Wednesday report
Haven't heard a word from either C.J. Miles or his agent here at the start of the free-agent negotiating period. You have to wonder what kind of interest Miles is drawing from other teams as well as whether the Jazz are making any attempt to sign him to a multiyear deal.
Miles was reported Wednesday by a Michigan newspaper as a target of Pistons GM Joe Dumars, along with Portland's James Jones and Golden State's Mickael Pietrus. Jones and Pietrus are both unrestricted free agents, while Miles is restricted.
The Pistons were news to me: I heard Miami, Cleveland, Dallas and San Antonio were among the most interested in Miles last year. Seattle might be in the mix this year with new assistant general manager Troy Weaver's Jazz ties.
The Jazz can match any offer to Miles, regardless, as a restricted free agent. Miles couldn't help but watch last year as Detroit signed Amir Johnson to a three-year, $11 million contract even though Johnson played a total of eight - - yes, eight - - games in 2006-07.
It's no secret that Miles would like something similar to Johnson, who also was a second-round pick out of high school in the same 2005 draft as Miles. It's also no secret that Miles wants the chance to play regular minutes and the Jazz are overloaded at his position.
Miles' agent will point to a 10-game stretch in late December/early January - - after Gordan Giricek clashed with Jerry Sloan and before Kyle Korver got established in the rotation - - as proof of what Miles can do with playing time.
Miles averaged 10.5 points in those 10 games. Another question regularly asked is what Miles could do if he was given the same opportunity to play as Ronnie Brewer and Korver. Miles averaged 11.5 minutes last season, compared to Brewer (27.5) and Korver (21.5).
Brewer averaged 12.0 points last season; Miles would project to 11.8 in comparable minutes. Korver averaged 9.8 points after he was traded to the Jazz; Miles would project to 9.3 in comparable minutes.
Miles would project to 2.4 rebounds in Korver's minutes (compared to 2.0 for Korver) and 3.1 rebounds in Brewer's minutes (compared to 2.9 for Brewer). Miles also shot 47.9 percent overall and 39.0 percent from three-point range.
Korver only shot 38.8 percent from three-point range in the 50 games he played with the Jazz. Obviously, you're making a reach in all this, but given how small Miles' body of work has been, it's what you have to do.
I'm definitely interested in what free agency will bring for Miles, who was still one of the 15 youngest players in the NBA at the end of his third season.
* * *
I'm still waiting to hear back from a ton of people here on the second day of free agency. Corey Maggette's agent (who also represents Carlos Boozer) hasn't returned several calls trying to gauge whether the Jazz are actually players in the sweepstakes to land him.
Maggette was linked to Orlando on Day 1 of free agency and San Antonio on Day 2. Even though he signed with Utah in 2003, it's hard to see Maggette returning unless the Jazz could overpay in a sign-and-trade, which is impossible if the Clippers renounce his rights.
I'm also still waiting to hear from Marc Cornstein, who represents Nets center Nenad Krstic. Krstic could be a viable backup big man for the Jazz and the Nets definitely might be willing to take a couple of expiring contracts back from the Jazz.
I've always gone on the assumption that if agents don't call you back, there's not a lot of interest there. After all, an agent's job is to try to drum up interest and raise the price for his client (see Peterson, Morris).
Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor wouldn't comment about anything related to Deron Williams' extension when we talked late Tuesday afternoon.
All O'Connor would say so far about free agency was: "We've made a lot of phone calls." This would seem to support his claim about being active, even with a full roster and a payroll approaching the luxury-tax threshold.
* * *
The Jazz haven't heard anything from the NBA, but are expecting that the Sonics will remain in the Northwest Division even if they move to Oklahoma City.
It's still amazing to me the NBA is willing to trade the 14th biggest TV market in Seattle for the 45th, according to Nielsen Media Research. Oklahoma City comes in right above Greensboro/Winston-Salem, N.C. Salt Lake City is 35th, in case you were wondering.
The only smaller markets than Oklahoma City in the NBA are Memphis, Tenn., and New Orleans. In fact, there are 20 bigger markets than Oklahoma City that don't have an NBA team. Feel free to bookmark this page for when the Grizzlies move in the next five years.
Here's the list: Tampa, Fla. (13), Seattle (14), St. Louis (21), Pittsburgh (22), Baltimore (24), San Diego (27), Raleigh-Durham, N.C. (28), Hartford, Conn. (29), Nashville, Tenn. (30), Kansas City, Mo. (31), Columbus, Ohio (32), Cincinnati (33), Greenville, S.C. (36), West Palm Beach, Fla. (38), Grand Rapids, Mich. (39), Birmingham, Ala. (40), Harrisburg, Pa. (41), Norfolk, Va. (42), Las Vegas (43) and Albuquerque, N.M. (44).
---Ross Siler
Miles was reported Wednesday by a Michigan newspaper as a target of Pistons GM Joe Dumars, along with Portland's James Jones and Golden State's Mickael Pietrus. Jones and Pietrus are both unrestricted free agents, while Miles is restricted.
The Pistons were news to me: I heard Miami, Cleveland, Dallas and San Antonio were among the most interested in Miles last year. Seattle might be in the mix this year with new assistant general manager Troy Weaver's Jazz ties.
The Jazz can match any offer to Miles, regardless, as a restricted free agent. Miles couldn't help but watch last year as Detroit signed Amir Johnson to a three-year, $11 million contract even though Johnson played a total of eight - - yes, eight - - games in 2006-07.
It's no secret that Miles would like something similar to Johnson, who also was a second-round pick out of high school in the same 2005 draft as Miles. It's also no secret that Miles wants the chance to play regular minutes and the Jazz are overloaded at his position.
Miles' agent will point to a 10-game stretch in late December/early January - - after Gordan Giricek clashed with Jerry Sloan and before Kyle Korver got established in the rotation - - as proof of what Miles can do with playing time.
Miles averaged 10.5 points in those 10 games. Another question regularly asked is what Miles could do if he was given the same opportunity to play as Ronnie Brewer and Korver. Miles averaged 11.5 minutes last season, compared to Brewer (27.5) and Korver (21.5).
Brewer averaged 12.0 points last season; Miles would project to 11.8 in comparable minutes. Korver averaged 9.8 points after he was traded to the Jazz; Miles would project to 9.3 in comparable minutes.
Miles would project to 2.4 rebounds in Korver's minutes (compared to 2.0 for Korver) and 3.1 rebounds in Brewer's minutes (compared to 2.9 for Brewer). Miles also shot 47.9 percent overall and 39.0 percent from three-point range.
Korver only shot 38.8 percent from three-point range in the 50 games he played with the Jazz. Obviously, you're making a reach in all this, but given how small Miles' body of work has been, it's what you have to do.
I'm definitely interested in what free agency will bring for Miles, who was still one of the 15 youngest players in the NBA at the end of his third season.
* * *
I'm still waiting to hear back from a ton of people here on the second day of free agency. Corey Maggette's agent (who also represents Carlos Boozer) hasn't returned several calls trying to gauge whether the Jazz are actually players in the sweepstakes to land him.
Maggette was linked to Orlando on Day 1 of free agency and San Antonio on Day 2. Even though he signed with Utah in 2003, it's hard to see Maggette returning unless the Jazz could overpay in a sign-and-trade, which is impossible if the Clippers renounce his rights.
I'm also still waiting to hear from Marc Cornstein, who represents Nets center Nenad Krstic. Krstic could be a viable backup big man for the Jazz and the Nets definitely might be willing to take a couple of expiring contracts back from the Jazz.
I've always gone on the assumption that if agents don't call you back, there's not a lot of interest there. After all, an agent's job is to try to drum up interest and raise the price for his client (see Peterson, Morris).
Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor wouldn't comment about anything related to Deron Williams' extension when we talked late Tuesday afternoon.
All O'Connor would say so far about free agency was: "We've made a lot of phone calls." This would seem to support his claim about being active, even with a full roster and a payroll approaching the luxury-tax threshold.
* * *
The Jazz haven't heard anything from the NBA, but are expecting that the Sonics will remain in the Northwest Division even if they move to Oklahoma City.
It's still amazing to me the NBA is willing to trade the 14th biggest TV market in Seattle for the 45th, according to Nielsen Media Research. Oklahoma City comes in right above Greensboro/Winston-Salem, N.C. Salt Lake City is 35th, in case you were wondering.
The only smaller markets than Oklahoma City in the NBA are Memphis, Tenn., and New Orleans. In fact, there are 20 bigger markets than Oklahoma City that don't have an NBA team. Feel free to bookmark this page for when the Grizzlies move in the next five years.
Here's the list: Tampa, Fla. (13), Seattle (14), St. Louis (21), Pittsburgh (22), Baltimore (24), San Diego (27), Raleigh-Durham, N.C. (28), Hartford, Conn. (29), Nashville, Tenn. (30), Kansas City, Mo. (31), Columbus, Ohio (32), Cincinnati (33), Greenville, S.C. (36), West Palm Beach, Fla. (38), Grand Rapids, Mich. (39), Birmingham, Ala. (40), Harrisburg, Pa. (41), Norfolk, Va. (42), Las Vegas (43) and Albuquerque, N.M. (44).
---Ross Siler
6:03 PM
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