Utah Deseret News - Maggette drawing lots of attention

Utah Jazz: Maggette drawing lots of attention
By Tim Buckley
Deseret News
Published: July 5, 2008
The Jazz's ability to land longtime Los Angeles Clippers swingman Corey Maggette is looking more and more like a long shot with each passing day.
As many predicted earlier this week, the Golden State Warriors — with newfound money after point guard Baron Davis opted out of his contract and committed to the Los Angeles Clippers — now are in the mix for Maggette.
Multiple reports on Friday suggested as much.

The Philadelphia Inquirer on Friday also cited an unidentified "NBA source" as saying the 76ers, one of the few teams with money to spend under the league's team-payroll salary cap, "had made contact with" Maggette "and hope to speak with him next week."
Meanwhile, the San Antonio Express-News reported Friday that "it appears (Maggette) is heading into the holiday weekend a little bit closer to becoming a Spur than he was before the week began," and that an unidentified "source close to the negotiations said Thursday that, though no deal is imminent, talks between the Spurs and Maggette are serious and the interest is mutual."

According to the Express-News, "the Spurs are believed to have offered Maggette a multi-year deal, starting with their $5.8 million midlevel exception."

Elsewhere Friday, the Boston Globe — one day after a competing newspaper denied its report that Maggette had received an offer from Boston — reported that "a day after talking with Celtics coach Doc Rivers, a longtime family friend ... Maggette said he is seriously considering an offer to join the NBA champions (and that) he is still in awe about being contacted by the Celtics and has been mulling over their contract offer as well as interest from several other teams."

The Globe again cited an unidentified "NBA source" as saying the Celtics offered Maggette "the full midlevel exception," which is a five-year deal starting at about $5.8 million next season.

It was unclear Friday if Orlando remains interested in Maggette, even though he had reported interest in the Magic when the NBA's summer shopping market opened late last Monday night. But one other team not initially mentioned in Maggette reports, the Cleveland Cavaliers, now is said by multiple accounts to have interest as well.

The Jazz?

They continue to be listed in multiple reports as being among the half-dozen or so teams with legitimate interest — and with good reason, according to indications from within the organization.

But the capped-out Jazz are armed with nothing more than a midlevel-exception deal, and if Maggette were to spurn Golden State's and Philadelphia's overtures and sign instead with an over-the-cap team, it seems he may be more inclined to take San Antonio's or Boston's money than Utah's.

Free agents cannot actually sign contracts until Wednesday at the earliest.

JAZZ LIKE JOHNSON? The Rocky Mountain News on Friday listed the Jazz among several teams "said to be interested" in 33-year-old unrestricted free agent Anthony Johnson, along with the likes of Denver, Cleveland, Miami, Orlando and Phoenix.

Johnson completed last season with Sacramento, following a February trade from Atlanta. The Jazz are known to previously have had interest in him.

Utah's two current reserve point guards, Ronnie Price and Jason Hart, both have played previously for the Kings.

To make room for Johnson or any other free agent, the Jazz would have to either opt against bringing back restricted free-agent swingman C.J. Miles or clear a roster spot some other way.

SNYDER WORKING OUT: After the Minnesota Timberwolves declined to tender a qualifying offer to Kirk Snyder, the ex-Jazz guard — one of Utah's two first-round draft choices in 2004 — has been reduced to working out for the Boston Celtics this week, along with the likes of David Harrison, Darius Miles and Patrick O'Bryant.

"A lot of these guys we have just liked, and they're trying to continue their careers," Celtics basketball boss and former BYU star Danny Ainge told the Boston Globe. "But there's a lot of guys in the basketball world and a lot more we're going to look at.

"There's no difference than if these guys were playing in a summer league. That's basically the situation we have right now."