New Orleans Pelicans center Derrick Favors will not join the team during its current three-game road trip, according to The Athletic's Will Guillory, meaning the veteran big man will miss his first opportunity to face his former squad, the Utah Jazz.
The 28-year-old has been dealing with back spasms and hasn't played since Nov. 16 against the Miami Heat.
Saturday night's tilt in Salt Lake City is the first of four matchups this season between New Orleans and Utah, Favors' team for nearly a decade. His only other opportunity to face the Jazz in Salt Lake City this season will come on March 13.
Although drafted No. 3 overall by the then-New Jersey Nets in 2010, the Georgia Tech standout was flipped to the Jazz midway through his rookie season as a key component of the Deron Williams blockbuster.
After parts of nine seasons with the Jazz, Favors ranks highly on a number of the franchise's all-time leaderboards: He's fourth in total rebounds (4,250), seventh in blocks (772), and 10th in total games played (576).
In the depths of Utah's mid-decade rebuilding efforts, Favors led the team in win shares (5.1) after averaging 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game during the 2013-14 season.
This past summer, the Jazz traded Favors and his $17.7-million contract for 2019-20 to the Pelicans in exchange for a pair of future second-round picks.
