebounds on seven occasions, posting two double-doubles.  Favors ranked first among all NBA rookies in blocks, fifth in rebounding and eighth in scoring and was selected to the 2010-11 T-Mobile NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
Hayward, the Jazz’s first-round pick in the 2010 Draft (selected ninth overall) appeared in 72 games (17 starts) for Utah, averaging 5.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 16.9 minutes.  The 6-8, 208-pound Butler product scored in double figures 15 times, including seven times in his final 10 games, and tallied a career-high 34 points against Denver (4/13), the most by a Jazz rookie since March 16, 1983.  Hayward led the NBA in three-point percentage over the final two-plus months of the season, connecting on 26-of-48 (.542) three-point attempts in his final 27 games (February 9 – April 13).