Jimmer Fredette’s latest NBA stint isn’t over yet.

And, if you ask him, the former BYU star’s NBA dream is far from over, too.

While the Summer Jazz’s tournament came to an end Thursday night after an 80-60 loss to the Nuggets at Cox Pavilion, Fredette and Denver advanced to the quarterfinals of the NBA Summer League playoffs.

Shaquielle McKissic, Mike Tobey and Dionte Christmas led Utah with 10 points apiece. The Jazz, playing again without a resting Trey Lyles, ran out of gas after having played for the third straight day and for the eighth time in 11 days.

“It looked like every 3-pointer we shot missed short, and that’s usually just a sign of tired legs,” Jazz assistant Mike Wells said of his team, which was 5-for-25 from 3-point range. “The summer’s gotten a little bit long. I told the guys we’ve got an opportunity tomorrow. We get to put the Utah Jazz shirt on, go out there and play with pride."

The Jazz get one last game in the losers’ bracket Friday at 8:30 p.m. MDT.

As for Fredette, who’s played well for Denver during his Vegas stay, this whole summer experience is an extended opportunity to try to show NBA front offices that he deserves another chance in the league.

The 27-year-old said he’s keeping an optimistic attitude after previous NBA stints around the league with Sacramento, Chicago, New Orleans, San Antonio (fall camp) and New York failed to secure him a permanent spot at the adult table.

“You just got to have fun with it. It’s a job. You go out there,” Fredette said about trying to remain positive in the pursuit of another NBA gig. “It’s a game that I love and I want to continue to play. I know that I’ll have a job somewhere. You’ve just got to go out there and put your best foot forward.”

Fredette’s statistical line in this win over the Jazz reflected the range of his game he’s trying to improve. Despite an off-night shooting — 3 of 11 overall and 0-for-4 from 3-point range — he contributed 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

“I’ve got to continue to work on everything,” Fredette said. “Defensively, I really feel like I’ve progressed and gotten better. Passing the basketball I’ve gotten better at that. I feel like I’m better than I’ve ever been and I’ve got to continue to work to get better.”

Whether NBA executives agree with his better-than-ever assessment could be the factor in whether he gets another opportunity in the world’s best league.

For now, Fredette is playing for a coaching staff that is very familiar with his skill set. Denver coach Mike Malone was his coach for a while in Sacramento after the former All-American was drafted 10th overall in the 2011 draft.

So, what is Malone & Co. hoping to see from him this time around?

“Just what he does. What I mean by that — let Jimmer be Jimmer as far as (telling him), ‘You’re a scorer. You’re a shooter. You’re a guy who can put the ball in the basket,” Denver assistant Micah Nori said.

“He spreads the floor, makes it very easy to run (your) offense. Having been with him for a year in Sacramento, we kind of know what he can do. All we told him is, ‘Don’t do anything different. Be who you are.’ And he’s done that and done that very well.”

Three teams gave him chances in the 2015-16 season — the Spurs (preseason), Pelicans and Knicks (10-day deals) — but Fredette said he’s not discouraged that he’s trying to prove himself yet again.

“I think every NBA basketball player is trying to improve themselves every day. Know what I mean? It’s a league where guys are trying to play to the best of their abilities,” Fredette said. “That’s what you like as a competitor. You want to go out there and play and show your best every single day whether you’re an NBA superstar or the guy that’s trying to make the NBA.”

While he’s playing in this summer league, the former NCAA player of the year is keeping his mind on playing basketball, not where he’s going to be playing next season.

“Who knows? I have no idea at this point,” he said. “I’m just trying to focus on playing my game and playing well and whatever happens afterwards we’ll see.”

Last season, Fredette opted to remain in the U.S. and to play in the D-League with the Westchester Knicks while awaiting an NBA call-up.

Though he could earn a pretty penny in Europe, Fredette isn’t quite ready to move his game, family and dream overseas.

“No,” he said when asked if he has contingency plan if the NBA doesn’t pan out this time around. “I’m working on the NBA first and then we’ll see what happens.” - deseretnews