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.

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