Jazz now seeking power forward

With swingman Gordan Giricek in the bag and big man Mehmet Okur off the rack, the Jazz now move forward with their summer shopping spree.

Next on the list: a power forward.

One possibility, though perhaps a long shot for the Jazz to get: Kenyon Martin.

After stopping today in Denver, the New Jersey Nets power forward will drop in to Utah Thursday to meet with the Jazz. Friday, he moves on to Atlanta, another team with plenty of cash to spend under the NBA's team payroll salary cap.

Martin supposedly is seeking a maximum-money contract — about $85 million over six years for a player with his experience — and the Jazz remain in position to offer just such a deal.

But officials from both Utah and Denver seem to remain cautious in their dealings with Martin, both hoping to make certain the Nets All-Star is serious about his interest in them.

Their wonder: Is Martin using them merely to secure an offer sheet he can take back to New Jersey, hopeful the whole time the Nets will match?

While Martin makes the rounds of teams with money, San Antonio Spurs restricted free agent shooting guard Manu Ginobili waits to learn his fate. He visited Denver on Friday and Utah on Saturday, then reportedly met later with San Antonio officials in Dallas.

Speculation is rampant that the Jazz's agreement with Giricek — reported by ESPN.com's Chad Ford to be worth $16 million over four seasons — means Utah is out of the running with Ginobili.

"The Jazz," the San Antonio Express-News reported Tuesday, "are no longer expected to make a serious bid for Ginobili. . . . Though Utah officials liked their visit with Ginobili, they think it will be difficult — and costly — to make him an offer the Spurs won't match."

"Utah," the Denver Post reported, "has pulled out of the race for Ginobili. . . . "

The Nuggets, though, remain quite interested, as do the Spurs, who have seemed inclined all along to match whatever offer sheet Ginobili may sign — as long as it's not too outrageous.

ESPN.com reported Tuesday that the Nuggets "have zeroed in on" Ginobili "as their top priority in free agency if their long-shot pursuit of Kobe Bryant falls short" and that Denver is "believed to be planning to make a huge offer to Ginobili in the coming days."