According to the Contra Costa (Calif.) Times, Golden State basketball boss Chris Mullin suggested "he's going to give each guard a chance to show what he's got."

McLeod will battle for the right to back up Warriors point guard Baron Davis, though Mullin seems particularly high on ex-San Antonio Spurs swingman Brown.

"He (Brown) is a player we really like," he told the Oakland Tribune. "He's got championship experience. He's a tough-nosed player, a guy that can contribute."

WHAT GOES AROUND: After being traded last Friday from New Orleans/Oklahoma City to Houston, it probably didn't take ex-Jazz shooting guard Kirk Snyder long to realize he'll now be playing for Jeff Van Gundy — the same coach who watched Snyder taunt the Rockets bench after a dunk during a game in the 2004-05 season.

"That was a very, very emotional game," Synder, who apologized afterward to Van Gundy, told the Houston Chronicle. "It was one of the few times I got the opportunity to play. I was all bottled up, and in an emotional state. I had an opportunity to see Coach Van Gundy (later) and let him know I knew it wasn't appropriate. I'm so glad I did."

MISC.: Philadelphia's Revue team played the Jazz on Saturday without first-round draft pick Rodney Carney (strained left hamstring), second-rounder Bobby Jones (strained right hamstring) and roster regular Shavlik Randolph (excused for undisclosed personal reasons). . . . Jazz shooting guard Gordan Giricek is among the half-dozen NBA players scheduled to join ex-Jazz point guard Carlos Arroyo of the Orlando Magic for the league's upcoming Basketball Without Borders instructional camp in Arroyo's native Puerto Rico. . . . Charles Boozer, Jazz power forward Carlos Boozer's younger brother, reportedly plans to play next season for Stoneridge Prep, an elite prep program in Simi Valley, Calif.

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com