Jazz's first phone call: to Malone

Despite all the bitter banter back and forth between Jazz owner Larry H. Miller and star free agent Karl Malone in recent weeks, the Jazz are making it quite clear they do intend to approach Malone and his agent when the NBA's summer free-agency market opens Tuesday.

"The first phone call we're going to make is to Karl and (agent) Dwight (Manley)," said Kevin O'Connor, the Jazz vice president of basketball operations.

"We'll meet with them," O'Connor added, "as soon as they can, and as soon as they want."

How Manley and the Malone camp will respond to that overture, however, remains to be seen.

"The plan right now," Manley said Saturday night by phone from California, "is to work the phones on Tuesday, and go from there — react to whatever comes up Tuesday."

Malone is expected to draw some degree of interest from multiple NBA teams, and has suggested he will consider going to Dallas, San Antonio, Sacramento or the Los Angeles Lakers — all title-contending teams — if he does not return for a 19th season in Utah.

Manley, though, opened the door even wider on Saturday.

"We're going to look at every situation," the agent said. "If that's 29 teams, that's 29 teams.

"If the Jazz want to be the No. 1 team," he added, "they can be No. 1."

Manley, though, suggested his client is still undecided on the issue of leaving Utah.

"There's pros and cons to all the things that are going to be put on the table (this) week," Manley said. "But to decide in advance is really not doable."

As Manley sees it, there are two issues standing as potential roadblocks to Malone's potential return.

"The team, as it sits now, is not at the level of past Jazz teams, competitiveness-wise," Manley said. "The other thing is (Jazz owner) Larry (H. Miller) is telling Karl he must take a big pay cut to get these so-called big free agents that are out there. OK, who are they? Karl wants to know, 'Who are they?' All he's saying is 'Who?' "

Malone, who this past season made $19.25 million in the final season of a four-year deal worth $66.5 million, told KSL-TV last week that he wants to know whom the Jazz will pursue before he commits to returning — and that he would be willing to play for only a few million dollars if that is what it takes for Utah to make itself a competitive rather than a rebuilding team.