HoopsHype.com Rumors

This season, O'Connor insisted that the Jazz will not do buyouts, so that solution would presumably have to be a trade unless Utah decided to use its amnesty clause on Bell. "I don't have a number (of years), but I know that this year when I was playing well and I was playing I felt good. My body felt good," Bell said. "I was worried that I wouldn't be able to chase people and I wouldn't be able move my feet and I felt like I had some nights where I smothered some guys and really got up under them and did my thing. I shot the ball pretty well. It was exciting to me, coming off a year like last year where I could never find that so I do think I could (play more in the NBA)." Deseret News

Utah Jazz, Trade, Raja Bell, Kevin O'Connor, Tyrone Corbin 

Jody Genessy: A sarcastic Kevin O'Connor on Raja Bell going off on Ty Corbin: "Gee, that's unexpected. I would have never thought that would've happened." Twitter

Utah Jazz, Trade, Raja Bell, Kevin O'Connor, Tyrone Corbin 

The Warriors went 5-18 after Golden State owner Joe Lacob publicly talked about wanting to keep the first-round pick on Bay Area radio station KNBR, saying on March 20, "We think we can get our pick back." According to the Contra Costa Times, the owner reportedly claimed the Warriors and Jazz had discussed options as to how Golden State could retain its pick. In March, Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor gave a "no comment" about that report. This week, he didn't want to delve into the Warriors' late-season slide that made Friday's tiebreaker possible. "It's none of my business what they do," O'Connor said. "I've got absolutely no control over that. Zero." Deseret News

Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, Draft, Kevin O'Connor, Joe Lacob 

Jazz's general manager Kevin O'Connor was asked on Wednesday by local media if the Jazz were in the same class as playoff perennial franchises such as the Pittsburg Steelers and the New York Yankees. O'Connor had this response: "It's not there. We haven't won a championship. Those guys have. I think the key thing is that you try and be patient in an impatient world that you live in, and we live in an impatient world,” O'Connor told reporters. “The best example I have is Nate McMillan. All the success that he had up there (in Portland), dragging those teams through all the injuries and everything. He had two-and-a-half bad weeks and they fire him. I mean, that to me, I don't understand it. But that's, I guess, I shouldn't be in somebody else's business." CSNNW.com

Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, Coaching, Nate McMillan, Kevin O'Connor 

Steve Luhm: Kevin O'Connor on Al Jefferson: "I feel like he's done everything coach asked him to do. He put the work in. Now he's reaping the rewards." Twitter

Utah Jazz, Al Jefferson, Kevin O'Connor 

Jody Genessy: Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor said he'll discuss Blake Ahearn's fate with coaching staff. His 10-day deal ends tomorrow. Twitter

Utah Jazz, Kevin O'Connor, Blake Ahearn 

Brian T. Smith: #UtahJazz GM Kevin O'Connor acknowledged Monday team has more flexibility to make trades than it has in a long time. Ball's in Jazz's court. Twitter

Utah Jazz, Trade, Kevin O'Connor 

With Thursday's deadline approaching, Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor admitted the team is "actively looking" at trade scenarios. "In the job that I have, one of the responsibilities is to improve the team," O'Connor said. "Now you can't improve the team without looking to make trades, and that's what we do. There's 29 other guys that have the same responsibilities to their teams, and they do the same thing. There's a lot of conversations." O'Connor noted that not much trading has gone on yet around the logjammed NBA. But he likes the Jazz's "flexibility" approaching this deadline and in the offseason. "We're active. We're listening," O'Connor said. "We're aggressive in trying to talk (about) things." Deseret News

Utah Jazz, Trade, Kevin O'Connor 

Raja Bell did not participate in this morning's shootaround with the Utah Jazz, but he met with coach Tyrone Corbin and general manager Kevin O'Connor following the team's strategy session. Bell was sent home after having a verbal dispute with Corbin following the Jazz's loss at Philadelphia on Friday, and the veteran guard missed Saturday's game at Chicago. "It's business as usual. We had a good conversation," Bell said after the meeting with management. "We talked over a few things. You keep it moving." Deseret News

Utah Jazz, Raja Bell, Kevin O'Connor, Tyrone Corbin 

Brian T. Smith: Meeting planned between #UtahJazz's Raja Bell, Tyrone Corbin and Kevin O'Connor. Expected to occur before Jazz play Pistons on Monday. Twitter

Utah Jazz, Raja Bell, Kevin O'Connor, Tyrone Corbin 

For four hours last Friday, Malone co-hosted my radio show and talked about many topics, the way only Malone can. His signature point: He said the Jazz botched the Williams-Sloan situation, giving the player too much power, and essentially blamed Kevin O’Connor and Greg Miller for undermining an icon who had coached the Jazz for 23 years. “On the whole handling of that, I would have to give [them] a D or F, and I would lean more toward an F,” said Malone, who has remained close to Sloan since his own retirement in 2004. Salt Lake Tribune

Utah Jazz, Deron Williams, Jerry Sloan, Kevin O'Connor, Karl Malone, Greg Miller 

Trouble had been stirring between Williams and Sloan for months. Sloan admitted that the two “got into it.” Malone said the Jazz had empowered the point guard to go directly to O’Connor when he disagreed with Sloan and that was, as Karl called it, “the perfect storm.” “I know for a fact that [Sloan] was overridden on practices sometime on the road because Deron was calling our G.M. at that time,” Malone said. “ … You give a guy that much power, and he’s the kind of player you think he played hard all the time, but if he wanted to sulk he could sulk. … I never went to Larry [Miller] to talk about Coach Sloan. … It’s not one time, in my gut and heart, that I would go over his head.” Salt Lake Tribune

Utah Jazz, Deron Williams, Jerry Sloan, Kevin O'Connor, Karl Malone, Greg Miller 

The Jazz have stayed with their company line that Sloan simply got tired and decided the time was right to jump aboard his John Deere and ride off into the sunset. Malone, who regularly talks with Sloan, called B.S. on that. “That defining moment when [management and ownership] should have stood up for Jerry Sloan, they chose Deron Williams,” he said. “And Coach Sloan, being the coach I know and love, said, ‘You know what? We should part ways.’ And he said what he said. And once Coach Sloan says something, it’s history.” Salt Lake Tribune

Utah Jazz, Deron Williams, Jerry Sloan, Kevin O'Connor, Karl Malone, Greg Miller 

O’Connor, who heard what Malone said on Friday, agreed to come on the show on Tuesday, and he called B.S. back. “Karl wasn’t in the room, I was in the room,” O’Connor said, “and the only thing I can tell you is, I’d like you guys to go ask Jerry. … Greg was in there. He did everything possible with Jerry to make him stay, to have him finish off the season. [Sloan] had complete autonomy to do anything he wanted to do, as far as any kind of punishment. Salt Lake Tribune

Utah Jazz, Deron Williams, Jerry Sloan, Kevin O'Connor, Karl Malone, Greg Miller 

“The next morning, we’d asked him to sleep on it, and Gail [Miller] came in and both Greg and Gail asked him. So, I can honestly say that there’s nothing farther from the truth than those kinds of comments. “The minute [Sloan] said [he was quitting], we said, ‘Don’t do it.’ … What I know is, I was in every meeting. I heard every sentence, every word, and I can tell you what transpired. I would love for you to go speak to Jerry and to Phil Johnson … and ask them these questions.” Salt Lake Tribune

Utah Jazz, Deron Williams, Jerry Sloan, Kevin O'Connor, Karl Malone, Greg Miller 

The Jazz received playmaker Devin Harris (12.8 ppg, 39.5 percent shooting, 5.1 apg in Utah), promising power forward Derrick Favors (8.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg), rebounding giant Enes Kanter (4.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg), a future pick (or two) from Golden State and $3 million. So? The wheeling and dealing winner? Neither Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor nor Tyrone Corbin wanted to divulge whether they believe they came out on top. "We like the guys we have," Corbin said. "We like where we are now." It's too early to (not) tell, O'Connor added. "What you hope with a trade is that you establish fair value. That's to be determined," the Jazz GM said. "You can't really judge anything on 10 games a season." Deseret News

Utah Jazz, Trade, Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, Kevin O'Connor 

Jody Genessy: O'Connor on trade exception: "We'll be aggressive with it. The Miller family said (we) can use the exception if it's the right decision." Twitter

Utah Jazz, Kevin O'Connor 

Steve Luhm: Jazz have 13 players on the roster. O'Connor says an addition is possible. Will be watching the waiver wire. Twitter

Utah Jazz, Free Agency, Trade, Kevin O'Connor 

Steve Luhm: Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor calls $10M trade exception team received in Okur deal is "a nice chip to have ... We will be aggressive with it." Twitter

Utah Jazz, Free Agency, Trade, Kevin O'Connor 

Free agent swingman Josh Howard will meet with the Jazz this week, according to his camp. Howard's publicist said San Antonio gave Howard a "firm offer," as she said the Jazz did last week. General manager Kevin O'Connor said no formal offer was made, but said Utah has had "serious discussions" with Howard. Deseret News

San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, Free Agency, Josh Howard, Kevin O'Connor