Miles sent to minors by Jazz

The Jazz on Wednesday made use of a minor-league affiliate for the first time in franchise history, shipping 18-year-old rookie shooting guard C.J. Miles to Albuquerque of the NBA Development League.

The second-round draft choice from Dallas Skyline High School has played in 10 of 32 games for the Jazz this season, averaging 3.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per game.

But Miles has been on Utah's inactive list for the past seven straight games, prompting the club to send him down as the 16-16 Jazz prepare for a four-game road trip that opens Friday night at Memphis.

He apparently was less than thrilled with the news.

"There was some disappointment, certainly, that he wasn't going to be staying with the team," said Kevin O'Connor, the Jazz's senior vice president of basketball operations. "But we tried to explain (the reasoning) to him."

The length of Miles' stay in the minors has not been specified, but it's expected to last roughly 12 days — enough time for him to play in five games for the Michael Cooper-coached Thunderbirds, then return for a stretch in which the Jazz play four games in six nights.

"There are three things he needs to work on, three things he needs to get accomplished," O'Connor said. "He's got to get strength, he's got to get game experience, and he's got to get practice experience.

"The strength we can work on," O'Connor added, "but the other two things — especially game experience — we just can't get him right now."

That is because all 12 members of the Jazz's active roster are generally healthy, and Utah's other frequently inactive but healthy shooting guard — fellow rookie Andre Owens — has been playing ahead of Miles.

Moreover, the Jazz play four games over six nights during their upcoming trip — leaving little time for practice.

Should injury concerns dictate, though, Miles — who was informed of the decision after media availability at the team's Wednesday-morning practice — could re-join the Jazz earlier than originally anticipated.

In the meantime, Jazz brass hopes Miles makes the most of playing for Cooper, the former Los Angeles Lakers star who briefly coached the Denver Nuggets last season.

"This is development," O'Connor said. "Let's see how he plays down there. Let's see if he competes when (they) put him in game situations."

According to terms of the collective bargaining agreement reached last summer by the NBA and the NBA Players Association, the Jazz and other NBA teams are permitted to send up to two rookies or second-year veterans at any one time to the Development League.