LA JOLLA, Calif. – Former UC San Diego standout point guard
Hayden Gray has signed a multiyear contract with the Utah Jazz. Gray, the 2025 Big West Defensive Player of the Year, becomes the first Triton to reach the NBA.
In his final year as a Triton,
Hayden Gray garnered recognition as The Big West's top defensive player and was a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. Gray led the nation in steals in 2024-25 with 110.
Gray spent the 2025-26 season with the Maine Celtics in the NBA G League. The San Diego native appeared in 48 games (23 starts) for the Celtics, averaging 9.9 points, 5.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 steals in 27.9 minutes per game. He recorded eight double-doubles and posted four 20-point performances.
Gray will suit up with the Jazz for the first time on Sunday evening when Utah visits the Los Angeles Lakers. Game time is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
