From Deseret News archives:
Utah Jazz must decide today if they'll match Miles' offer
As of early Thursday night, even general manager Kevin O'Connor — who admits to some restless nights over the past week because of the pending decision — wasn't sure what the Jazz would do.
"Honestly, no," he said when asked if a decision had been made. "Are we leaning one way or the other? No."
O'Connor did suggest the Jazz would have no problem matching even if Miles prefers that they do not, which is thought to indeed be the case.
"Not at all," he said. "It's a business."
It's believed the fourth year of the deal is a team option, meaning only three seasons and about $12 million is guaranteed — something known by some, but not all, since shortly after the offer sheet was signed.
If the Jazz do decide to match, Miles — a 2005 second-round draft choice out of Skyline High School in Dallas — would mark the 15th guaranteed contract that Utah has for next season.
The NBA limit is 15, and the Jazz traditionally carry no more than 14 players unless signing a 15th is necessitated by injury.
Two other restricted free agents have signed offer sheets this offseason.
The Los Angeles Lakers opted not to match Golden State's reported four-year, $17 million offer to big man Ronny Turiaf, and Golden State chose Thursday to match a reported three-year, $9 million offer from the Los Angeles Clippers to swingman Kelenna Azubuike.
HART APOLOGIZES: Jason Hart called himself "very appreciative" that O'Connor made the trade Wednesday that sent him back to his hometown Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for another reserve point guard, veteran Brevin Knight.
Hart — signed to a two-year, roughly $4.8 million contract by Utah as a free agent last summer, after he finished the 2006-07 NBA season with the Clippers — also said he "told Kevin, 'I apologize it never worked out"' with the Jazz.
Hart lost his backup job in Utah to Utah Valley product Ronnie Price, and wound up playing just 57 games — and shooting a career-low 32.2 percent from the field — for the Jazz last season.
Asked why he things didn't pan out as envisioned, Hart said that when playing just 10 or 12 minutes behind starter Deron Williams "it's always gonna be tough to get in a rhythm — sometimes you're gonna hit a shot, sometimes not."
