Araujo finds a home with Russian team

Published: Friday, Aug. 24, 2007 12:24 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
One day after the Utah Jazz contract of second-round draft choice Kyrylo Fesenko was approved by FIBA and the NBA, making the 7-foot-1 youngster a Jazz property for the next three seasons, Jazz unrestricted free-agent center Rafael Araujo signed a one-year contract to play for Spartak St. Petersburg in Russia.

This is the club for which Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko played at age 15 in 1996-97.

Araujo's agent, Jim McDowell, said the Jazz made no offer other than to invite Araujo to their fall camp with no guarantees, and he indicated that Fesenko's signing let the Araujo camp know for sure to look elsewhere.

McDowell said there were a number of contacts from European teams, some of whom had their coaches calling or text messaging regarding the 6-11 BYU product from Brazil, a 2004 lottery pick by the Toronto Raptors who spent one season with the Jazz following a trade in June 2006.

"This one made the most sense," McDowell said of Araujo's new contract that will net slightly more than the NBA minimum for a player with three years of experience, putting it somewhere in the low $800,000 range. "It's an opportunity for him to play every day, which he needs."

Story continues below

Araujo played regularly in Toronto but got into only 28 Jazz games, averaging 8.9 minutes, 2.6 points and 2.4 rebounds, despite remaking his body physically after last summer's trade. He missed most of this summer's Rocky Mountain Revue with a groin strain that had lingered since the NBA playoffs, so McDowell said it's important for Araujo to get court time to attract future NBA attention.

McDowell said the Araujos will return to Salt Lake City soon to pack — he's been working out in Santa Barbara, Calif. Spartak wants Araujo in Russia in early September, but the family will likely keep its Salt Lake City home.

"He's pretty excited to go," McDowell said, noting the league in which Araujo will play is scouted regularly by NBA teams.


E-mail: lham@desnews.com

Recent comments

Hoffa is great and had a lot of potential, but the Jazz and Coach...

Hoffa Lady | April 23, 2008 at 9:38 p.m.

Whatever--he is H-O-T. I don't even like basketball and I...

Araujo Fan | April 22, 2008 at 8:46 a.m.

We had him in Toronto and did nothing he was lazy could not jump ,...

Araujo sucked cheeze | Feb. 26, 2008 at 11:04 p.m.

previousnext

Latest comments

Utah Jazz: Trail Blazers offer Millsap 4-year deal

wisdom. Call Prichard's bluff and let Millsap go. It is too much money and he...

My bad I forgot Thomas.

Tough decision in my eyes. Yes it is a lot of money to pay for Milsap to sit...

The definition of "lie" is to make an untrue statement with the intent to...

why do people complain about the story vs. not story. If you don't think the...

Know your enemy: relax no one cares about the spelling. Anonymous: I agree...

I'm sure glad he saved us! No if we could just get those sea levels down...

I am supposing they were trying to get on the news, and in the newspapers....

What a great Idea, 12 years of hard labor vs. siting on your butt for 12...

There has been no evidence of a possible global collapse. The only evidence...

Advertisements