ducks
10-08-2004, 09:43 AM
azz Notes: Miller confident of Kirilenko deal
By Phil Miller
The Salt Lake Tribune
ST. GEORGE - Larry Miller is "90-percent sure" the Jazz will reach an agreement with Andrei Kirilenko on a contract extension before the season opens, an opinion that the All-Star forward took as an excellent sign that the negotiations won't stall.
***"I'm happy. I feel very happy if he thinks that," Kirilenko said Thursday before the Jazz's wrapped up their third day of training camp. "I'll appreciate that because I don't want to think about it. It's time for basketball now."
***The Jazz have until the end of the month to strike a new deal with Kirilenko, who will earn $1.67 million this season, or he will become a restricted free agent in July. Since Kirilenko and his agent, Marc Fleisher, are seeking the maximum salary allowed - in Kirilenko's case, it's approximately $86.3 million over six years - negotiations have proceeded slowly.
***"It takes too long," Kirilenko said Thursday, "but that's life. That's business."
***It might not take much longer, though, according to the Jazz owner.
***"We'd like to do something for him now. I hope we do do something for him now," Miller told radio station KFNZ-AM on Thursday. "If you ask me, I'll tell you there is a 90 percent chance we're going to do something before Oct. 31."
***Kirilenko would be eligible for a seven-year contract * worth around $105.5 million from the Jazz if he waits until next year, but he has made it clear he wants the security of a long-term contract now.
***Miller said Kirilenko should not have made his impatience with the contract talks public. "It was like a kindergarten mistake," the owner said.
***One other contract is in the works, too, Miller said: The Jazz plan to sign forward Ben Handlogten once he fully recovers from the knee injury he suffered in the Delta Center last December.
***Kevin O'Connor, the Jazz's senior vice president of basketball operations, would not comment on negotiations with
* Kirilenko, but agreed that Handlogten, a 6-foot-10 forward who averaged 4.0 points in 17 games for the Jazz last season, will be invited back once his knee is ready. "He's still a few weeks away from being able to play five-on-five," O'Connor said.
***Jazz scrimmage
***
***The Jazz went through several drills in practice Wednesday, then finished the night with a series of five-minute, five-on-five games.
***The highlight: With 1.3 seconds remaining in one of them, Harpring inbounded the ball from the sideline by lofting an alley-oop pass that Carlos Boozer grabbed and dunked in one motion.
***"We * had some different options on that play, but we only had 1.3 seconds, so we had to take a chance on it," Harpring said. "It was a great play by Boozer - he did it in traffic, too."
***Sloan appreciated the turnout of 500 at Burns Arena, and he and his players signed autographs for several minutes afterward. But the presence of an audience affected how he conducted the practice, Sloan said.
***"I would have done a few more drills, but I couldn't talk over [the noise]," he said. "I wasn't going to try to fight that."
***The Jazz return to Salt Lake City this afternoon, and will play another intrasquad game before their hometown fans Saturday * night at 6 at the Delta Center.
*** [email protected]
http://www.sltrib.com/jazz/ci_2424477
By Phil Miller
The Salt Lake Tribune
ST. GEORGE - Larry Miller is "90-percent sure" the Jazz will reach an agreement with Andrei Kirilenko on a contract extension before the season opens, an opinion that the All-Star forward took as an excellent sign that the negotiations won't stall.
***"I'm happy. I feel very happy if he thinks that," Kirilenko said Thursday before the Jazz's wrapped up their third day of training camp. "I'll appreciate that because I don't want to think about it. It's time for basketball now."
***The Jazz have until the end of the month to strike a new deal with Kirilenko, who will earn $1.67 million this season, or he will become a restricted free agent in July. Since Kirilenko and his agent, Marc Fleisher, are seeking the maximum salary allowed - in Kirilenko's case, it's approximately $86.3 million over six years - negotiations have proceeded slowly.
***"It takes too long," Kirilenko said Thursday, "but that's life. That's business."
***It might not take much longer, though, according to the Jazz owner.
***"We'd like to do something for him now. I hope we do do something for him now," Miller told radio station KFNZ-AM on Thursday. "If you ask me, I'll tell you there is a 90 percent chance we're going to do something before Oct. 31."
***Kirilenko would be eligible for a seven-year contract * worth around $105.5 million from the Jazz if he waits until next year, but he has made it clear he wants the security of a long-term contract now.
***Miller said Kirilenko should not have made his impatience with the contract talks public. "It was like a kindergarten mistake," the owner said.
***One other contract is in the works, too, Miller said: The Jazz plan to sign forward Ben Handlogten once he fully recovers from the knee injury he suffered in the Delta Center last December.
***Kevin O'Connor, the Jazz's senior vice president of basketball operations, would not comment on negotiations with
* Kirilenko, but agreed that Handlogten, a 6-foot-10 forward who averaged 4.0 points in 17 games for the Jazz last season, will be invited back once his knee is ready. "He's still a few weeks away from being able to play five-on-five," O'Connor said.
***Jazz scrimmage
***
***The Jazz went through several drills in practice Wednesday, then finished the night with a series of five-minute, five-on-five games.
***The highlight: With 1.3 seconds remaining in one of them, Harpring inbounded the ball from the sideline by lofting an alley-oop pass that Carlos Boozer grabbed and dunked in one motion.
***"We * had some different options on that play, but we only had 1.3 seconds, so we had to take a chance on it," Harpring said. "It was a great play by Boozer - he did it in traffic, too."
***Sloan appreciated the turnout of 500 at Burns Arena, and he and his players signed autographs for several minutes afterward. But the presence of an audience affected how he conducted the practice, Sloan said.
***"I would have done a few more drills, but I couldn't talk over [the noise]," he said. "I wasn't going to try to fight that."
***The Jazz return to Salt Lake City this afternoon, and will play another intrasquad game before their hometown fans Saturday * night at 6 at the Delta Center.
*** [email protected]
http://www.sltrib.com/jazz/ci_2424477