Utah Jazz: Contrary to report, Jazz not looking to deal rights to Ante Tomic

SALT LAKE CITY — Links between another team's overseas scouting mission and a possible Jazz trade apparently are without merit.

The rumors involve Ante Tomic, a lanky 7-foot-2 Croatian center now playing in Spain for Real Madrid.

Tomic was a second-round draft choice of the Jazz's in 2008, and the Minnesota Timberwolves evidently have an eye for him.

Reached for comment on the Tomic talk late Tuesday afternoon, Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor, who has been attending offseason organization planning meetings this week and last, did not rule out any potential trade scenarios.

"If it makes our team better," he said, "we would consider anything."

Yet — despite an item originally posted by a Spanish newspaper, prompting Internet speculation that it's perhaps a possibility — there is no reason whatsoever to believe a Tomic trade proposal is on the table.

Or that one has even been discussed between Utah and Minnesota.

The Tomic chatter was prompted by a Noticias de Alava report that Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis attended a recent Spanish ACB League game and "paid special attention to" Tomic.

Multiple basketball-related websites later picked up and disseminated the report, including HoopsHype.com, a Spain-based site that is quite popular among Web-surfing American NBA fans.

It's believed that 23-year-old Tomic does not have an opt-out clause in his current contract for next season, but he could come to the NBA in time for the 2011-12 season.

Contributing: Jody Genessy

e-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com