ducks
07-31-2003, 11:46 PM
Arroyo signs with Jazz
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Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) _ Carlos Arroyo wanted to stay with Utah and hoped the Jazz would still want him after the early weeks of the free agent market.
After waiting since the end of the season, the third-year point guard got the call he wanted and on Thursday signed a one-year deal to remain with the Jazz.
``I definitely wanted to come back, but it was not up to me,'' said Arroyo, who agreed to the deal Wednesday night and had to fly to Utah to pass a physical Thursday.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Arroyo gives the Jazz two point guards under contract with a rookie trying to make the team, but Utah still may not be done adding at that position this summer.
The Jazz have a point guard opening for the first time since 1987-88 after the retirement of John Stockton.
``For the past 15 years, we always knew who are starting point guard was going to be. I don't think we know this year,'' Jazz vice president for basketball operations Kevin O'Connor said Thursday.
O'Connor acknowledged that Atlanta restricted free agent Jason Terry remained among the potential additions, but wouldn't elaborate. Trades are another possibility.
``The three guards that we've got, offensively we'll be OK,'' O'Connor said. ``I think defensively is where we're going to struggle a little bit. That's certainly something we're going to take a look at, too.''
Arroyo, who also signed with the Jazz as a free agent last summer and was the team's No. 3 guard last season, waited throughout July to see if the Jazz were going to pick up a point guard with part of the $20 million they have under the salary cap.
But when efforts to bring in former University of Utah player Andre Miller and a few others failed, Arroyo knew his chances of returning to the Jazz improved.
Even in a limited role last season, Arroyo did impress coach Jerry Sloan and felt comfortable with the Jazz offense.
``I've worked hard all my life to be in this situation and I think that if I get a chance to play, I'll show Jerry that I can play some minutes and he can trust in me as far as running the team,'' Arroyo said. ``There's no pressure, but at the same time I want to show them that they made the right decision.''
Arroyo, who played behind Stockton and Mark Jackson last season, is Utah's first offseason pickup this summer. Arroyo, 2001 first-round draft pick Raul Lopez, who missed last season as he recovered from knee surgery and hasn't played in the NBA, and rookie Mo Williams will compete for the job this fall.
They may have company.
``We're looking for anybody that we can find to play the point,'' O'Connor said. ``We're not going to go out and sign a veteran point guard just to say veteran. I think we'd want to go out and get somebody that would add some stability or give us something maybe that we don't have.''
The Jazz were also going to visit Friday with free agent shooting guard Stephen Jackson, who is not expected to return to the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.
``He was a starter on an NBA team. He's a good player,'' said O'Connor, who does not get into details on prospective players. ``We're going to sit down and visit with him and see what he wants.''
Note: The following stories are the most recent wire transmissions from SportsTicker and other ESPN.com sources. Versions of some of these stories appear elsewhere on the service.
scoop (http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/gen/wire?messageId=18658865)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) _ Carlos Arroyo wanted to stay with Utah and hoped the Jazz would still want him after the early weeks of the free agent market.
After waiting since the end of the season, the third-year point guard got the call he wanted and on Thursday signed a one-year deal to remain with the Jazz.
``I definitely wanted to come back, but it was not up to me,'' said Arroyo, who agreed to the deal Wednesday night and had to fly to Utah to pass a physical Thursday.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Arroyo gives the Jazz two point guards under contract with a rookie trying to make the team, but Utah still may not be done adding at that position this summer.
The Jazz have a point guard opening for the first time since 1987-88 after the retirement of John Stockton.
``For the past 15 years, we always knew who are starting point guard was going to be. I don't think we know this year,'' Jazz vice president for basketball operations Kevin O'Connor said Thursday.
O'Connor acknowledged that Atlanta restricted free agent Jason Terry remained among the potential additions, but wouldn't elaborate. Trades are another possibility.
``The three guards that we've got, offensively we'll be OK,'' O'Connor said. ``I think defensively is where we're going to struggle a little bit. That's certainly something we're going to take a look at, too.''
Arroyo, who also signed with the Jazz as a free agent last summer and was the team's No. 3 guard last season, waited throughout July to see if the Jazz were going to pick up a point guard with part of the $20 million they have under the salary cap.
But when efforts to bring in former University of Utah player Andre Miller and a few others failed, Arroyo knew his chances of returning to the Jazz improved.
Even in a limited role last season, Arroyo did impress coach Jerry Sloan and felt comfortable with the Jazz offense.
``I've worked hard all my life to be in this situation and I think that if I get a chance to play, I'll show Jerry that I can play some minutes and he can trust in me as far as running the team,'' Arroyo said. ``There's no pressure, but at the same time I want to show them that they made the right decision.''
Arroyo, who played behind Stockton and Mark Jackson last season, is Utah's first offseason pickup this summer. Arroyo, 2001 first-round draft pick Raul Lopez, who missed last season as he recovered from knee surgery and hasn't played in the NBA, and rookie Mo Williams will compete for the job this fall.
They may have company.
``We're looking for anybody that we can find to play the point,'' O'Connor said. ``We're not going to go out and sign a veteran point guard just to say veteran. I think we'd want to go out and get somebody that would add some stability or give us something maybe that we don't have.''
The Jazz were also going to visit Friday with free agent shooting guard Stephen Jackson, who is not expected to return to the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.
``He was a starter on an NBA team. He's a good player,'' said O'Connor, who does not get into details on prospective players. ``We're going to sit down and visit with him and see what he wants.''
Note: The following stories are the most recent wire transmissions from SportsTicker and other ESPN.com sources. Versions of some of these stories appear elsewhere on the service.
scoop (http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/gen/wire?messageId=18658865)