"In the wake of last week's trades that sent Richard Jefferson to San Antonio, Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland and Vince Carter to Orlando, Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor offered his thoughts on the new NBA landscape.

"I think teams are going in different directions," O'Connor said. "Either teams are really saying, 'We've got to rebuild,' or teams are saying, 'We're going to try and get to the top.' I don't see any teams staying status quo."

Yet the Jazz appear set to do just that with Kyle Korver, Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur each deciding this week against opting for free agency in favor of a return to Utah for the final year of their contracts.

The Jazz seem inclined to bring back the core players from

their 2007 Western Conference finals team for one more season together, even after their first-round playoff exit and the disappointment that punctuated last season.

As much as injuries ruined a season of high expectations, the Jazz went just 15-11 after Boozer's return from knee surgery in February and collapsed in home losses to Minnesota and Golden State that left them with the conference's No. 8 playoff seed.

With the Lakers looking to repeat as NBA champions, Denver coming off a run to the conference finals and Portland also on the rise, the Jazz will face tough competition not only within the West but the Northwest Division as well.

Jazz coach Jerry Sloan welcomed the return of Boozer and Okur even while

preparing for the start of summer-league play in Orlando, Fla.

"Obviously, we're excited about having them back," Sloan said. "I think it gives us a chance to be pretty competitive. The thought of not having them back was not much fun.""