"The bottom line is winning," Sloan said. "Can you step out there and win, and do it as a team? That's what every team strives for. And, you know, contracts will take care of themselves."

Price will join Knight, Paul Millsap and Jarron Collins in the free-agency world next summer, but he claims that isn't going to adversely affect the Jazz's success.

"We have great team chemistry. Guys enjoy each other and enjoy playing on the court with each other, and that's key for us. That's the No. 1 key," Price said. "I don't think too many guys are worried about (contract matters). We're worried about this season, and winning."

Korver reminded reporters that during his 4 1/2 seasons in Philadelphia, he had four different coaches and 30-or-so teammates. So the sharpshooter is more excited about having 12 teammates back than he is nervous about contract issues getting in the way of the Jazz's championship hopes.

"That's just the NBA," he said. "I know it's something that people can talk about. It's probably a news item. But I don't think it's really something that we're really thinking about a whole lot. We're focused on the now."

Sloan said the impending contract quandary will only be a problem if the Jazz let it become one.

"It's gonna be a big deal the more we talk about it," he said. "... But I don't think it's something that should be drug across the bridge every day."

Winning as a team, he believes, will benefit everybody on the Jazz, contract year or not.

"Usually the guys that play on teams that win a lot of games, generally speaking, other teams want 'em. Twenty-nine teams want 'em," he said.

Boozer said the team can learn from lessons he and Deron Williams picked up as members of the "Redeem Team" this summer. A key to the Jazz's success, he insists, will be emulating the game-long, suffocating defense the U.S. Olympic team displayed en route to winning the gold medal in Beijing.

"For this team, we have the same type of capabilities," he said. "We're very athletic. We're very young. We're very enthusiastic about the game, so if we can bring all that to the defensive end on a consistent basis for the season, we may be cutting down nets."

That is a message Sloan and his leaders will try to spread to the team.

"I think the whole team knows defensively we've got to get better," Williams said. "... I was talking to coach Sloan about it, and his No. 1 priority is our defense this year. Hopefully, we can get everybody in that same mindset."