Max Abmas - Salt Lake City Stars

[Sterns78]

Max was game high scorer with 28 points (8 of 16 FG) and 8 assists. It was the Stars' first loss since February 5th. They will be on ESPN+ on Fri, March 7th at 1pm CT.

https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/stars-win-streak-snapped-with-loss-at-oklahoma-city/n-6197385

[Bogus Smith]

15 minutes ago, Sterns78 said:

Max was game high scorer with 28 points (8 of 16 FG) and 8 assists. It was the Stars' first loss since February 5th. They will be on ESPN+ on Fri, March 7th at 1pm CT.

https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/stars-win-streak-snapped-with-loss-at-oklahoma-city/n-6197385

Shark, if the game is at 11:00 a.m. MT, that would be noon on Friday in Oklahoma City (i.e., Central Time).  That may be a game worth tuning in to.

[darrenj]

Spoke to someone they played against earlier this year and said nothing but great things about Max. He said he literally does everything the right way and gets the most out of his abilities. Probably a joy to coach and be around. 

Hoping the Utah Jazz continue to tank and maybe he gets one or two 10 day contracts at the end of the year when all the Jazz players come down with a bad back or tight hamstring.:)

[ORUTerry]

 

[Old Titan]

Max is among 19 players listed on the Utah Jazz 2025 summer league team.

Utah hosts a 4-team round-robin showcase July 5, 7 and 8 vs. Philadelphia, Memphis and Oklahoma City respectively.  They will also play a minimum of three games in the full 30-team summer league tournament July 10-20 in Las Vegas.

It would be surprising if he sees much (any?) playing time this summer, but this could be an encouraging indication that the Jazz will retain him for another season with their G-League affiliate in Salt Lake City.

https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/2025-salt-lake-city-summer-league-preview

[Bogus Smith]

When Max was in town last month, he stated that the Jazz really liked him and he had the chance to stick with the Stars and vie for a two-way contract this season.  However, he was looking at his options to make sure that this was the best fit for him (as all pro athletes would do).  I think he enjoys being in SLC, but he also has a competitive streak in him that won't let him settle for that.

[ORU40]

16 hours ago, Bogus Smith said:

When Max was in town last month, he stated that the Jazz really liked him and he had the chance to stick with the Stars and vie for a two-way contract this season.  However, he was looking at his options to make sure that this was the best fit for him (as all pro athletes would do).  I think he enjoys being in SLC, but he also has a competitive streak in him that won't let him settle for that.

There are 2 hard truths about making an NBA roster. The first is every year there is a new draft class coming in and the numbers get more difficult, the Jazz summer league roster OT posted clearly reflects this with last year's 3 rookies, Collier, Williams and Filipowski all on guaranteed contracts, but now this year's 3 draft picks (2 are 1st rounders and will be on guaranteed contracts). This summer league roster does not include the main 9-11 players like Markkenan or Kessler and Collins. There is the other numbers issue with undrafted free agents, the NBA allow 3 two-way deals, the Jazz have Harkless on a 2-way, they just signed rookie undrafted free agent RJ Luis (Big East POY from St Johns) to a 2-way deal, and they have offered their last 2-way contract to Oscar Tshiebwe, so if he accepts the contract all the Jazz 2-way deals are filled before the first summer league game. The other NBA teams are also locking up their 2-way deals, and interesting example is the Nets just signed Grant Nelson to an undrafted free agent deal to vie for their only remaining 2-way contract. Several teams have all 3 two-way deals signed or 2 with offers extended for the third.

The 2nd hard truth about making an NBA roster is no matter how much they like you, how good a person you are, first one to everything, never a problem, coachable and the hardest worker imaginable, it's all irrelevant. Can you play, can you help them win, that's all that matters! The Jazz have probably the 2 best examples in the league right now, Max a great person, hard worker, absolutely no problems of any kind but is very unlikely to make the roster. But the Jazz drafted a kid who would not work out for any team, said he did not want to play in Utah, and they still made him the 5th pick in the draft which guarantees him a $40mil, 4-year rookie deal on this year's rookie salary scale!  Ace Bailey just didn't show up for an interview with the 76er's who had the 3rd pick and, to put it mildly, was considered "immature" pre-draft but his talent and potential is phenomenal so teams couldn't care less about the baggage. 

I wish Max all the best, he's a great guy a very good player who can still make a very good living overseas but the farther you get from your rookie class the harder it gets as a whole new crop of bigger, younger, stronger and faster players comes in every year. 

[Keenan Henderson]

It would be interesting to know of the roughly 450 players on an NBA team, how many are 5'11 as Max is?  At the end of the day it is very hard at his size to make it in the NBA.  If only he were 6'4.

Did some research on ESPN and they have 2 NBA players listed under 6 feet, that played in a combined 24 games last season.

[Old Titan]

I saw a quip re: Texas star Tre Johnson, saying he had the smallest measured hand width of any rookie at the pre-draft NBA Combine “since Max Abmas three years ago”. 

Max isn’t just “short” for the NBA - he’s small.

There’s a difference, and it matters… 

[Bogus Smith]

Agree that Max is small.  His physical talents are lesser than those that were blessed with much better/bigger physiques.  

However, he still finds ways to contribute, to score 30+ points, to get the ball into the hands of those with the aforementioned bigger bodies.  He's a good teammate that makes those around him better.

That being said, it will be difficult for him to fit the mold of a typical NBA player.  Only a front office that may be searching the rosters for a "Moneyball" type of player that can bring the intangibles that will make a bunch of players become a team - not unlike Jay Will.  Max's basketball skills are destined to an overseas team; his overall skills may be possible in the right situation here in the US, but it may not be a long-lived G-League/NBA roster slot.

[ORUTex]

On 7/5/2025 at 3:03 PM, Keenan Henderson said:

If only he were 6'4.

If Max were 6'4 with the same talents, we never would have seen him at ORU.

[ORUJason]

These NBA summer teams have 18-19 players on the roster but only 8-11 players typically play in a game.  The other 7-11 players just sit the bench.  It is tough for a player like Max to break in if they won’t even let him play in a summer league game.

[TrueBlue82]

Max did get some valuable playing time (23 minutes) in Tuesday night's summer league win over the Thunder.  His stat line wasn't great (1-6 FG, 2-2 FT, 5 pts, 1 reb, 1 asst, 1 steal, 1 TO), but at least he saw the floor...

[theeagleman5]

TheEagleman loves Abmas but Maybe Max should just get on with his life... thought he wanted to be a doctor or something like that.....unless the Jazz are paying him triple figures.....which is not likely.....

[Texasgrip]

9 hours ago, theeagleman5 said:

TheEagleman loves Abmas but Maybe Max should just get on with his life... 

Pretty sure he can make his own determination and it has little to do with your approval.

[Old Titan]

On 7/9/2025 at 10:08 AM, TrueBlue82 said:

Max did get some valuable playing time (23 minutes) in Tuesday night's summer league win over the Thunder.  His stat line wasn't great (1-6 FG, 2-2 FT, 5 pts, 1 reb, 1 asst, 1 steal, 1 TO), but at least he saw the floor...

I watched the entire game. 

Max's play was...for want of a better word...unrecognizable.  

[Keenan Henderson]

I just watched his first half vs the Warriors and OT is right, Max looks unrecognizable.  The reason seems to be that the Jazz want him to play good defense, but Max is basically an afterthought on offense.  He did make a steal, which turned into a layup.  Max's game is getting a bucket/scoring, but it is hard to do that when you are the 4th or 5th option on the floor.  He battled on defense, but Midcourt looked lost on offense.  Let him shoot!

 

[Old Titan]

Max played over 30 minutes of a 40-minute game Sunday night, and was for the most part invisible running with the top players on Utah’s summer league roster in a wire-to-wire loss to Golden State.. 

This had the trappings of an “OK now; hit your shots or hit the road” moment for our man Max.  I sincerely hope his performance (or, lack thereof) does not cost him a spot on their G-League roster this fall…