It's official: McLeod returning to Jazz

With another year under the point guard's belt, the Utah Jazz expect a little more out of Keith McLeod than he gave them last season as an expected backup thrust into a starting role for 47 games.

So when it came time Friday afternoon to complete their contract negotiations, the Jazz gave McLeod even more than they'd offered this summer, assumed to be $937,500.

With McLeod in the fold, the Jazz were able to announce their training-camp roster of 19 players, with one spot technically still open. Camp begins Tuesday in Boise.

McLeod was a restricted free agent, and this summer the Jazz had to present an offer sheet to him or lose the right to match any other team's salary offer. Apparently no other NBA team tried to sign McLeod, so he and the Jazz negotiated. The qualifying offer would have expired today. The Jazz Friday offered McLeod more money than earlier, in exchange of possibly receiving an option for a longer contract.

Kevin O'Connor, Jazz senior vice president of basketball operations, would not elaborate on the contract length but said the Jazz negotiated because, "You might want him back for more than a year — you might. I think we were bidding to try and make sure that he was comfortable coming back, and we were comfortable having him back."

O'Connor also said he would expect a player who got as many minutes as McLeod did last season — 26.1 a game — "to be a better player the next year." He has heard reports that the third-year man out of Bowling Green, who played part of a season with Minnesota as a rookie, spent the summer getting stronger.

"You know he was going to work," O'Connor said.

McLeod's name came up publicly this summer with only Toronto, which assumed the Jazz would match any offer it might have extended. There wasn't an actual deadline, but the Jazz would no longer have to honor the qualifying offer they gave him as of today. O'Connor said anxiety about re-signing the only point guard with Jazz experience lessened as other points guards signed and filled spots on other teams.

O'Connor wouldn't predict where McLeod might fit in the point-guard rotation, with heralded rookie Deron Williams of Illinois and journeyman Milt Palacio, signed as a free agent last month.

"I think the coaches are comfortable with the fact that he'll come in and compete, and he knows the system from last year," O'Connor said. "We're just happy to have him back — and as far as the role goes, I think he's got to determine that, not us."