In 2004-05, a season shortened by a herniated disk that Powell said is completely healed, Brown averaged a career-best 7.4 points as well as 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He is a career 42 percent shooter.

Brown attended San Antonio Christian schools from pre-kindergarten through ninth grade, then went to South San Antonio West Campus High School, where he played basketball, baseball, track and golf. At University of Texas at San Antonio, he is the career point record-holder with 1,922, averaging 18.9 a game over four years.

The Spurs signed him as a free agent, cut and re-signed him a couple of times. He was NBDL MVP and rookie of the year in 2002-03 for Fayetteville, and he played briefly with the Denver Nuggets and in the USBL.

The agent was adamant that too much has been made of the herniated disk that had Brown missing the last 15 games of the regular season. "He's working out every day," Powell said. Brown played sparingly in the playoffs, but Powell insisted that was due to Popovich's talented rotation and not Brown's back.

Brown did play 20 minutes in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons. "To play 20 minutes (in the physical NBA) on a bad back doesn't happen," said Powell.

Right after the season, Powell said, Brown went to the Doral resort in Florida and played 26 rounds of golf in two weeks. "Come on, is that a bad back?"

Golf is Brown's "pastime," said Powell, who added the player is quite interested in Utah's courses and usually shoots in the 83-86 range.

Haslam said Jazz doctors spoke with Brown when he was in town Aug. 9 and will have a physical first thing Wednesday before signing the contract.

Terms of that contract are said to be for two years, the first at $2.5 million and the second, which is at the team's option, for slightly more.

Brown recently told the San Antonio Express-News that he will remain a Spurs fan, but, "You are playing the game of basketball, which is no different in any city or country that you play in, as long as you have that passion to play."

He told the Express-News that he'll bring his mother, Ann, with him to Utah. "It's a little bit different to keep in contact with other family and friends, but for the most part ... I'm going to play basketball on a team that plays hard and definitely deserves to win some more games. I'll be playing for a great coach (Jerry Sloan). I want to be part of them trying to get back to where they once were."

---

E-mail: lham@desnews.com