Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
By DOUG ALDEN AP Sports Writer
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Utah Jazz have a week to decide what they want to do in the NBA draft.
The Jazz have a mid-first-round pick and two picks in the second round, leaving them slim chances of getting someone who can make an immediate impact as a rookie. Utah has the No. 14, No. 46 and No. 47 overall picks.
And the later the picks are, the more of a gamble it becomes.
"The closer you get to the draft the more you question how good the players are that you're considering," said Kevin O'Connor, vice president for basketball operations. "We've settled down and gotten into a grouping that we like."
The Jazz took a look at three players Wednesday -- Michigan State guard Shannon Brown, Bradley forward Marcellus Sommerville and Temple forward Antywane Robinson. Three more were scheduled to work out Thursday and others through the weekend.
The draft is Wednesday in New York. The Jazz aren't looking at the draft by position, because they have needs at all of them. Deron Williams is the only point guard under contract, the shooting guards are Gordan Giricek, a 28-year-old who missed the final 37 games last season with Achilles tendinitis and 18-year-old C.J. Miles, who has played in 23 NBA games.
And if the Jazz can't get free agent Matt Harpring to re-sign, there will be a need for a backup for Andrei Kirilenko at small forward.
The Jazz added a center this month when they traded Kris Humphries and Robert Whaley to Toronto for former Brigham Young star Rafael Araujo, but would still add more size. Araujo was the eighth overall pick in the draft two years ago and has averaged 2.9 points in two NBA seasons.
Coach Jerry Sloan said nothing is certain in trying to find a future star.
"Get somebody that can make a contribution and grow as a player. And you have to have a great deal of luck to make that happen," Sloan said. "Do you take a position just because you need a position? There may be a guy that's an all-star at another position and you pass him up."
Utah has had eight first-round picks since 2000 and only Williams, the No. 3 overall pick last summer, is still with the team. Humphries, the No. 14 pick in 2004, spent two seasons with the Jazz before being sent to Toronto. Kirk Snyder, taken two picks after Humphries, spent just one season with the Jazz, then was traded last summer in the multi-team deal that brought Greg Ostertag back to Utah.
O'Connor said Utah would be open to trade offers, if the deal is good enough.
Carlos Boozer's name has come up in rumors, as it has since the Jazz signed him two years ago, but O'Connor said he's getting used to it. And no deals were pending.
"I think he stopped calling me about the first five or six times it was written," O'Connor said.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-06-21-06 1732MDT
