From Deseret News archives:
No Morris, so Jazz agree to have Hart
Hello, Jason Hart.
The Jazz on Friday agreed in principle to terms on a contract with the veteran guard, a 2-year deal thought to be worth about $5 million.
"He's a player that's gotten better," Jazz basketball operations senior vice president Kevin O'Connor said of Hart, who has played in 240 games over six NBA seasons for five teams, most recently the Los Angeles Clippers. "He's a player that, when he's had his chances, has played pretty well.
"We actually feel very fortunate," O'Connor added, "that we were able to secure him."
The Jazz did so after it became public Friday that Peterson — a longtime Toronto Raptors swingman known to be one of their top targets in the NBA's summer free-agency market — had agreed to accept a four-year contract offer from the New Orleans Hornets.
The deal is thought to be worth about $23 million for Peterson, who visited with hopeful Jazz officials in Utah on Monday. That is full mid-level team payroll salary caption exception money, but one year shy of maximum allowable mid-level length.
"Good luck, and we wish him the best," O'Connor said. "He's a class guy, and we hope it works out for him."
The Jazz, it's believed, were unwilling to offer a fourth year to Peterson, who turns 30 years old next month and will be 34 in the final season of his new contract with the Hornets.
Hart, also 29, has played for Milwaukee, San Antonio, Charlotte, Sacramento and the Clippers.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder was buried on the bench with the Kings last season, wanted out and eventually landed in L.A., where he averaged 9.0 points and 4.0 assists in 23 games, including 22 starts.
A product of Syracuse University, which he left as the school's all-time steals leader, Hart was selected in the second round of the 2000 NBA Draft by the Bucks. His best statistical season came with Charlotte in 2004-05, when he averaged a career-high 9.5 points and career-high 5.0 points in 74 mostly off-the-bench games.
The Jazz foresee using him not only as a backup point guard to Deron Williams, but also at shooting guard. The Jazz have a void at that 2 spot, which is where Peterson likely would have started had he agreed to play in Utah.
The position was left vacant by the departure of veteran Derek Fisher, who has agreed to a three-year, $14 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. Fisher also was Utah's backup point last season.
"He can play both positions," O'Connor said of Hart. "He brings us toughness, and he brings some veteran leadership a little bit. It's some of the things that we were looking at, obviously, to replace the 27 minutes (per game) that (Fisher) gave us."
