Denver Nuggets Vs. Utah Jazz 4/13/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

Utah Jazz Vs. New Orleans Hornets 4/11/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

Utah Jazz Vs. San Antonio Spurs 4/9/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

Portland Trail Blazers Vs. Utah Jazz 4/7/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

Utah Jazz Vs. Los Angeles Lakers 4/5/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

Utah Jazz Vs. Sacramento Kings 4/3/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

Los Angeles Lakers Vs. Utah Jazz 04/01/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

Washington Wizards Vs. Utah Jazz 3/28/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

It sure doesn't seem like the Utah Jazz are enjoying their growing pains as they adjust to life without Jerry Sloan and Deron Williams.

The Jazz once again managed to lose, this time in overtime 100-95 to the Washington Wizards.

And to make matters worse for Utah, and slightly more embarrassing, is the fact that the loss came on their own floor.

The Wizards were previously 1-35 on the road before tonight.

Washington's only other road victory came over the Cleveland Cavaliers, and we all know how well they are doing this season.

It looks like Utah is going to finish off their slow-crawling fade from the playoff picture once and for all unless they can miraculously find a way to win the rest of their games this season.

I think that's about as likely as the Wizards going undefeated on the road next season.

New Orleans Hornets Vs. Utah Jazz Highlights (March 24, 2011)

By: Tyler Ward

The overtime fever was still intact on Thursday night as the New Orleans Hornets took on the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.

Despite winning the game, the Hornets' night may have ended bittersweet.

David West, a perpetual leader for the squad, injured his left knee on a late dunk and was forced to leave the game.

He was taken out of the game on a wheelchair after tying the game at 103 with a late game dunk.

West finished the night with 29 points, but he would not help the Hornets in overtime.

The game ended in regulation tied at 105 after Emeka Okafor banked in a shot before the buzzer. The Jazz seemed to have had the game in hand after Paul Millsap's two free throws put them up by two points with 1.3 seconds left in regulation.

Then it was Okafor's time to shine. The former UConn star banked it in to send the game into an extra period.

Monty Williams' scrappy Hornets battled in overtime, eventually pulling away and handing the Jerry Sloan-less Jazz their third loss in four games.

Reserve Aaron Gray played splendidly in the extra period, adding in six points, while star point guard Chris Paul added another five points.

Paul would finish the game with a double-double, posting 24 points and 12 assists. The Hornets moved the ball around, as Paul, West, and five other players scored in double digits.

Jarrett Jack ended the game with 15 points, Trevor Ariza and Marco Belinelli added 14, and Okafor finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds.

The Jazz got great contributions from Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson, as both played great in the loss. Millsap finished with a game-high 33 points and a steady 11 rebounds. Jefferson also posted a double-double, posting 22 points and 13 rebounds.

It just wasn't enough to overcome the Hornets as the Jazz are slowly falling out of the playoff picture. The Jazz are currently 36-37, once being 14 games above the .500 mark. The Hornets are now 10 games above .500, showing a 41-31 record.

Carmelo To NJ? Blockbuster Trade In The Works?

By: Tyler Ward

Well, Carmelo may finally get his wish. For the last few days, rumors have been swirling around involving a potential blockbuster four-team trade that would send Carmelo Anthony to the Nets, Andrei Kirilenko, Derrick Favors, and multiple first-round picks to the Nuggets, Boris Diaw to the Jazz, and Devin Harris to the Bobcats. But, how does this work out for every team involved?

- New Jersey Nets: All the Nets would receive in this deal would be Carmelo. They would be giving up Favors, Harris, and other picks just to get Carmelo. Is it worth it? I don't think so. If the Nets do the deal, they would have no starting point guard at all. Jordan Farmar and Ben Uzoh would most likely be the candidates to supplant Harris. If the Nets want to succeed in the Eastern Conference (even though they are still in a rebuilding phase), they would have to have a starting point guard. Farmar is a backup and I just don't think he can be a typical starter. They would also be giving up Favors, who some people consider the next Tim Duncan. The Nets don't have much depth at the front court, so giving up Favors (who has a lot of the potential) could end up being a mistake for the Nets. I just believe that if they get Anthony, they will still be in a rebuilding process until they add more decent players to the team. They just seem to be giving up too much to get one player.

- Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets would probably get the best end of the deal. They would be getting Favors, who is in work in progress, but is still a good player at such a young age. He will add another big man presence to Denver, who already has Nene, Al Harrington, Kenyon Martin, and Chris Andersen, so Denver would be very good on the defensive side of the ball. Denver would also receive Andrei Kirilenko in the deal, who has shown time and time again that he can do well offensively and defensively. Kirilenko would most likely serve as a backup to either Al Harrington, J.R. Smith, or he could possibly even start. Not to mention, Denver would receive multiple first-round picks in the deal, so Denver could make bank off of this trade. When you add in players like Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson, and Smith, the Nuggets could make some noise this season. Denver, in my opinion, would definitely get the most out of this trade.

- Charlotte Bobcats: It's a simple trade, but it's definitely an upgrade. Charlotte would end up giving up Diaw in the deal, but would get young point guard Devin Harris. The Bobcats lost Raymond Felton to the Knicks via free agency, so the Bobcats are vacant at the point guard position. D.J. Augustin would have been the starter, but has not showed that can be a "main guy" for Charlotte. If they could lay their hands on Harris, it would be a sure-fire upgrade for the Bobcats. Diaw has had a couple of decent seasons since being drafted in 2003, but he just isn't one of those players that you can build a team around. And with Diaw making $9 million this season alone, there's no way that Charlotte wouldn't want to do that trade. We could see Charlotte in the playoffs again this season, albeit a poor performance in last season's series when they faced off against the Orlando Magic. I think they can make a playoff run (#7 or #8 seed)  and may win the first playoff game in the Bobcats' short history.

- Utah Jazz: It's a pretty much even deal for the Jazz in this situation. Utah would end up giving up defensive stud (and injury-plagued) Andrei Kirilenko in the deal, but would receive Diaw from Charlotte. It's not really an upgrade for Utah, but it's still something for Utah. I see the Jazz in a rebuilding process, too, so we may not see much out of the Jazz this upcoming season. Deron Williams and Al Jafferson are the main two bright spots on the team, and they cannot carry the load all by themselves. I would not expect the Jazz to make a playoff run this point and coach Jerry Sloan's career could be shortly coming to an end.

I'm actually anxious for this trade to happen. I don't know about ya'll, but I love when blockbuster trades go down (except when it involves one of my favorite players switching teams). 

Sources say that the trade could be finalized at some point soon - one of the main things that's holding it back is Carmelo signing an extension in New Jersey, and not just being there for a year or two. The Nets, under new management, want a long-term commitment from Anthony, si they would need to get one to make the trade happen. But, I think that this trade will eventually go down - it just depends on when. But, we will see another major superstar switching uniforms yet again this offseason.

Raja Bell Headed To Utah

By: Tyler Ward

Sources have confirmed that Raja Bell is headed to the Utah Jazz. Bell had drawn interest from the Spurs, Celtics, Lakers, among other teams.

He was scheduled to visit with nemesis, Kobe Bryant, in Los Angeles, in hopes of patching up their problems from the 2006 playoffs. In Game 5 of the first round series, Bell clotheslined Bryant, which immediately led to an ejection. In the postgame conference, Bell told the media that he was only retaliating against him for a hard elbow to the jaw by Bryant during the game.

In his words, Bell said, "It's a personal thing when someone continually hits you in the face. That's the only way I can put it. I've been playing as hard as I can play. I've been trying to do a good job, I've been trying to be what my team needs me to be, and I continually get hit in my face. There doesn't seem to be any boundaries or limitations for what he's allowed to do to me, and at that point, I kind of lost my cool and I took it into my own hands." He was suspended for the next game, but Phoenix ultimately won the series.

Apparently, there's going to be no meeting.

Reports say that Bell's contract is a three-year deal worth about $10 million. The Jazz have been rather busy this offseason, trading for Al Jefferson and cutting ties with Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver.

Bell will more than likely get some playing time with Utah, where he played two seasons midway through the 2000's (03-05). He is expected to compete with C.J. Miles and Andrei Kirilenko for playing time, along with rookie Gordon Hayward.

He played 6 games last season with Charlotte and Golden State, averaging 11.6 points per game. Over his career with Philadelphia, Dallas, Utah, Phoenix, Charlotte, and Golden State, Bell has averaged 10.3 points per game. He is mostly known for his lock-down defense and is expected to fill that void for the Jazz this season.

Al Jefferson To The Utah Jazz

By: Stephen Patterson

Minnesota has finally moved Al Jefferson, sending him to the Utah Jazz for two 1st round picks. The Jazz were able to absorb Jefferson's massive contract with their trade exception. This move gives Utah a solid replacement for Carlos Boozer, who bolted the team for the Chicago Bulls in free agency. When healthy Jefferson can be a solid 20/10 player which will help keep them in playoff contention.

The Timberwolves have been searching for a deal involving draft picks and this deal no only provides two, it also gives them the financial flexibility to acquire another player sometime during the season if they need to make a change. While teams like the Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers also made strong pushes to acquire Jefferson, neither team appeared willing to part with enough draft picks to make the deal happen.

When Minnesota re-signed Darko Milicic and acquired Michael Beasley from the Heat, it all but guaranteed Big Al was on his way out. If Timberwolve's GM David Kahn can use their trade exception to acquire a meaningful addition to the team, and move one or two more players, the Wolves could potentially being fighting for a playoff spot in the next two seasons.

Al Jefferson Trade Talks Progress

By: Stephen Patterson

The Minnesota Timberwolves are getting closer to finally making a deal to move Al Jefferson. Dallas has eased their stance on moving Erick Dampier's expiring contract if the Wolves also agree to take DeShawn Stevenson and Matt Carroll. The Wolves have been trying to move Jefferson for weeks now and it seems that a deal is now imminent, although their are now other teams interested in picking up Jefferson as well. 

The Utah Jazz are interested in making a move for Jefferson to fill the void left by Carlos Boozer's departure and have a trade exception that could take in Jefferson's contract. This move would give the Timberwolves the chance to move that trade exception later on for a quality player and possibly an unhappy star looking to move. The move would also give the Jazz a quality big man that is capable of replacing Boozer if he can stay healthy. The only thing that may have the Jazz thinking twice about the deal is Paul Millsap, would is getting paid a lot of money to be back up for Utah. If the Jazz acquire Big Al, there is a chance they could end trading Millsap during the next year.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are also apparently interested in acquiring Jefferson as well. While the talks haven't gotten serious as now, the Cavs have a trade exception from their sign-and-trade with the Heat for LeBron James. That would also allow the Wolves to trade for a veteran presence or group of players. They could also explore the option of acquiring Mo Williams or Antawn Jamison. Cleveland is in desperate need of some moves to even have a chance of making the playoffs, and Jefferson would definitely help the cause. In my opinion, the team needs to revamp a majority of their roster to have a chance to compete without LeBron James.

Boozer Agrees To Deal With Bulls

By: Tyler Ward

ESPN's Ric Bucher announced Wednesday that the Chicago Bulls have signed Carlos Boozer to a 5-year/$80 million deal. Boozer is just the latest free agent to sign, as Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh signed with the Miami Heat earlier in the day.

LeBron James is still a free agent and the Bulls are listed as one of his final choices. James will announce Thursday where he will sign.

It was unlikely that Boozer would return to Utah this season after the Jazz matched the Trail Blazers' offer to Paul Millsap last summer for a new 4 year deal worth $32 million. Boozer could have opted out last year, but decided to stay in Utah for one more season and finish out his contract. The Bulls knew they had to have a commitment from somebody after Wade and Bosh went to Miami earlier this morning.

This instantly makes the Bulls one of the most formidable teams in the Eastern Conference, even if they don't sign LeBron James. They may have one of the best frontcourts in the NBA now with Boozer, Joakim Noah, and Taj Gibson as the backup. Chicago also has former Rookie of the Year, Derrick Rose and serviceable forward, Luol Deng to fill out the roster. With the signing of Boozer, the Bulls still have enough cap space to offer a maximum contract to somebody.

Boozer's payment plan could end up something like this:

- First Year: $13,793,103

- Second Year: $14,896,552

- Third Year: $16,000,000

- Fourth Year: $17,103,448

- Fifth Year: $18,206,897

However, the signing of Boozer means that LeBron James may not sign with Chicago. Boozer was taken 34th overall in the 2002 draft, a year before James was taken first overall by the Cavs. But, Boozer did leave Cleveland bitterly and signed with the Jazz in 2004, only after two seasons with Cleveland. This could mean that James may not want to play with Boozer and it could possibly introduce James' return to Cleveland.

Boozer played in 78 games last season with Utah, tallying an average of 19.5 points and 11.2 rebounds. In his first eight seasons in the NBA, Boozer has averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds with Cleveland and Utah.