The Utah Jazz have re-signed 26-year old backup point guard Ronnie Price to a 1-year deal. Price played in 52 games (17 starts) for the Jazz last year and he averaged 14.2 minutes, 4.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. This was a good move as Price did a good job backing up Deron Williams last season. Price has now played in 200 games (21 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 10.2 minutes, 3.4 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.2 assists per game.

The Utah Jazz selected 23-year old PF Goran Sutton with the 50th pick in the NBA Draft. Sutton is a big guy at 6’10″, 245 pounds and he’s a four year college player just like the Jazz like to draft. Sutton played in 135 games at Michigan State and he averaged 8.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. The Jazz will likely go slow with Sutton because they have a lot of quality depth in the frontcourt.

The Utah Jazz selected 22-year old point guard Eric Maynor with the 20th pick of the NBA Draft last night. Maynor is a polished playmaker having played 4 years of college ball. He played in 130 games at VCU and he averaged 15.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Maynor will have to learn how to play off the bench because Deron Williams isn’t going anywhere soon for the Jazz.

The Utah Jazz have acquired point guard Brevin Knight from the Clippers in exchange for point guard Jason Hart. This was a great deal for the Jazz as Knight should be able to do a good job giving Deron Williams a break every night. The 32-year old Knight is just a little guy at 5’10″. 170 pounds but he’s as fast as lightning with the basketball. Knight played in 74 games (39 starts) with the Clippers last season and he averaged 22.6 minutes, 4.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Knight is a pure point guard but he can’t shoot a lick. That shouldn’t be a problem on the Jazz as they have more than enough players to surround Knight with that can shoot the rock. Knight has now played in 655 games (423 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 26.3 minutes, 7.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Jason Hart won’t be missed as he played awful last season for the Jazz. Hart played in 57 games (0 starts) with the Jazz last season and he averaged 10.6 minutes, 2.9 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.5 assists per game. Hart only shot 32% from the floor last season so the Jazz should be much better off without him. This was a great move for the Jazz.

The Utah Jazz have acquired sharp shooting small forward Kyle Korver from the Utah Jazz for Gordan Giricek and a conditional first round pick. This was a great move for the Jazz as Giricek was just too soft to depend on and he was in Jerry Sloan’s Dog House. Korver has played in 2 games so far for the Jazz and he has averaged 14.5 minutes, 12.5 points, 1.0 rebound and 0.5 assists per game. Korver has now played in 27 games this season and he is averaging 25.4 minutes, 10.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

The Jazz have re-signed reserve guard C.J. Miles.  Miles played in 37 games (13 starts) last season for the Jazz and he averaged 10.1 minutes, 2.7 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game last season.  Over his 2-year career, Miles has played in 60 games (13 starts) and he has averaged 3.0 points, 1.2 points and 0.7 assists per game.  Miles will likely have a small role again this season for the Jazz.

The Utah Jazz have signed rookie center Kyrylo Fesenko on the same day that Rafael Araujo decided to leave to play overseas.  This will likely be a wash for the Jazz as Fesenko should be able to replace the numbers that Araujo put up last season.  In his only year with the Jazz, Araujo played in 28 games and he averaged 2.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  He shot only 41.5% from the floor despite most of his shots coming from close range and he only made 62.1% of his free throws.  Araujo will be no loss at all for the Jazz in 2007-08.

The Utah Jazz have signed point guard Jason Hart to backup Deron Williams for next season.  Hart played in 36 games (22 starts) last season for the Clippers and the Kings.  In those games Hart averaged 23.5 minutes, 6.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game.  Hart shot 44.6% from the floor, 24.1% from the three point line and 89.4% from the free throw line. 

Hart has now played in 240 NBA games (54 starts) in his career and he has averaged 18.0 minutes, 5.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 0.9 steals per game.  Hart has shot 43.9% from the floor, 31.9% from the three point line and 78.1% from the free throw line.  Signing Hart was a good move for the Jazz as they can now give Deron Williams more of a break this season.

Shooting guard Derek Fisher asked to be released by the Utah Jazz so that he could spend more time with his little daughter who’s fighting for her life.  He didn’t announce his retirement because he might return to the game he loves at some point if his daughter gets better.  I’ll be saying a prayer for that little girl and you should too.  Fisher played in all 82 games last season (61 starts) for the Jazz and he averaged 27.9 minutes, 10.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  His shooting was a little off as he only hit 38.2% from the floor, 30.8% from three point range and 85.3% from the free throw line.

Fisher has had a long career as he has played in 782 career NBA games (351 starts) and he has averaged 25.6 minutes, 8.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game.  He has shot 39.7% from the floor, 36.8% from three point range and 80.3% from the free throw line over his career.  Here’s hoping it isn’t the end of Fisher’s NBA career.