Utah Jazz: No luxury-tax relief if Harpring retires

Writes Broussard: "Contracts can be signed (at 10 p.m. July 7), and a team has seven days to match the offer. If OKC were to make an agreement with Millsap before (then), it would be giving the Jazz more time to potentially move players around to create room to re-sign Millsap."

With more than $73 million currently committed to 11 players for next season, the theory goes, the Jazz might have to trim some salary before committing to Millsap.

If no offer beyond one starting at midlevel-exception money (about $5.8 million) were to come from Oklahoma City or another NBA team, however, it's possible that Millsap would simply accept the $1.03 million qualifying offer Utah recently made to him for next season.

That would make him unrestricted in the summer of 2010, when many teams are expected to have much more spending money and cap room. But it also appears to be an unlikely scenario, since Millsap spent his first three NBA seasons making less than $1 million per year.

All of which seems to leave Millsap banking, at least for now, that the Thunder will come through.

Whether they will, though, is uncertain.

On one hand, according to ESPN.com, "they had contacted him and told him they like his game, but that's about it." On the other, ESPN.com also reported, "some executives believe the Thunder, who have roughly $14 million in cap space, would be making a mistake not to go after Millsap."

Said one unidentified executive to the Web site: "Honestly, what free agents are you going to attract to Oklahoma City? Is it time to jump on a Paul Millsap? I would say, 'Yeah.' "

KNICKS TRIED TO TRADE FOR ALMOND:The New York Post on Friday cited an unnamed team source in reporting that the New York Knicks "fully expect to sign" ex-Jazz shooting guard Morris Almond "for next season as long as he performs decently in Las Vegas."

Almond, the Jazz's 2007 first-round draft choice from Rice University and an unrestricted free agent, will play for the Knicks' summer-league team later this month in Vegas.

Knicks basketball boss Donnie Walsh, the Post reported, "said Almond is being heavily considered to be signed for next season" and "revealed he tried to trade for the 6-foot-6 Almond last season."

"We're looking for shooting," Walsh told the newspaper. "We acquired some of it in the draft (with picks Jordan Hill and Toney Douglas), but he's someone you have to look at."

The Jazz have no interest in re-signing Almond.

E-MAIL: tbuckley@desnews.com