Jazz sign Jason Terry to Offer Sheet

[Tony tha Mavs fan]

Jazz sign Terry to offer sheet


September 11, 2003
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Utah Jazz signed restricted free agent guard Jason Terry to an offer sheet on Thursday.

The Jazz have been looking for a starting point guard since John Stockton retired after last season.

Utah looked at Terry in July, but the two sides did not agree on a deal. Jazz president Dennis Haslam said Thursday the team had reached a deal with Terry, terms of which were not disclosed. The Atlanta Hawks have 15 days to match the offer.

The Hawks' offseason dealings have been complicated by AOL Time Warner's ongoing attempt to sell the team, along with the Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL and operating rights to Philips Arena, to Dallas businessman David McDavid.

The Hawks traded Glenn Robinson, the team's top scorer last season, in a four-team deal in July in a move to cut salary.

Utah already has point guards Raul Lopez and Carlos Arroyo under contract, but neither have much experience. Arroyo has been in the NBA just two years and Lopez, who missed last season while recovering from knee surgery, has yet to play in the league.

The Jazz signed second-round draft pick Maurice Williams, another guard.

Terry, a first-round draft pick out of Arizona in 1999, has spent his four NBA seasons with the Hawks, averaging 16.1 points and 5.6 assists. Last season he averaged 17.2 points and a career-best 7.4 assists.

If Atlanta doesn't match the offer, Terry would give the Jazz two veteran acquisitions this summer to help make up for the loss of Stockton and Karl Malone, who left the Jazz after 18 seasons and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Last month Utah picked up center Keon Clark and two second-round draft picks from Sacramento.

The Jazz struggled in the free agent market, mostly because the players they recruited were restricted and could be re-signed. Utah also signed restricted free agent Corey Maggette to an offer sheet, but the Los Angeles Clippers matched it.

Utah's efforts to sign Elton Brand and Brad Miller were also unsuccessful.

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I wonder who the Jazz's #1 pick in the draft will be next year.

[Nash13]

Originally posted by: Tony tha Mavs fan

If Atlanta doesn't match the offer, Terry would give the Jazz two veteran acquisitions this summer to help make up for the loss of Stockton and Karl Malone, who left the Jazz after 18 seasons and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Chuckle Chuckle Chuckle. Keon Clark/Jason Terry are hardly replacements or even close to that of Malone/Stockton.

I say they wait until next year when all the good free agents are unrestricted. They could go after Wallace, Foyle, even Nash(although i wouldn't hold my breath).

[dirno2000]

I never liked Utah, but I feel sorry for thier fans. When you consider the kind of ball they have been watching for the past 15 years, compared to what they're going to get this year. With Sloan as the coach, they'll still play tough and smart.

[seelenjaeger]

I wonder why Terry wants to leave abysmal Atlanta to join abysmal Utah. Can´t he get any better? And don´t we all remember Utah not beeing a great city ... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[dirno2000]

I'm sure he's not thrilled about it, but nobody else is offering him the money he wants. I'll bet it's like the Magette situation. His team won't pay him, so he signs an offer sheet with Utah and hopes it will be matched. In Utah's defense, it's a great basketball city. When you play in front of 5000 a night in a new arena, how can you get motivated. At least in Utah they support the team.

[mavsfanforever]

Next move for Utah will have to be signing of SJAX. They will still be left with lot of cap space to chase a big man next off season.

[FreshJive]

Originally posted by: dirno2000
I'm sure he's not thrilled about it, but nobody else is offering him the money he wants. I'll bet it's like the Magette situation. His team won't pay him, so he signs an offer sheet with Utah and hopes it will be matched. In Utah's defense, it's a great basketball city. When you play in front of 5000 a night in a new arena, how can you get motivated. At least in Utah they support the team.

Terry has stated that he hopes that the offer was too high for Atlanta to match, and the main reason he took so long to sign with Utah is that he wanted to make sure the offer was high enough that Atl wouldn't match it. He said that one of the main reason for choosing Utah over Atl is that no one in Atl supports the franchise and the Utah fans are great.

[superheadcat]

according to espn, "Hawks general manager Billy Knight, reached by phone in Sweden at the European Basketball Championships, told Aldridge that the Hawks would match the deal."

in news related to hawks, "The team is still waiting for final details to be ironed out in its sale to Texas businessman David McDavid"