http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595075377,00.html Jazz get Okur's OK. Utah also agrees on contract with swingman Giricek By Tim Buckley Deseret Morning News Mehmet Okur, the Jazz's top target in the NBA's 2004 free agency market, has agreed to sign an offer sheet that should pave the way for the 6-foot-11 big man to play for years to come in Utah. But that was not the only development that had Kevin O'Connor grinning Monday. The Jazz also have come to terms on a multi-year contract with one of their own restricted free agents, swingman Gordan Giricek, who arrived in a February trade with Orlando and finished the 2003-04 season as Utah's starting shooting guard. Meanwhile, New Jersey Nets restricted free agent power forward Kenyon Martin is expected to visit Utah sometime this week. The Jazz have more than $26 million under the NBA's team payroll cap to spend this summer, more than enough to sign Okur; Giricek and fellow Jazz restricted free agents Carlos Arroyo, Jarron Collins and Mo Williams; and at least one more big man, perhaps including unrestricted free agent center Greg Ostertag. The securing of Okur's commitment, though, is a major hurdle overcome for the center-seeking Jazz, who must wait until the league's summer signing period opens eight days from now before they can receive anything in writing from the Detroit Pistons restricted free agent. "He (Okur) has committed to sign an offer sheet with the Utah Jazz on July 14th," O'Connor, the Jazz's senior vice president of basketball operations, said Monday night. "We intend to enter into an offer sheet with the player once the moratorium ends." A negotiating-only period opened last Thursday, one in which oral commitments are permitted. Detroit will have 15 days beginning on July 14th to match Utah's offer to Okur — believed to be either a five- or six-year deal valued at something well more than $41 million but probably nothing over $48 million. But because the Pistons have exceeded the NBA's team payroll salary cap, and because Okur played only two seasons in Detroit, they cannot exceed so-called midlevel-exception money in order to match. The Jazz's offer far exceeds that, so it seems the only way the NBA-champion Pistons could get around it to keep Okur is if they shooed away unrestricted free agent power forward Rasheed Wallace. That scenario seems highly unlikely, as Wallace was a major cog in Detroit's title run after arriving in a trade this season while Okur — who fell somewhat out of favor with Pistons coach Larry Brown — went from the starting lineup to the bench. The upshot: Okur can at least begin to shop for a house in Utah. First, though, there are other priorities. Okur currently is at home in his native Turkey, where this week the 25-year -old will both carry the Olympic torch through the streets of Istanbul and get married to a Turkish model who formerly held the title of Miss Turkey. Once here, assuming Detroit does not match, Okur can play either center or power forward — probably more at the 5 spot if the Jazz do not re-sign Ostertag, or more at the 4 if they retain Ostertag but do not land another power forward. As for Giricek, he also must wait to sign — but his agent, Marc Fleisher, has assured the Jazz he will do just that. "Gordan Giricek has agreed to a contract with us," O'Connor said Monday night , "and we will be signing him on the 14th." Fleisher represents not only Giricek, but also Okur and Jazz All-Star forward Andrei Kirilenko — a fact that may have helped move talks along. "I'm sure it probably did," O'Connor said. "But, as Marc said, each one (Okur and Giricek) was done separately." Fleisher could not be reached Monday night. He was on a plane bound for Turkey, where he planned to attend Okur's wedding. Financial terms of Giricek's deal were not disclosed, but the Jazz did make the 27-year-old Croatian a qualifying offer of $1,925,000 for next season to retain their right to match any outside offer made to him. Rather than sign another team's offer sheet, Giricek agreed to terms with the Jazz — meaning they can have him back under contract as soon as the 14th. Before the agreement with Giricek was made known, Jazz president Dennis Haslem said the club remained open to the notion of re-signing all four of its restricted free agents. Starting point guard Arroyo has drawn interest from several other teams, but O'Connor said the Jazz are "still involved in negotiations with Carlos." The Jazz also continue to remain in the running for San Antonio Spurs restricted free agent shooting guard Manu Ginobili. He visited with the Jazz on Saturday in Salt Lake City, but Haslem said "no offers were made" and "no demands were made." O'Connor declined comment when asked if the Jazz intended to make Ginobili an offer sheet. San Antonio, Denver, Utah and Atlanta all are potential destinations for the 26-year-old from Argentina, though the Spurs still seem intent on matching any offer. Ginobili hopes to make his decision before the end of the week, and it could influence subsequent moves by the Jazz and Nuggets. "The dominoes," Haslem said, "will begin to fall (this) week." Martin, supposedly seeking a maximum-money offer, also apparently intends to visit Denver this week. Some speculate Martin — much like Ginobili, perhaps — merely is trying to secure an offer sheet while keeping fingers crossed that his own club will match. The Jazz seem to be proceeding with some degree of caution, but Haslem suggested there have been "several conversations" and said "(Martin's) agent has demonstrated good faith in negotiating with us." Brian Dyke, who represents Martin, declined to comment on the Jazz's dealings with his client Monday afternoon. Even if they cannot lure the Nets All-Star, however, the Jazz will continue their search for help up front. A search, that is, that hit a large part of its mark Monday. "There is a plan," Haslem said, "and we're executing that plan." "The priority," O'Connor added, "was to get two big men. We accomplished half that goal, and we're still looking." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 懶的翻了 XD --

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