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Jazz Notes:
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Peterson out, Hart in
In a way, Friday might have been about two players finally winding up where
they belonged. Back in the summer of 2004, Morris Peterson signed with New
Orleans as a restricted free agent only to return to Toronto after the
Raptors matched the offer sheet.
The next summer, the Jazz tried to work out a trade for Jason Hart only to
watch as the Bobcats sent the point guard to Sacramento for a future
second-round draft pick and a salary-cap (trade) exception.
They both went back to the future Friday as Peterson signed with New Orleans
when the Jazz were unwilling to offer a contract longer than three years.
Then the Jazz moved quickly to sign Hart, a backup point guard who can also
play some shooting guard.
***
Agent Bill Neff is steaming at the way he says his client, veteran guard
Jason Hart, is being treated by the Kings. Neff said Monday that he has
received mixed messages regarding Hart, who has played in just 12 of 35 games
this season.
"I asked (coach) Eric (Musselman), whom I've known for a long time, why he
wouldn't give Jason a chance, and he said upper management wouldn't let him,"
the New York-based agent said. "He said he was being told to play" different
people.
So I went to (Kings basketball president) Geoff Petrie and asked him, and he
said he's never told a coach who to play. He said he didn't do it when Rick
(Adelman) was here, and he hasn't done it with Eric. So I went back to Eric
and asked him again, and he insisted upper management wanted him to play
(John) Salmons and (Quincy) Douby."
Petrie did not return a call to The Bee on Monday.
After speaking with Musselman and Petrie, Neff said he initially believed
both men were lying to him, then wondered if they were both telling the truth.
"Maybe 'upper management' was one or either both of the Maloofs," Neff said of
Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof. "So I called them about a week or 10 days
ago, and they haven't returned my call yet. I just want someone to tell me why
the Kings will not give Jason a chance. Or why the Kings will not trade Jason
or even waive him. I want someone to say Jason has been outplayed, but that
has never been said. I want someone to say Jason has a bad attitude or
something because he's certainly not being given a chance.
"I'd even talk to them about a discount on a buyout, but we can't even get
that far. But I do know what the Kings are doing to Jason just isn't right.
It stinks, and it's not something that other players don't notice."
Hart has been inactive in five of the past six games. One of those inactives
was for personal reasons. Neff said other players were asking Hart if he had
done something to Musselman to warrant such treatment.
"When players see other players being mistreated," Neff said, "it makes them
think because they know it also might happen to them.
"When a team won't even give a guy a chance at a position in which players
have been struggling, it makes players think they're not trying to win. I'm
just so disappointed in the change in the organization's direction. It didn't
used to be like this.
"We had Matt Barnes in with the Kings, and they had paid some money to David
Bluthenthal, but that didn't make a difference. Matt outplayed him, and they
kept Matt. That's what teams do when they are trying to win."
Neff said the Kings have bypassed three opportunities to trade Hart, who came
into training camp determined to make amends for an admittedly poor 2005-06
season. Neff said each of the opportunities would have brought back salary
beyond this season.
"What I think the weirdest thing is why they won't waive him," Neff said.
"They won't play him, they won't trade him, and they won't waive him."
Neff said Hart was told during training camp he wasn't in the team's plans.
If Hart was told that, it appears to have been a truthful statement.
* * *
For what it's worth, Neff said Friday night on the phone that he couldn't
think of a better situation for Hart. When asked about minutes behind Deron
Williams, Neff said Hart told him, "As long as coach is fair, it'll work out."
Back when Larry Miller was talking about free agency before July 1, he cited
his belief that only a "journeyman" would be available for the Jazz. Well,
Hart fits the bill: The Jazz will be the sixth team in his seven-year career,
along with stints in the NBDL and in Greece.
[後文略]
--Ross Siler
1:43 AM
http://blogs.sltrib.com/jazz/2007/07/peterson-out-hart-in.htm
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