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Las Vegas • Utah Jazz point guard Shelvin Mack has worn the same smile for the past few days down in Las Vegas.

The good mood is for good reason. He doesn't have to go shopping for a team this summer, since the Jazz guaranteed the final year of his contract, something that was in question heading into free agency.

Mack was traded to the Jazz in February from the Atlanta Hawks, and almost instantly became Utah's starting point guard. Still, with the Jazz trading for George Hill and Dante Exum closing in on his return from knee surgery, there were questions about whether Mack would be back in the fold on opening night.

"It's great to be back," Mack told The Salt Lake Tribune. "I had a feeling I'd be back, and I really appreciate the organization. I feel like I have a great opportunity to grow as a player, and I'm excited for it."

There's still the matter of playing time for Mack. The Jazz this summer went from one of the most depth-challenged teams in the league to a team with almost more depth than they can handle.

That leaves Mack looking at the the possibility of dropping from starter to the third point guard. He's been in that position before, most notably with the Hawks. But he's intent on coming into training camp and competing for minutes. The fact that he can play both backcourt positions is a plus, as well.

"Coach makes decisions," Mack said. "I still think I'll be able to play. And I still think I'm going to have a valuable part to this team, and I'm excited about that. We have at least 10-12 quality players. We have a lot of flexibility, especially with defense. Everyone can guard, and that helps out a lot."

— Tony Jones