Did the Mavericks miss out on acquiring Al Jefferson?
al jefferson
The Utah Jazz have moved into the lead of the Al Jefferson sweepstakes and are trying to complete a deal with the Minnesta Timberwolves, according to a report by ESPN's Marc Stein.
The Dallas Mavericks were originally thought to be the frontrunners to bring in the Timberwolves' big man, but talks hit a roadblock Monday and the Jazz now appear to be in the driver's seat, according to Stein.
"The Dallas Mavericks were widely believed to be the league's most serious suitor for Jefferson in recent days and moved closer to a deal with the Wolves over the weekend than the teams previously had been, according to sources with knowledge of the talks," Stein wrote.
According to Stein, talks between the Mavericks and Timberwolves slowed down when the Mavericks pushed for the Timberwolves to take on contracts of Matt Carroll and DeShawn Stevenson. The trade talks were reportedly centering around the valuable non-guaranteed $13 million contract of Erick Dampier as well as two future first-round picks in exchange for the 6-foot-10 Jefferson, who averaged more than 17 points and nine rebounds per game last season.
A deal with the Jazz could be more appealing for the Timberwolves because the Jazz could make a deal without the Timberwolves having to take on contracts of other players, according to Stein.
Greg Miller, the CEO of the Utah Jazz, tweeted about a deal late Monday night which presumably could be a trade that would bring Jefferson to Salt Lake City.
"I just approved a Jazz roster move that I'm very excited about. Planning to share details tomorrow," Miller said on his Twitter account, @GregInUtah.
The Dallas Mavericks were originally thought to be the frontrunners to bring in the Timberwolves' big man, but talks hit a roadblock Monday and the Jazz now appear to be in the driver's seat, according to Stein.
"The Dallas Mavericks were widely believed to be the league's most serious suitor for Jefferson in recent days and moved closer to a deal with the Wolves over the weekend than the teams previously had been, according to sources with knowledge of the talks," Stein wrote.
According to Stein, talks between the Mavericks and Timberwolves slowed down when the Mavericks pushed for the Timberwolves to take on contracts of Matt Carroll and DeShawn Stevenson. The trade talks were reportedly centering around the valuable non-guaranteed $13 million contract of Erick Dampier as well as two future first-round picks in exchange for the 6-foot-10 Jefferson, who averaged more than 17 points and nine rebounds per game last season.
A deal with the Jazz could be more appealing for the Timberwolves because the Jazz could make a deal without the Timberwolves having to take on contracts of other players, according to Stein.
Greg Miller, the CEO of the Utah Jazz, tweeted about a deal late Monday night which presumably could be a trade that would bring Jefferson to Salt Lake City.
"I just approved a Jazz roster move that I'm very excited about. Planning to share details tomorrow," Miller said on his Twitter account, @GregInUtah.