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Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gay will miss the start of the regular season

Free agent addition had heel surgery after the 2020-21 campaign and hasn’t been cleared for contact.

(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Rudy Gay is interviewed during Utah Jazz media day at Vivint Arena, Monday, Sept. 27, 2021 in Salt Lake City.

Las Vegas • Rudy Gay, the Utah Jazz’s primary addition in free agency this summer, will miss all of the coming four-game preseason schedule and the start of the regular season, as well.

Coach Quin Snyder disclosed on Friday in the team’s post-training camp practice media session that neither Gay nor Bojan Bogdanovic had yet been cleared for contact, although both forwards have been going through portions of practice.

A team spokesman subsequently revealed that Bogdanovic was experiencing some minor shoulder soreness and was simply being given some rest, and that were the regular season here, he would likely be good to play.

As for Gay, he apparently had surgery performed on his left heel immediately following the conclusion of his 2020-21 season with the San Antonio Spurs, and is still working his way back from that procedure.

Gay also had surgery on his left Achilles tendon back in 2017 after suffering a complete tear. There was no indication that this injury was related to that, however. The team spokesman said Gay’s heel was not expected to be a long-term situation, though it will keep him out for the entire preseason and the beginning of the regular season.

The Jazz begin preseason play Monday evening in San Antonio.