Jazz sign Spurs' Brown to a 2-year offer sheet

Devin Brown grew up in San Antonio, watching the Spurs' George Gervin, David Robinson, Vinny Del Negro and even Uwe Blab, and firmly ingrained in the Spurs' organization as his family had season tickets and his sister was a ball girl.

But Brown was born in Salt Lake City, and it's entirely possible that's where the Spurs' restricted free-agent guard will play for the next couple of years.

The Jazz are in need of a shooting guard after trading away Kirk Snyder and losing Raja Bell to free agency, and the 6-foot-5, 26-year-old Brown is Utah's hoped-for answer. An NBA-career 42 percent shooter, Brown averaged 53 percent 3-point shooting through 21 career playoff games (36 percent career regular-season 3-point shooting).

On Thursday, Brown signed a two-year offer sheet with the Utah Jazz, meaning the Spurs will have seven days — from when they first received a copy of the offer sheet — to match it.

The Spurs' media relations department said Friday it had not received official word of the offer sheet from Brown and that general manager R.C. Buford is on vacation. The Spurs were already busy Friday, holding an afternoon press conference to introduce Michael Finley as the newest member of their team.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporter Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News Friday after the press conference that he would meet with Buford this weekend, and they plan to make a quick decision and "don't want to drag it out." Popovich said they would likely announce their decision Monday morning.

Jazz senior vice president of basketball operations Kevin O'Connor confirmed Brown's signing at midday Thursday but would not comment further as he left immediately afterward for vacation, saying Brown is not Utah property as of yet, so he wouldn't discuss him.

If the Spurs don't match — and the guess is they wouldn't as they've just signed free agents Finley and Nick Van Exel and re-signed their own man, Shaun Marks, to give them the required minimum of 13 on the roster — Brown going into his fourth NBA season would clear one hurdle on the way to becoming a Utah Jazzman.

The other, should the Spurs not match, would be a Jazz physical, which could be an issue as he had a herniated disk in his back that sidelined him the last month of the regular season and for all but six playoff games of the Spurs' championship run.

His agent, Darrick Powell, who did not answer or return Deseret Morning News phone calls, has told the San Antonio Express-News in the past that Brown's back is fine.