Utah Jazz have completed trade for Al Jefferson

SALT LAKE CITY — Jazz ownership is believed to have signed off Monday night on a trade that would bring Minnesota Timberwolves big man Al Jefferson to Utah.

Tweeted Jazz CEO Greg Miller shortly before 9 p.m. Monday: "I just approved a Jazz roster move that I'm very excited about. Planning to share details tomorrow."

Asked if an under-discussion trade for Jefferson was complete, Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor said, "I just can't comment."

O'Connor did say that the Jazz would take their full seven days before to deciding whether to match the offer sheet starting shooting guard Wesley Matthews signed with Portland last Saturday, seemingly eliminating that as the "roster move" referenced by family ownership rep Miller.

Jefferson — a former Boston Celtic, and integral to the 2007 trade that sent Kevin Garnett from Minnesota to Boston — requested that the Timberwolves deal him.

With three NBA seasons in Boston and three in Minnesota, he's a career 15.7 points-per-game scorer. In three of those six seasons, he's also averaged 11.0 rebounds per game.

Minnesota had been talking about Jefferson over the weekend with Dallas, but Utah emerged Monday as a serious suitor.

The Jazz and 'Wolves apparently were haggling Monday night over details on draft-pick details involved in the pending deal.

It's not known precisely what Utah would send to Minnesota in return, but a protected future first-round draft choice that the Jazz acquired in a February swap with Memphis could be part of the package.

The Timberwolves, it's thought, do not want to take any player salary back in a deal for a Jefferson.

The Jazz presumably would absorb Jefferson's hefty salary with the $13-plus million traded player exception it acquired by completing a sign-and-trade with Chicago when two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer recently signed with the Bulls.

That allows them to get around the fact they'd be over the NBA team payroll salary cap of $58.044 million next season.

Jefferson is scheduled to make $42 million over the next three seasons — $13 million next season, $14 million in 2011-12 and $15 million in 2012-13.

Though not at all known for his defensive skills, much a la Boozer, the 6-foot-10 Jefferson is a 265-pound load down low who can contribute out of either the power forward or center positions.