The former Wildcat sensation signs a new two-way contract with the Utah Jazz, continuing his professional journey
He was a force of nature, a walking double-double, and one of the most beloved Kentucky Wildcats in recent memory. Now, Oscar Tshiebwe’s professional basketball dream is getting another shot, as he has officially signed a new two-way contract with the Utah Jazz.
For Big Blue Nation, Tshiebwe’s UK career was a whirlwind of breathtaking production and frustrating endings. After transferring from West Virginia, he took college basketball by storm, averaging an incredible 17.4 points and 15.1 rebounds per game in 2021-22. He swept the national awards, earning the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, and AP Player of the Year honors. He was, by every measure, the most dominant player in the country.
Yet, that individual dominance never translated to team success in March. His historic season ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with a stunning upset loss to Saint Peter's. He returned for a second year, again putting up monster numbers (16.5 PPG, 13.7 RPG), only to fall in the second round to Kansas State.
After going undrafted, Tshiebwe signed a two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers 2 seasons ago. He spent most of his time with their G-League affiliate, the Indiana Mad Ants, where he continued to do what he does best: rebound. He was a monster in the G-League, averaging 16.4 points and 16.0 rebounds per game. He appeared in eight NBA games with the Pacers, averaging 3.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in 2023. Then in 2024 he signed with the Utah Jazz on a two-way contract, where he spent most of his time with their G-League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.
So, what is a two-way contract? It allows a player to split their time between an NBA team and its G-League affiliate. Players on two-way deals can be active for up to 50 of the 82 regular-season NBA games, but they do not get paid an NBA salary for games they aren't active. It's a developmental deal, designed for players a team wants to keep in their system.
For Tshiebwe, this deal with the Jazz is a chance to build a home in the NBA with another opportunity to prove his elite, old-school skill set has a place in the modern NBA. Kentucky fans will certainly be rooting for him to make it stick.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time, he spends time with his family, and watching Premiere League soccer. #UpTheAlbion