Linda Luchetti has been named vice president of basketball operations for the Utah Jazz.

The longtime Larry H. Miller Group of Companies executive and sports industry veteran joins the Jazz front office in a senior management position and will report directly to general manager Dennis Lindsey.

“We are very pleased to be able to add someone of Linda’s character and caliber to a leadership role within basketball operations,” said Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey. “I am confident that her vision and wealth of experience both within the company and externally will prove her to be a valuable addition to the Jazz.”

Luchetti brings to the Jazz more than 30 years of experience inmedia relations, marketing, community relations, philanthropic work and event management, much of it within the sports realm. She has worked for the Jazz’s parent company, the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, in multiple capacities since 2005, and since 2013 had been serving as the company’s executive vice president of communications, where she was responsible for overseeing internal and external corporate communications for the company and its more than 80 businesses and properties operating in 46 states in the areas of automotive, finance, insurance, real estate, sports, entertainment and retail. Luchetti concurrently served as vice president of communications for Larry H. Miller Charities. 

The Utah Jazz have waived guards Eric Atkins and Phil Pressey.

Utah’s roster now stands at 15 players.

The Oklahoma City Thunder led the NBA in efficiency differential during the preseason with a mark of +12.5.

During the 14-15 preseason, the Golden State Warriors had the league's best mark with +11.0, which became a first indicator of their jump as title contenders.

Here's the full rankings from the 15-16 preseason:

1. Thunder: 12.5
2. Celtics: 11.6
3. Grizzlies: 11.5
4. Wizards: 10.4
5. Hornets: 10.0
6. Pistons: 7.1
7. Raptors: 5.6
8. Pacers: 4.7
9. Knicks: 4.0
10. Suns: 3.9
11. Nuggets: 3.5
12. Kings: 3.3
13. Magic: 2.8
14. Blazers: 1.8
15. Jazz: 0.4
16. Heat: 0.0
17. Hawks: -0.7
18. Rockets: -0.7
19. Nets: -1.0
20. Warriors: -1.3
21. Spurs: -1.9
22. Lakers: -2.1
23. Bucks: -3.4
24. Bulls: -3.6
25. Pelicans: -3.6
26. Clippers: -4.2
27. Cavaliers: -6.5
28. 76ers: -8.6
29. Mavericks: -10.7
30. Wolves: -11.0

The Utah Jazz have signed free agent guard Eric Atkins and has claimed second-year guard Phil Pressey off waivers.

Atkins (6-2, 182, Notre Dame) spent the 2014-15 season with KAOD BC of Greece, appearing in 26 games (19 starts) and averaged 7.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 23.4 minutes of action.

Atkins played four years at Notre Dame (2010-14), averaging 13.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 37.8 minutes during his senior season.

Pressey (5-11, 175, Missouri) was waived by Portland on Oct. 23 after appearing in four preseason games with the Trail Blazers, averaging 4.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 16.4 minutes of action. He was signed by the Trail Blazers on July 24.

The Utah Jazz have claimed Phil Pressey off waivers.

Pressey was waived before the start of the regular season by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Pressey spent the past two seasons with the Boston Celtics.

The Utah Jazz have signed free agent forward E.J. Singler. 

Singler spent the 2014-15 season with BC Kalev/Cramo of Estonia, appearing in 60 games (19 starts) and averaged 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 17.2 minutes of action. During the 2013-14 campaign, he played for the Idaho Stampede, scoring 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 28.2 minutes in 22 games (four starts).

Singler played four years at Oregon (2009-13), averaging 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 31.0 minutes during his senior season. His older brother, Kyle, currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Utah Jazz have waived guard Bryce Cotton and guard/forward Treveon Graham. 

Following the moves, Utah’s roster now stands at 15 players. 

Cotton (6-1, 166, Providence) appeared in two preseason games for Utah, averaging 6.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 17.1 minutes per game. He saw action in 15 games for the Jazz last season after being called up from the NBA Development League’s Austin Spurs.

Graham (6-6, 226, VCU) appeared in two preseason games for the Jazz, averaging 1.0 rebounds in 9.1 minutes of action. He was signed as a free agent on Aug. 17.

The Utah Jazz have exercised their third-year team options for guards Danté Exum and Rodney Hood, as well as its fourth-year options on guard Trey Burke and center Rudy Gobert.

The options for all four players are for the 2016-17 season.  

The 20-year-old Exum is entering his second NBA season after appearing in all 82 games (41 starts) as a rookie and averaging 4.8 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 22.2 minutes. Exum became only the 10th rookie in Jazz history to play in all 82 games, scoring in double figures in 13 games and leading the team in assists 11 times. 

Hood is entering his second NBA season after averaging 8.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists, hitting .365 (62-170) from three-point range, in 21.3 minutes of 50 appearances (21 starts) during his rookie campaign.  The 22-year-old was selected as the NBA’s Western Conference Rookie of the Month during the final month of the season after upping his averages to 16.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals in seven games during April. 

Burke, 22, is entering his third NBA season and has appeared in 146 games (111 starts) during his first two seasons, owning averages of 12.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 31.2 minutes. He averaged 12.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 30.1 minutes per game in 76 games (43 starts) during the 2014-15 season. He scored 10-plus points on 52 occasions and 20-plus points in 11 contests , posting three double-doubles as a second-year player. 

The 23-year-old Gobert is also entering his third NBA season after appearing in all 82 games (37 starts) in 2014-15 and averaging 8.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 26.3 minutes while placing third in NBA Most Improved Player balloting and fifth in voting for NBA Defensive Player of the Year.  In his second year, Gobert improved both his scoring and rebounding averages by more than six per game over his rookie season, and tallied the second most blocked shots in the NBA (189), including an NBA-best 134 blocks after the All-Star break.  

The Utah Jazz have waived forward Grant Jerrett. 

Utah’s roster now stands at 17 players.  

Jerrett (6-10, 233, Arizona) appeared in three games as a reserve for the Jazz last season, averaging 3.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in 8.7 minutes per game. He has not seen action in the preseason.

The Utah Jazz have waived forwards Jack Cooley and JJ O’Brien.

Following the moves, Utah’s roster now stands at 18 players.

Cooley (6-9, 260, Notre Dame) appeared in two preseason games for Utah, averaging 1.5 rebounds in 3.3 minutes of action. He saw action in 16 games for the Jazz last season after being called up from the team’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede.

O’Brien (6-7, 228, San Diego State) appeared in one preseason game for the Jazz. He was signed as a free agent on Aug. 28 after competing for the Jazz entries in both the Utah Jazz Summer League and NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.