Utah Jazz notebook: 16-man summer-camp roster released

SALT LAKE CITY — The Jazz on Tuesday night released a 16-man summer-camp roster, and it included five former NBA players who will join current team members Kosta Koufos, Sundiata Gaines and Othyus Jeffers.

Recent 2010 NBA Draft choices Gordon Hayward and Jeremy Evans also are among the 16, as is — as expected — 2008 second-round pick Tadija Dragicevic.

The group opens camp with a workout today in Orlando and begins play Monday in the eight-team Orlando Pro Summer League.

The five with prior NBA experience in the NBA: power forward James Augustine, power forward Jermareo Davidson, swingman Thomas Gardner, small forward Demetris Nichols and swingman Bernard Robinson.

Augustine, Jazz point guard Deron Williams' former teammate at the University of Illinois, played 42 games while with Orlando from 2006-08.

Davidson, from the University of Alabama, appeared in 38 games with Charlotte in the 2007-08 season and 14 with Golden State in the 2008-09.

Garder, a University of Missouri product, played four games for Chicago in the 2007-08 season and 16 for Atlanta in 2008-09.

Nichols, from Syracuse, had logged 18 games total for Cleveland, Chicago and New York from 2007-09.

Robinson, who played at the University of Michigan, has the most NBA experience among the five. He played 118 games over three seasons for Charlotte and 10 more with New Jersey in the 2006-07 season.

Augustine last played in Spain, Davidson in Puerto Rico, Gardner in Belgium and Nichols in France.

Koufos is heading into his third NBA season; Gaines and Jeffers were NBA Development League call-ups last season.

Hayward was taken ninth in last Thursday's NBA Draft out of Butler, and Evans was a second-round selection (No. 55 overall) from Western Kentucky.

Dragicevic, a 6-foot-9 forward from Serbia, played last season in Italy for Lottomatica Roma. He'll be making his first appearance with the Jazz.

Utah's other five summer-campers: former University of California center Rod Benson, who last played with Reno in the D-League; ex-Syracuse small forward Paul Harris, last with Maine of the D-League; former Boston College point guard Tyrese Rice, whose last team was in Greece; former Arkansas power forward Darian Townes, Iowa of the D-League; and Dominic Waters, a rookie point guard from Portland State.