Utah Jazz notebook: Re-signing Kyrylo Fesenko is next item of business

SALT LAKE CITY — With their really big big man now in the bag and shooting guard Raja Bell en route, too, the Jazz can turn their attention to talks with backup center Kyrylo Fesenko.

Fesenko actually has a few inches on 6-foot-10 Al Jefferson, the focal point of a trade made Tuesday with Minnesota that will go a long way toward filling the void left by two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer's move via free agency to Chicago.

Fesenko's obviously not as high-profile as Jefferson and Boozer, though, so Fesenko has to wait while Jazz brass have been busy with other matters.

Yet there has been an open line of communication with Fesenko's camp since the NBA's summer free-agency shopping market opened in late June.

"We've had consistent discussion with (Jazz general manager) Kevin (O'Connor) to this point," Fesenko's Denver-based representative, Stu Lash, said Wednesday.

O'Connor indicated after the Jefferson trade was finalized that the Jazz still had interest in re-signing Fesenko, as they've said they've wanted to do all along.

Reserve big man Kosta Koufos was included in the deal for Jefferson, making it that much more apparent that Fesenko is the young inside player Utah prefers to continue to develop.

Lash suggested he has spoken with a few other teams regarding Fesenko, but none has presented the restricted free agent with an offer sheet.

His preference anyway is to stay with the only NBA team for which he has ever played.

"I think we're moving along with what both of us (Fesenko and the Jazz) want," Lash said, "and that's for Fes to be in Utah."

It's unknown how close or far apart the two sides are.

If they can't agree on terms, Utah could consider other options, including Josh Powell (last with the Los Angeles Lakers), Anthony Tolliver (Golden State), Louis Amundson (Phoenix) and free agent James Augustine.

Multiple teams have interest in Tolliver, including Dallas, Golden State and the Lakers.

Augustine, who played earlier this month at the Orlando Pro Summer League, spent the past two years in Spain. A former member of the Orlando Magic, he currently is playing with Atlanta at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

RECRUITER KYLE: Now that he has signed as a free agent with Chicago, ex-Jazz shooting guard Kyle Korver is playing the part of recruiter for the Bulls.

Korver's signing this week followed that last week of former Jazz starting power forward Carlos Boozer.

According to ESPN.com, Boozer had "some impact as to where Korver ended up ... and now Korver is trying to throw on the same recruiting pitch for another former Utah teammate, Ronnie Brewer."

Brewer, an unrestricted free agent, was traded from Utah to Memphis last February. The Jazz had considered bringing him back, but on Wednesday they reached an agreement with veteran swingman Bell.

Chicago could turn to Brewer if Orlando opts to match an offer sheet that shooting guard J.J. Redick recently signed with the Bulls.

"(Boozer) reached out to me, and we talked about it, for sure," Korver said, according to the website. "And I was texting Ronnie Brewer earlier, so we're trying to start the Chicago Jazz here."

HE SAID IT: New Bull Korver, according to ESPN.com, at his introductory news conference in Chicago: "I thought Michael Jordan was selfish, and I hated the Bulls growing up. I was a (Los Angeles) Lakers fan because I was actually born in L.A., so Showtime basketball, that's what I grew up watching.

"As I got older and worked harder at my game, I came to respect Michael's game that much more, obviously. And this is really cool, standing here with the Bulls' uniform. I've played on a couple different teams in my career, but the Bulls, that's pretty serious stuff, it's pretty cool."

e-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com