Jazz Trade Rumors

"The Sonics will name Utah Jazz head scout Troy Weaver as their assistant general manager, two NBA sources told the Seattle P-I on Wednesday. Weaver replaces Scott Perry, who spent one season in Seattle before returning to the Detroit Pistons as vice president of basketball operations. The Sonics had no comment on the assistant general manager search."

"Troy Weaver, a front-office executive with the Utah Jazz, is the top candidate to fill the Sonics' vacant assistant general manager position and he's expected to accept an offer from the team, according to two NBA sources. The sources spoke anonymously because an official announcement is forthcoming. Sonics general manager Sam Presti was unavailable for comment Wednesday. Weaver joined Utah in 2003 as a head scout and spent the past season as director of player personnel. He built a reputation as a keen talent evaluator and was instrumental in the Jazz drafting guards Deron Williams, C.J. Miles and Ronnie Brewer and forward Paul Millsap."

"Still, Jefferson is an asset, and would inspire significant interest in trade talks. Teams from Phoenix to Toronto would love to have him. He can be moved to Utah for Andrei Kirilenko (and perhaps Paul Millsap) with one phone call. He can probably be moved to L.A. for Lamar Odom if the Lakers conclude that a 6-10 small forward isn't necessary with two 7-footers in the starting lineup."

"With Brewer, Almond and Miles making $3.7 million combined this season, the Jazz see a low-cost investment on their end. Miles is due a $1.2 million qualifying offer this summer that would give Utah the right to match any offer sheet he could sign. "

"Do you feel Paul Millsap will be with Utah for the long haul? And if he leaves, do you think he could be successful as a starter for a good team? As much as I love his game and energy, I question whether he could be a starter. "

" With the league's in-season trade deadline looming — it comes next Thursday — more moves are bound to be made. But the Jazz — 17-3 with Korver in the lineup — do not currently have anything in the works, Sloan suggested Wednesday. "The biggest thing is 'Where are we gonna go?' We've got a young team," he said."

"A column in Sunday's Chicago Tribune discusses pros and cons of a trade sending Utah forward Andrei Kirilenko to the Bulls for veteran center Ben Wallace, including a savings of $21 million for the Jazz, but it's purely a hypothetical scenario contrived by the author and not reflective at all of anything that is actually being discussed by the teams."

"The Chicago papers were swirling Sunday with a Wallace-to-Utah rumor that would fetch Andrei Kirilenko. Apparently, the Chicago media think the Jazz would look at Wallace as an answer to Shaquille O'Neal going to Phoenix and Gasol going to the Lakers. It makes some sense, except that the Jazz are sizzling, winning nine of their last 10."

"It has been no secret around the NBA the Bulls have engaged in exploratory trade talks regarding Wallace in recent weeks, most notably with the Lakers before they acquired Pau Gasol. There also have been rumors of talks with the Knicks, though perhaps the most intriguing match is with the Utah Jazz. Would the Jazz take the 34-year-old Wallace, and his hefty contract, for Andrei Kirilenko?"

"If there was any lingering doubt, now it's certain. Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko won't get traded to Phoenix for forward Shawn Marion. Not this month. Not this summer. Not ever. Any notion of a deal that was discussed over the summer coming to fruition officially was put to rest Wednesday, when the Suns traded Marion and ex-Dixie State guard Marcus Banks to Miami for legendary center Shaquille O'Neal."

"With the NBA's Feb. 21 in-season deadline for dealing fast-approaching, the league is abuzz with trade talk — real and imagined — including one fairly fresh rumor involving the Jazz. According to a one-line note from NBA columnist Mitch Lawrence in Sunday's New York Daily News, "Looking for a big man who can rebound and guard — something its own (starting center) Mehmet Okur is not always inclined to do — Utah has targeted Indiana's Jeff Foster for a potential deal.""

"Kidd should headline the list of big-name players who could be traded next month. But you figure some names are being added every day like Jermaine O'Neal, whom the Pacers would love to move; Mickael Pietrus, falling farther with talk of Webber coming into Golden State; Andrei Kirilenko, still playing out of position in Utah now with Matt Harpring back; and Chris Wilcox, fading in Seattle's lost season."

"But while all seemed good at EnergySolutions Arena on Friday night after the Jazz earned their ninth victory in 11 games, the fact remains that Kirilenko, despite plenty of opportunities, has never come right out and retracted his preseason desire to be traded."

" With the crush for minutes that Kyle Korver's arrival has created, Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor was asked about the possibility of having too many young shooting guards and not enough playing time for them all...The situation could resolve itself this summer if Miles, a restricted free agent, receives a contract offer the Jazz are hesitant to match. Otherwise, keeping all three players is a relatively low-cost investment for the team. "

"Phoenix Suns managing partner Robert Sarver "said Saturday that the team will not make a major deal before the NBA's Feb. (21) trade deadline and added that nothing will change his mind over the next month."...That presumably means no chance of a swap that would send Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko to Phoenix for Marion, something that was discussed by the two teams last offseason (albeit rejected by the Jazz) and reportedly internally discussed again by the Suns during the season."

"Phoenix has "had internal discussions about Utah's Andrei Kirilenko, the (Los Angeles) Lakers' Lamar Odom and Memphis' Pau Gasol, according to a source."

"I doubt it, though the talk around the NBA now is the Nets are more likely to try to move Carter than Jason Kidd... Any chance the Bulls trade for (Mehmet) Okur? The Jazz could play AK at the 4 and Boozer at center."

"ESPN.com's John Hollinger in an online chat: "What about trading (center Mehmet) Okur and playing smaller with (Kirilenko) at the 4? That's where he had the most success in past seasons, and it creates more minutes to play Korver as a shooter and spread out the opponents' D." Okur for whom? "You'd be trying to get a small forward to start ahead of Korver and use (Korver) 25 minutes off the pine," Hollinger said. "

"A source within the brain trust said the decision has been made: With 23 wins in the first 32 games, the Suns will stand pat and play the hand they’ve been dealt. That means no rugged vets like P.J. Brown coming in off the couch. No deals for a sharpshooter like Gordan Giricek or Kyle Korver — two players the Suns coveted who were swapped for each other last week."

" The Jazz need to get rid of Giricek — either through a trade or contract buyout. It's time for Miles, Price and/or Morris Almond — the rookie who scored 51 points in the D-League on Friday night — to step up and take over Giricek's minutes. It didn't have to come to this, but it has."

"The options available to the Jazz are to buy out the rest of Giricek's expiring contract, deactivate him and risk running afoul of the players association, trade him and likely take on a bad contract, or hope Giricek and Sloan can put the strains in their relationship aside. There are no easy answers"

"There's still talk, though, that Miami is trying to use the expiring contracts of Jason Williams and Ricky Davis to put together a deal for Mike Bibby and Ron Artest... A player with an expiring contract who should be moved before long is Utah's Gordon Giricek, long out of favor and lately expressing his displeasure. "

"Question: The Jazz need help defensively in the paint. Too many easy layups! So I have an idea. What about acquiring Kwame Brown? Maybe the Lakers would take Gordan Giricek, Jarron Collins and a young talent like C.J. Miles for him. I think he'd be perfect fit for the Jazz. But you guys are the experts, so what do you think?"

" That the Jazz announced a contract extension for coach Jerry Sloan before Monday's game was hardly a surprise, with the two sides having agreed to the basics of the deal as far back as training camp. That the extension added only one year to Sloan's contract, however, did come as a surprise, accompanied by questions about whether Sloan's 21st season in Utah possibly will be his last. "

" There's no need to worry about Ronnie Brewer getting too comfortable as the Jazz's starting shooting guard. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan will make plenty sure of that, however he has to prod Brewer from game to game. The latest example came in Monday's victory against New Jersey."

"Getting the injury exception gives the Magic a significantly greater amount of money to throw at Chris Webber or P.J. Brown, the two best power forwards available on the free-agent market... Some power forwards or centers who the Magic might have interest in trading for include: Michael Doleac, Mark Madsen, Wayne Simien, Robert Swift, Saer Sene, Calvin Booth, Lorenzen Wright, Earl Barron, Melvin Ely, Johan Petro, Jarron Collins, Aaron Williams and Brian Skinner."

"Kirilenko was asked to comment about the possibility of a trade involving him and Phoenix's Shawn Marion. His words were translated by a member of The Tribune staff. 'I can't say anything for sure,'' Kirilenko said. 'If there is a trade, fine.'"

"According to Wednesday's Miami Herald, "The Heat has been speaking with the agent for Cavaliers restricted free agent guard/small forward Sasha Pavlovic , and Miami interests (the ex-Jazz guard). ... Also available via trade, according to one GM: Utah's Gordon Giricek and Minnesota's Ricky Davis.""

"Until he was asked by a reporter, guard Deron Williams said he hadn't heard about owner Larry Miller's favorable comments about wanting to offer Williams a maximum contract extension next summer. That five-year deal could be worth as much as $80 million. If such a deal is offered, would Williams sign? "It's going to be hard for me to leave here,'' he said."

"After weeks worth of offseason rumors regarding a possible trade from Utah to Phoenix, Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko — in town for a preseason game against the Suns — was peppered with questions Monday about the latest state of his various frustrations. "The whole situation, it was difficult, like long time ago," he said. "But, what I can say?" Asked if matters still remain the same, Kirilenko nodded his head."

"Did it feel strange, he was asked, to be facing Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko Monday after all the offseason headlines of a possible trade of the two disgruntled stars for each other? 'Nope. Nope,' Marion said, beginning his slide off his chair and toward the exit. 'Wasn’t hard at all.'"

"Could Sloan's new contract extension mark the beginning of the end for the only coach a generation of Jazz fans has known? Miller, who expects the deal to be finalized in the coming weeks, speculated about how much longer he believes Sloan will stay in the job. "It wouldn't shock me to see him hang 'em up after this year,'' Miller said, "but we've got to wait and see how the year unfolds."

"Finally, an exhibition game to get excited about. Is it possible Shawn Marion and Andrei Kirilenko will be traded for one another at halftime Monday when the Jazz plays the Suns? Could Kirilenko and Marion play against their former teams in the second half? They'd have to pass physicals quickly."

"Not only would the Jazz be willing to extend Williams a maximum offer of five years and nearly $80 million, but Miller said in an interview the team would be able to do so without exceeding the luxury-tax threshold. "

"After meeting with Jerry Sloan and Kevin O'Connor and then donning his Utah Jazz uniform for Monday's media day at the practice facility, Andrei Kirilenko did not seem to have softened his thoughts about being unhappy with his situation."

"Many people assumed if the Utah Jazz made an offseason trade, shooting guard Gordan Giricek would probably be involved. After all, Utah drafted Morris Almond at the same position, had Ronnie Brewer, issued restricted free agent C.J. Miles a qualifying offer."

"The Jazz have explored trade options over the summer, but the $63 million that Kirilenko has remaining on his contract, the decline in his production and his public unhappiness over coach Jerry Sloan's methods have prevented any deals - at least so far. "

"The Jazz have received multiple trade offers for Kirilenko during the offseason — none, obviously, to their liking."

"Q: Doug, casting yourself as Brian Colangelo – and without selling the family farm - what would be your very best offer for Shawn Marion (assuming Phoenix would even answer the phone)?... And, while I'm pushing my luck on topics hypothetical, how about what would be your best and final offer for Andrei Kirilenko?"

"Marion is fed up with another summer of the Suns considering to trade him. Marion is irked that the team is not willing to talk about a contract extension. After eight years in Phoenix, Marion wants to leave the Suns and has let the team know in recent weeks... There are two known trade suitors in the Utah Jazz (for Andrei Kirilenko, if not others) and the Los Angeles Lakers (for Lamar Odom and a teammate), with Marion showing an interest in the latter because of a friendship with Kobe Bryant."

"He said he would like a trade to another NBA team or would even consider giving up the final four years of his contract, worth $63 million, in order to stay and play in his native Russia or elsewhere in Europe."

"Kirilenko gave voice to his frustration at a time when teams are coming together, preparing to coexist for nearly every day of the next seven months. Several teammates also have to be on edge about possibly being included in a Kirilenko trade. "

"The two top trade possibilities involve Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko, who is even more disgruntled with his team, and Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom and a teammate, possibly forward Brian Cook. A Marion deal still is unlikely because of the stars and salaries attached. But wasn't that also what we heard about the idea of a Kevin Garnett trade?"

"Miles has had a one-year qualifying offer for $945,610 on the table since the end of June. It might be the best he can do if the two sides can't reach agreement on a multiyear deal before the start of camp next week. The Jazz can match any offer sheet Miles were to sign as a restricted free agent."