From Deseret News archives:

Arroyo signs 4-year contract to remain in Jazz backcourt

Published: Thursday, July 15, 2004 6:44 a.m. MDT
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The Jazz may not have enough money available to entice both center Greg Ostertag and forward-center Jarron Collins back.

Ostertag has been drawing interest from elsewhere, and it's believed his hometown Dallas Mavericks may be back in the picture after early interest from Phoenix, Miami and Milwaukee seemed to fade. The Mavs can offer Ostertag more cash than the Jazz, especially after the NBA's team payroll salary cap came in at a lower-than-expected $43.87 million late Tuesday night.

But Utah is still interested, particularly since former University of Utah big man Michael Doleac agreed to a four-year, $12 million with Miami late Monday night.

"We've been discussing (Ostertag) a lot more in the last 48 hours," Miller said Wednesday night. "I think he clearly moves up on our list."

Affording Ostertag, however, may mean Collins has to go.

There is a possibility both could return, but it would take some degree of financial creativity on the part of the Jazz — and perhaps concessions of some sort on the part of both big men.

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Figuring out what it would take to get Arroyo to return, however, wasn't nearly so difficult. He hoped to stay in the worst of ways, so much so he was calling Jazz basketball operations senior vice president Kevin O'Connor himself.

"I wanted to come back so bad," Arroyo said, "that I wasn't focussed on other calls.

"I promise you guys," he added with a glance to his right at Miller, O'Connor and Sloan, "I'll do my best to show you did not make the wrong decision."


E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com

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Utah's Carlos Arroyo meets the media after inking new deal.

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