Jazz, Pavlovic close to a deal

The Jazz are close to signing 2003 first-round draft choice Sasha Pavlovic, but it remains to be seen if the shooting guard from Serbia-Montenegro will be signed, sealed and delivered in time to play for Utah in the Rocky Mountain Revue summer league that begins next week.

"We've agreed to an agreement in principle . . . but it's predicated on the paperwork," said Kevin O'Connor, the Jazz's senior vice president of basketball operations.

The paperwork to which O'Connor refers involves confirmation and approval of Pavlovic's buyout settlement with his European team, Buducnost of the Yugoslav Basketball Association.

"Right now he's agreed in principle to a buyout with his team," O'Connor said. "That's been taken care of, but now it's going to depend on paperwork and how quickly we can push the paperwork through."

The Jazz want Pavlovic signed so he can play with their entry in the nine-team, nine-day summer league, which gets under way July 18 at Salt Lake Community College.

Pavlovic's standard rookie contract, scale-slotted for a No. 19 overall selection, is worth up to $3.57 million for his first three NBA seasons.

The Jazz are permitted by league rules to contribute up to $350,000 toward the buyout of the 19-year-old's European contract.

E-MAIL: tbuckley@desnews.com