UVSC's Price is right for a second look

Utah Valley State College guard Ronnie Price is back for a second audition today in advance of the June 28 NBA Draft, apparently because he was bothered by an injury during his first workout for the Jazz last month.

"He felt he didn't have a good workout, because he felt he had a little bit of a groin pull," Jazz basketball operations senior vice president Kevin O'Connor said. "The fact he's local and everything — we wanted to bring him back and give him an opportunity to go again."

Price had a respectable showing at last week's NBA pre-draft camp in Chicago, but O'Connor suggested the UVSC senior would have returned even if he hadn't.

"We asked him to be a little bit cautious the last time," O'Connor said.

Price will work this morning with UCLA swingman Dijon Thompson, who also is back for a second look, University of Texas-El Paso shooting guard Omar Thomas and Seattle high school shooting guard Martell Webster.

Webster is a projected first-round pick, and the first potential lottery selection in this year's draft to audition in Utah. He supposedly had a terrific workout Thursday at Portland.

Meanwhile, four college guards and possible second-round picks — Luther Head of Illinois, Josh Pace of Syracuse, Ricky Shields of Rutgers and Alabama-Birmingham's Donnell Taylor — worked out Thursday for the Jazz.

NO PROMISES: O'Connor on Thursday squashed an Internet report suggesting the Jazz have promised to draft a University of Cincinnati power forward who worked out last month in Utah.

"We made no promise — none — to Jason Maxiell," O'Connor said. "I can probably play cat-and-mouse and say something about it, but I don't think that's fair to Jason."

NO MALONE: Phil Jackson's return as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers won't change former Jazz star Karl Malone's status as an NBA retiree, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday. According to the Times, "Malone, who played one season with the Lakers and announced his retirement in February, will not consider another run with Jackson and the Lakers, his agent said Wednesday."

"He didn't leave because Phil left, and he didn't originally come exclusively for Phil," Dwight Manley told the Times. "I don't think any of that's changed. He's enjoying his retirement.