The Utah Jazz still possess more than $13 million in cap space, which could allow the team to agree upon an in-season contract extension with George Hill or Derrick Favors.

Hill has emerged as Utah's priority when it comes to an extension as he will become a free agent this offseason.

The Jazz can increase Hill's salary for the current season while also bringing his starting salary for a new deal next year up to more than $22.5 million.

Utah traded a lottery pick in June to acquire Hill.

LeBron James and George Hill have been named the NBA Players of the Week for games played between Oct. 31 and Nov. 6.

Hill averaged 20.8 points, 5.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds last week while leading the Jazz to a 3-1 record. Utah has a 4-0 record when Hill scores at least 20 points.

James averaged 24.7 points, 11.3 assists and 9.3 rebounds as the Cavaliers went 3-0.

Gordon Hayward will make his season debut on Sunday against the New York Knicks.

Hayward has been out since breaking his left ring finger during the preseason.

The Utah Jazz have been starting Joe Johnson in place of Hayward and have posted a 3-3 record.

Hayward's initial diagnosis indicated that he would be out for six weeks. If he plays against the Knicks on Sunday, he will have made it back in just over the four week mark.

George Hill has interest in signing an extension with the Utah Jazz before he otherwise hits free agency.

Hill is making $8 million in the final season of his current contract.

"If that's the case, then I would be very interested in that," Hill said. "But I'm going to let them take care of that and just do what I can control." 

Hill was traded by the Indiana Pacers to the Jazz in the offseason.

"I'm not the type of guy that likes to move around and go from team to team," said Hill. "I really like it here. My family likes it here. I've got some friends here. The city's been great for me so far, and it's a nice place to raise a family, so hopefully I get an opportunity to re-sign here if they would love me to be here."

Alec Burks will be out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on his ankle.

Burks has been rehabbing his left ankle that was injured last December with a surgery in January and another procedure in June.

The surgery Tuesday was to “clean out some debris” in his lower leg.

Burks has been practicing and apparently looking healthy, but would experience pain again after a certain amount of time.

“That fall was major trauma … and there certainly has been some residual effect,” said Lindsey, referring to the foul by Paul Pierce on Burks last Dec. 26. “We were really patient with him this summer. We did a lot of imaging. When he would hit a certain threshold, he started to experience some pain.”

Kawhi Leonard has become one of the NBA's best players but Gregg Popovich maintains the San Antonio Spurs' trade of George Hill to the Indiana Pacers for Leonard benefitted both teams.

The Pacers traded Hill to the Utah Jazz this offseason after he helped them reach two Eastern Conference Finals.

"Yeah, that was tough [to trade Hill]," Popovich said. "I always made the joke with you guys that he was my favorite player. Then I called my favorite player and told him he wasn't here anymore. So that was real tough. But those kinds of trades are the best because it worked out for both teams. It was what Indiana needed, and it was what we needed, and it worked out. A lot of trades, one team will say, 'Oh, we killed them on that trade. We got the better end of that.' That's just childish. It was a good trade for both teams."

The Jazz value Hill's veteran presence.

"You probably can't value it enough, just having a guy who when he has the ball kind of calms everybody," Quin Snyder said of Hill. "He knows what to say and what to do. I know for me it's terrific to have somebody you can communicate with on the floor and who can relay [the message]."

Host Danny Leroux (@DannyLeroux) and Dan Feldman of NBC’s Pro Basketball Talk and the Locked On Pistons Podcast (@DanFeldmanNBA) break down the NBA’s rookie scale extension and option deadline.

They review just-announced extensions for Steven Adams, Victor Oladipo, Rudy Gobert, Cody Zeller and Gorgui Dieng along with previously agreed-to deals for Giannis Antetokounmpo, CJ McCollum and Dennis Schroder.

After that, they discuss some of the significant option decisions including RJ Hunter and James Young for the Celtics, Adreian Payne for the Timberwolves and Nik Stauskas with the 76ers. 

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