Utah Jazz sign Koufos, work on deal for Williams

On Thursday, the Utah Jazz crossed off one of the multiyear, multimillion-dollar deals they're working on from their things-to-do-people-to-pay check list.

Sign first-round pick Kosta Koufos?

Check.

And how about coming to a contract extension agreement with Olympics-bound point guard Deron Williams?

Check — a much, much bigger one, at that — could soon be in the mail, but not quite yet.

And what about the long-lost Dee Brown, who played overseas last year after his Jazz rookie season and who Utah must now decide whether or not to re-sign?

Check back on that, too.

As for the most important check mark to worry about, Williams and his representatives met with Jazz management in Utah on Wednesday in what his agent, Bob McClaren, called a "very productive and positive" meeting. The two sides continued to communicate Thursday and will keep doing so often until they strike a deal.

Though it's widely believed that a full, five-year, approximately $90 million extension was in the discussion — or possibly even offered — McClaren said he would prefer not to elaborate on terms of either side's offers.

When contacted by the Deseret News on Thursday, Williams said he couldn't talk about it right then because he was about to fly to Los Angeles where he was to shoot a Nike commercial today. Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor said he could only offer a "no comment" on all negotiation processes.

However, O'Connor did confirm that Koufos officially put his name on the Jazz payroll by signing his four-year rookie contract. The Jazz didn't release financial details, but the 23rd pick's salary begins in the pre-slotted $1 million neighborhood for 2008-09 and includes annual team options after the second season.

After meeting with O'Connor and discussing the direction of the franchise's future, Williams hopes his contract settlement could happen as early as this weekend and by no later than the end of next week when he is scheduled to rejoin Team USA for Olympic preparations.

"I'm very optimistic we can reach an agreement (and) reach a result everybody will be happy with before the Olympics. That's certainly our objective and the Jazz's as well," McClaren said while en route back to his Houston location.

McClaren said it was "important" for Williams to be involved in the negotiations, and the rising NBA star used the opportunity to voice some potential concerns. For instance, the team that has become a major player in the Western Conference the past two seasons could look completely different after next summer. That's because coach Jerry Sloan only has one year left on his deal and three key players — Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur and Kyle Korver — could bolt out of town and from their contracts in 2009.

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