Utah Jazz mum on whether they will match offer for Miles

Published: Saturday, July 19, 2008 12:07 a.m. MDT
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TAYLORSVILLE — Only a couple of hours after securing Deron Williams' place in Utah for years to come, Jazz brass learned Friday night the clock is now ticking for them to keep swingman C.J. Miles in the family, too.

The 21-year-old Miles signed an offer sheet Friday from Oklahoma City that, according to an NBA source familiar with the contract, is worth a guaranteed $15 million over four years.

The Jazz, who tendered the three-year veteran a one-year qualifying offer this offseason for $1.2 million, will have seven days to match the restricted free agent's agreement with the newly relocated franchise from Seattle.

Moments before Utah's first Rocky Mountain Revue game, Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor said he had "no comment" on whether his club would try to retain the restricted free agent.

O'Connor said he would soon review the contract offer.

"We really haven't had time to digest it," he said shortly before the 7 p.m. tipoff. "I got it delivered about an hour ago."

Calls to Miles and his agent were not returned Friday night.

If the Jazz don't match the offer, the 6-foot-6 Miles would become teammates with young talents such as Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City.

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Miles has a Jazz connection with the former SuperSonics in assistant general manager Troy Weaver. He was Utah's director of player personnel for four years before being hired by Oklahoma City in May.

Miles, selected with the No. 34 pick in the 2005 NBA Draft out of Dallas' Skyline High, averaged 4.0 points and 1.3 rebounds in his three seasons with the Jazz. Last year, he averaged 5.0 points in 60 appearances.

But Miles drew the ire of Jazz bosses when he skipped last year's Revue while his agent searched for a bigger contract. Utah management said on multiple occasions that Miles set his play and physical condition back by missing summer-league play last year. Miles said his agent didn't want him to risk injury.

The Jazz are disappointed that, as he did last year, Miles chose not to join the team for this year's Revue.

"He's not probably getting advice from me. If he was, he'd be here," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said Monday. "He came back last year in not very good shape and really put himself behind. He was way, way behind."

FULLER PLAYS: Jazz Revue-team big man Hiram Fuller, a free agent who has played four NBA games for the Atlanta Hawks, played Friday despite learning earlier this week that a 6-year-old cousin in Washington had died in a playground accident. He finished with four rebounds and six points in 18 minutes off the bench.

TV TALK: All of the Jazz's Revue games will be broadcast live locally by KJZZ-TV and on radio by KFNZ-1320 AM, the team announced Friday.

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