Utah Jazz: Ronnie Price will get more minutes – and competition

MIAMI — The biggest beneficiary of Tuesday's salary-dump trade by the Jazz, without a doubt, is the Miller family pocketbook.

Beyond that, though, combo guard Ronnie Price is the one who stands to gain the most.

With rookie backup point guard Eric Maynor being the cost for shipping Matt Harpring's expiring $6.5 million contract to Oklahoma and creating $10-plus million in savings for the Jazz without taking on any added salary, Price suddenly had a place to play.

He might have been the Jazz's backup point anyway if a foot/toe injury earlier this season hadn't cost him 15 straight games.

Now, though, there's no question what the Utah Valley State product's role will be.

"I think Ronnie will have a chance to relax and know he's gonna play," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said of his new top backup to starter Deron Williams at the point.

"Still," Sloan added, "you're looking at not a huge amount of minutes, because Deron is a terrific player and it's hard to have him off the floor."

Even eight or 10 or 12 minutes, though, is something more than Price has known with certainty he'd have with Jason Hart or Brevin Knight or most lately Maynor standing in his way.

Price embraces the opportunity with open arms, even though his foot still is not fully healed and remains something less than 100 percent.

"I'm as good as it's gonna get, and the injury is no excuse for my play," he said.

Williams' advice to Price following the trade?

"I just want him to be him," the Jazz's starter said. "Ronnie can be great for us. He's definitely a scorer, a guy who can create and provide a lot of energy and toughness on defense."

Price, for his part, promises to heed Williams' words.

"I'm still gonna be me on the court, play hard," said Price, who is in his third season with the Jazz after spending two in Sacramento.

"It's still the same game, regardless," added Price, who scored six points on 3 for 6 shooting after logging 14 minutes. "Now you just know that instead of sitting on the bench waiting for (your name) to get called, now you know that it's going to get called."

Soon, though, the Jazz are likely to bring in yet another guard with a mind for Price's minutes.

Utah is required to add a 13th player to its roster sometime in the next couple weeks, and general manager Kevin O'Connor said he plans for it to be a point.