Utah Jazz could still make changes via trade

The Jazz are no longer window shopping in the free-agent market.

Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor admitted that the franchise's search for available NBA pickups was over Thursday after his newest addition, backup point guard Brevin Knight, was introduced at the team's practice facility.

"We're done with signing, probably, any free agents," he said.

O'Connor then quickly added a "but" that prevented reporters from asking where he would be resting and relaxing until training camp starts in a couple of months.

"But," he said, "we're certainly not done continuing to look at working our roster to improve ourselves."

That means Knight, a seasoned player who was shipped here from the Los Angeles Clippers for seldom-used veteran Jason Hart, might not be the only newcomer to join the Jazz via the trade route.

Though June's NBA Draft and July's free-agency frenzy are over, O'Connor dismissed the notion that his life and phone calm down in August. Quite the opposite, in fact. He said talks with other general managers are "more intense" in August than in July because teams are looking to swap players to improve their teams or free up salary space or both.

"Now the thing you look forward to and look at is trades," he said. "So, yeah, there's conversations going on daily."

NEW POSITION? Deron Williams hasn't just played point guard for Team USA during his recent pre-Olympic exhibition game appearances. He has also played some shooting guard. But O'Connor said the Jazz "couldn't care less" how the U.S. basketball coaches use Utah's star point guard — and he's sure Williams doesn't mind, either.

"Deron's playing on the Olympic team at age 24 — if he's playing center he should be happy, and he would be," O'Connor said. "If he's on the floor, he's happy."

HE SAID IT: Jazz All-Star power forward Carlos Boozer, to the Boston Globe, regarding long-running rumors regarding a possible trade to Miami: "I live in Miami during the offseason ... I'm very good friends with (Heat owner) Micky Arison. So, the rumors are going to fly. We'll worry about those rumors later. I don't concern myself with rumors, rumors of being traded."

HOSTING HARPRING: Matt Harpring will play some basketball today in Utah, but he won't have the home-court advantage.

That edge belongs to Gary Widders.