Report: Jazz Have Deal With Maggette

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Utah Jazz have a commitment from free-agent guard Corey Maggette, two newspapers reported Monday.

Maggette will leave the Los Angeles Clippers and sign an offer sheet with the Jazz, agent Rob Pelinka told The Rocky Mountain News in Denver. The Salt Lake Tribune also reported the decision, citing unidentified sources.

But the Jazz refused to confirm any imminent deal, saying the team could not discuss free-agent dealings until Wednesday, the day NBA clubs can begin signing players.

Pelinka did not return phone messages left by The Associated Press.

Signing Maggette would not ensure he'd ever wear a Jazz uniform. The 6-foot-6 player is a restricted free agent, meaning the Clippers have 15 days to match Utah's offer.

Maggette averaged 16.8 points in 64 games for the Clippers last season. His backcourt teammate, Andre Miller, chose Denver over Utah.

If he joins the Jazz, the 23-year-old Maggette would reinforce a shooting-guard position Utah has had trouble filling since Jeff Hornacek retired in 2000. Maggette's scoring average has risen in each of his four seasons, from 8.4 points as a rookie with Orlando, to 10.0, 11.4 and 16.8 in his three seasons with the Clippers.

The Utah offer is expected to be for the maximum six years, the Tribune reported, but it's not known how much Maggette will be paid. With John Stockton retired and Karl Malone agreeing to play for the Lakers, the Jazz are $18 million to $20 million under the salary cap.

Source: AZCentral.com

Travis

yes it know Travis...Itz curious to me that y would Magette go to Utah instead of Denver he could play alongside of a talent roster had he come to Denver...they could almost make it to the playoff if the Nuggets have added a few more players or veteran..instead he goes to a team where there is no real talent except for Kirilenko and Harpring....that is not gonna help him...oh well maybe he just wants to be the leader of a team...Malone is not gonna stick to Utah...so i rili don't understand why would Magette do this...

Yeah, me too, I'm puzzled...

I'm trying to come up with an explanation, but I can't see how going to Utah would be any more appealing than going to Denver. The Jazz are on their way down, while the Nuggets are on their way up.

yeah weird huh wut was Magette thinking?

Yeah, sudden change of events, I guess Miller and Maggette swaped their selection of teams

Guess magette wants a team build around him where he wants to be the go-to-guy but if i were him, camby, melo, nene,probably miller, that would be very interesting and i'd go to denver

It probably has to do with money.

Kirilenko...Harpring...Mo Williams...Pavlovic...a committed Stevenson...possibly Gilbert Arenas, Brad Miller or Craig Claxton...super defense and a great coach and more $$$...that's why he went to Utah...

You must be kidding Benny.

1) Too guys playing the same position... SG/SF... Harpring/Stevenson/Maggette... I dunno about Kirilenko, thinks he works better as a SF than as a PF.

2) I doubt Arenas and Brad Miller will go there... Claxton too...

3) Super defense? With Ostertag as the starting center?

4) Mo Williams...? Nah.

yes- arenas and miller are possibilities. i think Miller would not want to go to the west and get a steady diet of western conference big men.

as for arenas:
Jazz owner Larry Miller "the word is, he's planning on staying at Golden State." Still, Jazz vice president of basketball operations Kevin O'Connor spoke to Dan Fegan, Arenas' agent, on Sunday, though the Jazz owner wondered whether his team is being used to drive Arenas' price up elsewhere. "We may be getting used as a pawn," Miller said.

excerpt taken from:
http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Jul/07142003/sports/75313.asp

also...

Larry Miller said the Jazz also has gone after Arenas. But he said he now expects Arenas to remain with the Warriors.

"What we're hearing is he's going to stay where he's at," Larry Miller said.
excerpt taken from:
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nuggets/article/0,1299,DRMN_20_2107485,00.html

Arenas is staying put... He will sign for a year... Then resign with the Warriors for like 6/8 million per year... I guess...

They'd better not put that in writing