Jazz add parts to puzzle

Re-signing unrestricted free agent Jarron Collins was the relatively easy part.

Collins took care of that Thursday, putting pen to paper on what is believed to be a three-year contract worth approximately $7 million.

The hard sell for the Jazz, evidently, was veteran combo guard Derek Fisher — and that matter should be taken care of at an afternoon news conference.

"We'll see him (today)," basketball operations senior vice president Kevin O'Connor said of Fisher, who was acquired in a trade with Golden State that was formalized last week.

Fisher, however, had put off coming to Utah for a physical exam that will complete the deal sending guards Devin Brown, Keith McLeod and Andre Owens to the Warriors.

The longtime Los Angeles Laker also has avoided Utah media since announcement of the trade was made, fueling speculation that he was not immediately thrilled with the notion of playing for the Jazz.

"I'll let him speak to all of that," said O'Connor, who took the unusual step of flying to California to meet Fisher after agreement on the swap had been reached. "You can ask him the questions . . . But he hasn't done anything that he wasn't supposed to do."

With Fisher seemingly in line, the focus of Jazz management Thursday was on center/power forward Collins.

A second-round draft choice in 2001, the 27-year-old Stanford product has now signed four contracts with the Jazz.

None has been as long as the latest, which is thought to be front-loaded with descending salaries of slightly more than $2.6 million for the 2006-07 season, about $2.3 million in 2007-08 and just more than $2 million in 2008-09.

"Jarron's been one of the backbones," team president Denny Haslam said of Collins, who now is tied with forward Andrei Kirilenko atop the Jazz's seniority list. "I used to think of him as a younger player, but he's not . . . anymore."

Collins, who has averaged 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds during his six seasons in Utah, did not debate the point.

"I understand that I'm a veteran now," the part-time starter said.

With the tenure come higher expectations.

"We challenged Jarron a little bit to get better," said O'Connor, who called Collins "a team-first guy."

Collins drew some interest in the open market, but it appears he never truly came close to leaving Utah.

San Antonio was one suitor, but it's believed Spurs management and coaches were split on their opinions of him.

The Spurs instead wound up with signed offer sheets from restricted free agents Jackie Butler ($7 million over three years) and Francisco Elson ($6 million over two years). New York did not match on Butler and, as of late Thursday afternoon, Denver was not expected to match on Elson, either — sending both big men to San Antonio.

The Spurs might have hoped Collins would wait until those two scenarios played out before he agreed to re-sign with the Jazz, but Collins instead came to terms with Utah.

"When it's all said and done," Collins said, "this is where I need to be."

Now if only Fisher truly believes the same, the rest of the Jazz's summer should be largely worry-free.

---

E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com

Comments