The Jazz have signed 33-year old SG/SF Raja Bell to a 3-year, $10 million dollar deal. Bell has to pass his physical to make this deal official. Bell played in 6 games (5 starts) for the Warriors & Bobcats last season and he averaged 30.0 minutes, 11.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Bell returns to the Jazz who he played for from 2003-05. He played in 145 games (36 starts) in his two years with the Jazz and he averaged 26.3 minutes, 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Bell has now played in 604 games (383 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 28.0 minutes, 10.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Bell will bring defense and long range shooting to the Jazz. He has shot 41.1% from three point range in his NBA career. I like this move for the Jazz.

The Jazz have acquired 25-year old PF/C Al Jefferson from the Minnesota Timberwolves for 21-year old center Kosta Koufos and two future first round picks. Jefferson played in 76 games (all starts) for the T-Wolves last season and he averaged 32.4 minutes, 17.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 blocked shots per game. He has now played in 407 games (276 starts) in his six years in the NBA and he has averaged 28.6 minutes, 15.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocked shots per game. The Jazz plan on starting Jefferson at center alongside Paul Millsap at power forward. Mehmet Okur will come off the bench for the Jazz when he finally gets healthy. I really like this move for the Jazz as Jefferson is a outstanding player. Koufos played in 36 games (0 starts) for the Jazz last season and he averaged 4.8 minutes, 1.5 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game. He has now played in 84 games (7 starts) in his two years for the Jazz and he averaged 8.8 minutes, 3.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game. The Jazz won’t miss Koufos.

The Jazz have traded 24-year old shooting guard Ronnie Brewer to the Grizzlies for a lottery protected first round pick in 2011. Brewer played in 53 games (all starts) for the Jazz this season and he averaged 31.4 minutes, 9.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He finishes his career with the Jazz having played in 266 games (223 starts) in which he averaged 26.4 minutes, 10.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. This trade looks money driven and for that reason I don’t like it. The Jazz are hot right now and they didn’t need to subtract a starting player from the team.

The Jazz have traded 22-year old point guard Eric Maynor and 33-year old SG/SF Matt Harpring to the Thunder for 2002 2nd round pick Peter Fehse. Maynor played in 26 games (2 starts) for the Jazz this season and he averaged 14.0 minutes, 5.2 points, 1.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Matt Harpring has not played at all this season due to injury. He played in 63 games (2 starts) last season for the Jazz and he averaged 11.0 minutes, 4.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. Fehse has never played in a NBA game and he likely won’t for the Jazz either. This trade saves the Jazz $13 million bucks and that is why they were willing to trade Maynor to the Thunder.

The 6’1” 170 pound John Stockton always looked more like your average Joe rather than one of the best point guards of all time.  The unassuming Stockton starred at Gonzaga before going 16^th in the 1984 NBA draft to the Utah Jazz, where he and Karl “The Mailman” Malone wreaked havoc on NBA defenses with their perfected and nearly unstoppable pick and roll.  Stockton averaged  13.1 ppg and 10.5 apg and finished his career with 15,806 assists, a number no other player is even close to (Mark Jackson is 2^nd all-time with 10,334 assists).  Stockton also has the most steals in NBA history with 3,265.  Stockton was always known for his toughness and “old school” style and look, donning those short shorts long after the baggy shorts became popular. 

Stockton’s coach, Jerry Sloan, is also headed to the Hall of Fame this year.  Sloan helped lead Stockton and Malone to two NBA finals appearances in 1997 and 1998, losing both to the Michael Jordan led Chicago Bulls.  Sloan was known for his toughness and defense as a player with the Chicago Bulls and brought that mentality to his coaching style.  Sloan became the head coach of the Chicago Bulls in 1979 and stayed there until 1982, before joining the Utah Jazz in 1988.  Sloan is the longest tenured coach not only in the NBA but also in all of the American major league sports as he is still the head coach of the Utah Jazz.  The 67-year-old Sloan definitely deserves to be in the Hall of Fame with a career record of 1136-747, coached two hall of famers in Stockton and Malone, had 15 straight playoff appearances from 1988-2003, and yet he has uncharacteristically never won the NBA coach of the year award.

 The Hall of Fame ceremonies are from September 10-12 in Springfield, Massachusetts and the other members of the Class of 2009 inductees includes the great Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan, San Antonio Spurs’ great David Robinson, and Rutgers University women’s head coach Vivian Stringer.