The Utah Jazz will begin their training camp in September, and now that August is here and most NBA draft picks have signed contracts, eyes are turning to the players that haven't. John Tonje is one of those players who have yet to sign with the Jazz. Why and what's the holdup is the question? The short answer is that he's in the range of picks that teams need to decide what NBA contract they want to give the player, vs. what the agent and player think their value is.
There are about 10 unsigned second-round picks left, and they all fall within the 46-59 range. This is the range where most players will end up with two-way contracts, G-League deals, or even Exhibit 10 contracts, which are all different styles of contracts for NBA players. These players could still end up with NBA contracts, but it's not likely.
John Tonje has yet to sign with the Utah Jazz while training camp looms in September
John Tonje is one of these 10 unsigned 2nd-round picks, and there's not much being reported about his talks with the Utah Jazz. However, this range of picks typically has a path forward for the majority of players and teams—that of the two-way contract.
A two-way contract is essentially the option to play either in the G-League or on an NBA team throughout the season. There's a limit of how many times the player can play on the NBA team before needing to sign a new contract, but that game limit is 50 games. It works similarly to an MLB player with minor league options. The player can be moved between the two teams as needed or as the player performs.
There is also the option of an Exhibit 10 contract, which is way more limited and basically only signs him on for training camp. This is less likely as they used a draft pick on him and will want to see him in more than just a few summer league games. However, the Jazz had a lot of draft picks, so you never know.
Rarely do the players not sign before training camp, and therefore, sometime this month, John Tonje will sign with the Jazz before the start of their training camp in September.