Center, Jazz part — for now

The Jazz on Tuesday waived Paul Grant, the 7-foot center working in real-estate redevelopment with his brother in Boston before being signed New Year's Day and one night later playing in his first NBA game since 1999.

The move — coincidentally coming on Grant's 30th birthday — means Utah will again be shorthanded when facing Memphis tonight at the Delta Center.

It does not necessarily, however, mean Grant's relationship with the Jazz has concluded.

"We're keeping our options open," said Kevin O'Connor, the Jazz's senior vice president of basketball operations, "and what we're going to do is evaluate the next 48 hours, and possibly bring him back."

The transaction, though, needed to be made so Grant's non-guaranteed contract is off the books as of Saturday.

That's the day all NBA contracts except 10-day deals become fully guaranteed for the rest of the season, and the Jazz are not prepared to make Grant their 15th player with a fully guaranteed contract.

Assuming Grant clears the league's 48-hour waiver window, however, the Jazz can sign him to a 10-day contract later this week. After that, they are permitted to sign him to one additional 10-day deal before they must either release him or pay him for the remainder of the season.

The likelihood Grant — a training-camp cut who played in three games since last week, averaging 3.3 points and 2.3 rebounds, including highs of six points and six boards in 25 minutes at Houston on Saturday night — indeed will return on a 10-day is quite high.

The reason: Big men Keon Clark and Curtis Borchardt remain out with long-term injuries, center-power forward Ben Handlogten is out for the season, and small forward Matt Harpring still is waiting for a medical opinion on his aching right knee that in a worst-case scenario could result in season-ending surgery.

According to NBA rules, Grant's return could come in time for a back-to-back set Friday night at Denver and Saturday vs. Atlanta — but no sooner.

Also still out for the Jazz: big man Michael Ruffin, who was moved onto the active roster Monday but still did not dress for Monday night's win over Dallas.

Ruffin, who due to a preseason abdominal strain has yet to play a game for Utah, did practice Tuesday. His availability for tonight is doubtful, and there still is no set date for his return.

"I'm trying to get back out on the floor, sometime this week, hopefully," Ruffin said Tuesday morning. "We'll see . . . I'm close."

Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said the club is patiently awaiting the debut of Ruffin, whose own contract became fully guaranteed in late December.