Four Jazz players on the bubble as cuts loom

The Jazz are expected to evaluate their 17-man roster Thursday, with cuts to follow. Utah can keep up to 15 players, but it is likely that the team will slim down to at least 14 for the regular season and perhaps 13. Point guard Sundiata Gaines, shooting guard Ryan Thompson, forward Demetris Nichols and small forward Othyus Jeffers are on the bubble.

“It’s not a fun thing to have to do,” Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. “These guys have all worked hard. To me, they all deserve to be here.”

Gaines was averaging 5.0 points, 2.3 assists, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals heading into Utah’s preseason contest Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The second-year guard had played in four of the Jazz’s first six exhibition games, shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 42.9 percent behind the 3-point line. But despite playing well during spurts, Gaines is a long shot to make the team, since Utah has three point guards — Deron Williams, Earl Watson and Ronnie Price — ahead of him in the rotation.

“I’m just taking it day by day. I really can’t predict the future or what’s going to happen,” Gaines said. “If Utah decides to go another way, then I have to explore my options from there.”

Thompson and Nichols also face tough odds.

Thompson, a rookie from Rider, was averaging team lows in points (2.6) and rebounds (0.8), and ranked second to last in assists (0.4). He also held team lows in field goal attempts (11) and makes (5). Working in Thompson’s favor, though, is that he could be a perfect fit for the Utah Flash, the Jazz’s Development League affiliate.