Utah Jazz notebook: 16-man summer-camp roster released

SALT LAKE CITY — The Jazz on Tuesday night released a 16-man summer-camp roster, and it included five former NBA players who will join current team members Kosta Koufos, Sundiata Gaines and Othyus Jeffers.

Recent 2010 NBA Draft choices Gordon Hayward and Jeremy Evans also are among the 16, as is — as expected — 2008 second-round pick Tadija Dragicevic.

The group opens camp with a workout today in Orlando and begins play Monday in the eight-team Orlando Pro Summer League.

The five with prior NBA experience in the NBA: power forward James Augustine, power forward Jermareo Davidson, swingman Thomas Gardner, small forward Demetris Nichols and swingman Bernard Robinson.

Augustine, Jazz point guard Deron Williams' former teammate at the University of Illinois, played 42 games while with Orlando from 2006-08.

Davidson, from the University of Alabama, appeared in 38 games with Charlotte in the 2007-08 season and 14 with Golden State in the 2008-09.

Garder, a University of Missouri product, played four games for Chicago in the 2007-08 season and 16 for Atlanta in 2008-09.

Nichols, from Syracuse, had logged 18 games total for Cleveland, Chicago and New York from 2007-09.

Robinson, who played at the University of Michigan, has the most NBA experience among the five. He played 118 games over three seasons for Charlotte and 10 more with New Jersey in the 2006-07 season.

Augustine last played in Spain, Davidson in Puerto Rico, Gardner in Belgium and Nichols in France.

Koufos is heading into his third NBA season; Gaines and Jeffers were NBA Development League call-ups last season.

Hayward was taken ninth in last Thursday's NBA Draft out of Butler, and Evans was a second-round selection (No. 55 overall) from Western Kentucky.

Dragicevic, a 6-foot-9 forward from Serbia, played last season in Italy for Lottomatica Roma. He'll be making his first appearance with the Jazz.

Utah's other five summer-campers: former University of California center Rod Benson, who last played with Reno in the D-League; ex-Syracuse small forward Paul Harris, last with Maine of the D-League; former Boston College point guard Tyrese Rice, whose last team was in Greece; former Arkansas power forward Darian Townes, Iowa of the D-League; and Dominic Waters, a rookie point guard from Portland State.

Harris was with the Jazz for fall training camp last season, but he severely sprained an ankle and never did play.

Waters, who recently took part in a pre-draft workout with the Jazz, went undrafted.

The Jazz will play five games over five days in Orlando, beginning with Monday's meeting with Charlotte.

NBA TV will televise each of the Jazz's games.

PLAISTED PLAYING: Not all teams playing in Orlando have released their rosters yet, but some have.

Philadelphia's includes former BYU big man Trent Plaisted, who played last season in Croatia.

The Jazz's summer team will face Philly on July 9.

HUMPHRIES BACK: The Bergen Record newspaper reported Thursday that ex-Jazz forward and one-time lottery pick Kris Humphries has picked up his $3.2 million contract option for next season.

According to the paper, "the Nets like Humphries but privately hoped he would opt out so they would have more money for free agency."

PALACIO PLAYING: Ex-Jazz guard Milt Palacio will play for the Belizean national team when it competes next week at FIBA's Centrobasket tournament in the Dominican Republic.

Former NBA player Marques Johnson will coach Belize's entry.

Palacio, whose parents are from Belize, has bounced around Europe since leaving the NBA.

HE SAID IT: Miami Heat power forward Udonis Haslem, to the Miami Herald, on what he think he's worth: "I look at guys at my position — Anderson Varajao, Lamar Odom, Paul Millsap — and I want to be in the league with those guys. I led the league in double-doubles off the bench."

The Jazz's Millsap signed a four-year, $32 million deal last offseason.

e-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com