Utah Jazz Notes

The more time you spend around Ronnie Price, the more you come away with the impression that he might be one of the best teammates to have in the NBA.

Talking to him after shootaround Thursday, Price revealed that he’d had undrafted rookie Wesley Matthews over to his house the night before, trying to give Matthews a little bit of a 25th birthday celebration.

It’s anything but certain whether Matthews will make the Jazz’s roster, but Price definitely can relate to his situation, having once made the Sacramento Kings roster as an undrafted rookie himself.

“He’s already considered a good friend of mine,” Price said, “and I hope the best for him. I think that he’s played well and I think if he keeps working hard and keeps doing the right things on and off the court, he’ll be OK.”

Price also counts Jason Hart as one of his best friends in the NBA, even though he ended up competing with Hart for backup point guard minutes in both Sacramento and Utah. He was close with Brevin Knight last season as well.

As for Matthews, Price said he thought the Marquette product was “headed in the right direction.”

“He’s doing the right things on the court and he’s playing hard in practice,” Price added. “He’s working hard before and after practice. I’m a fan and I hope the best for him. I’m selfish, I want him here. I want him as my teammate . . . and we’ll see how it goes.”

--Ross Siler