Gordon Hayward recorded 7 points and 3 rebounds in 24 minutes in Team USA's Blue and White Scrimmate at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Hayward's Jazz teammate, Derrick Favors, added 5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, despite not playing in the second half, as their "blue" team lost 128-106.

Hayward was particularly active early, breaking up passes and distributing the ball. He made his first 3-point attempt and opened the sencond half with a corner jumper.

Cleveland guard Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 23 points, while New Orleans' forward Anthony Davis added 22 points and 7 rebounds for the wh...

Las Vegas • Even with an undeniable new layer of muscle, Derrick Favors has a long way to go to catch his newest mentor in terms of bulk. That's because almost any NBA would have a long way to go to catch Favors' newest mentor in terms of bulk. That, in turn, is because his newest mentor is Karl Malone.

Favors, the projected started power forward for the Jazz, has spent nearly two months working out daily alongside the No. 2 scorer in NBA history.

No, Favors has not taken to running sprints with parachutes tied to his waist.

Not yet, anyhow.

The two Jazz big men are working primarily on a different muscle, Favors said.

"He just taught me just a lot o...

Jazz point guard Trey Burke is in Los Angeles tonight for the ESPYS, ESPN's sports awards extravaganza, which can be seen on ESPN at 7 p.m. MT.

Burke is one of four nominees for Best Male College Athlete, along with Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, Cornell wrestler Kyle Drake and St. Cloud St. hockey player Drew LeBlanc.

Burke led Michigan to the NCAA men's basketball championship game, and was the consensus national player of the year.

Burke has posted several photos from the event to Instagram, including one of he and former Jazz forward DeMarre Carroll.

The ESPYS will be hosted by Mad Men star Jon Hamm.

— Bill Oram

...

The remaining intrigue of the Jazz offseason seems to be the pursuit of a veteran backup point guard and, as we have reported for a week, the team's top choice appears to still be 31-year-old John Lucas III. Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweeted that the former Toronto Raptor has informed other interested teams that he has committed to the Jazz and expects to sign a deal within the week.

Lucas' agent, Bernie Lee, declined to comment. If the Jazz do in fact sign Lucas, it will likely be for one year and the veterans' minimum.

— Bill Oram

...

Orlando, Fla. • The Jazz will have a different D-League affiliate for the third time in three years after the Reno Bighorns entered into a single-team affiliation with the Sacramento Kings on Thursday.

The Tribune has learned that the Jazz will be affiliated with the Bakersfield Jam, although according to a release from the D-League, affiliates for the Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies, who were also partnered with Reno last season, will not be announced until later this summer.

The Bighorns became the 14th D-League team to enter an exclusive partnership with an NBA team. Commissioner David Stern has said he would like to see 30 D-League affiliates f...

The anticipated trade between the Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets was announced Wednesday afternoon. The deal, which allows the Jazz to preserve their cap room in 2014, also nets the Jazz five future draft picks.

The trade was broken down here on the blog yesterday. The official release announcing the deal can be read here.

Dennis Lindsey is expected to speak with reporters shortly. In the meantime, here's a refresher of who goes where:

Jazz get:

Andris Biedrins

Richard Jefferson

Brandon Rush

2014 unprotected first round pick (GSW)

2017 unprotected first round pick (GSW)

2016 second ro...

There's a fair bit of confusion about the latest deal involving the Jazz, in which they will sign and trade Randy Foye to the Denver Nuggets.

The trade, which was first reported by the Yahoo! Sports and the Deseret News, will give the Jazz another second-round pick. The sign and trade, for three years, $9 million, will be folded into a three-team trade involving the Warriors, Nuggets and Jazz.

Last week, the Jazz took on $24 million in contracts fromthe Warriors, plus four draft picks, in exchange for former second-round pick Kevin Murphy. For the Warriors, the deal was to clear space to sign free agent Andre Iguodala to a four-year, $48 million contract.

Meanwhile, F...

Orlando, Fla. • Sometimes things are exactly as they seem. We reported yesterday the possible connection between the Jazz and free agent point guard John Lucas. Lucas spent the day at the Orlando Pro Summer League around Jazz officials. On Tuesday, Lucas' agent, Bernie Lee, told The Tribune that Lucas was in fact in town to meet with the Jazz and discuss the possibility of the 31-year-old joining the Jazz to back up and mentor rookie Trey Burke.

The sides have not reached an agreement and Lucas is continuing to meet with teams. Lee told USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt that Lucas will meet with another team Tuesday in his hometown of Houston.

Luca...

Orlando, ƒla. • Here's the thing about the NBA summer league in Orlando. The whole thing takes place in a tiny practice gym. At all times, the halls are filled with executives, players, agents, media. It's an absolute zoo. People inevitably talk to people with whom they could be negotiating deals but are just as likely asking for dinner recommendations.

[Orlando sidenote: Rusty Spoon, yes; Muchos Tequila and Tacos, decidedly no.]

All that said, Marc Stein's report on Twitter that the Jazz are entertaining the idea of signing 30-year-old point guard John Lucas is a logical one. Lucas walked into Amway Center with Jazz Director of Bas...

The Utah Jazz are once again involved in trade talks with the Golden State Warriors, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Four days after agreeing to take on a year's worth of big contracts from the Warriors in exchange for draft picks, the Jazz will reportedly sign and trade free agent guard Randy Foye to the Denver Nuggets, who will in turn sign and trade free agent Andre Iguodala to the Warriors. The Warriors and Iguodala agreed to a four-year $48 million deal last week.

According to Wojnarowski, the Jazz would sign Foye to a three-year, $9 million contract. Foye, 29, joined the Jazz last season on a one-year contract, and set team records in 3-pointers made ...

Another Jazz player has found greener pastures in free agency. Point guard Earl Watson on Saturday agreed to a one-year, $1.4 million contract, putting him in a position mentor Rookie of the Year and former Weber State star Damian Lillard.

Watson, 34, spoke to Jason Quick of The Oregonian, saying, "At this point in my career, I look at this as an opportunity to mentor one of the best young point guards in the league in Lillard ... and CJ too,'' Watson said. "I want to make them better on and off the court, and be a positive role model if they need it. I've been blessed to be around some great minds ... I want to give that knowledge back, give back to the game, but still come in and...

Orlando, Fla. • The Utah Jazz announced Saturday that they have signed first-round draft picks Trey Burke and Rudy Gobert.

The moves come one day before the team participates in the Orlando Pro Summer League, which begins Sunday at Amway Center with a game against the Miami Heat at 11 a.m. MT. The game can be seen on NBA TV. Both players are expected to see heavy minutes.

Burke, 20, was the ninth pick in the draft and was acquired by the Jazz on draft night in a deal that sent the No. 14 and 21 picks to Minnesota in exchange for Burke. Gobert was acquired hours later from Denver. The 27th pick was sent to the Jazz for pick No. 46 and an undisclosed amoung of...

Jazz fans aren't the only ones who love Trey Burke.

According to odds courtesy of Bovada.LV, Burke, the No. 9 pick in last week's NBA Draft is a 4-to-1 preseason favorite to win Rookie of the Year honors.

Burke is the favorite over Victor Oladipo, who went No. 2 to Orlando, and CJ McCollum, the 10th pick by the Portland Trail Blazers. The Jazz acquired Burke in one of three draft-day trades, moving the 14 and 21 picks to Minnesota in exchange for the consensus national college player of the year.

Five days into free agency, Burke remains the only point guard on the Jazz roster.

The odds:

Trey Burke, Utah Jazz: 4/1
Victor Oladipo, Orla...

Gordon Hayward always said it would have to be a pretty special situation for Brad Stevens, his college coach, to leave Butler. In six years, the 36-old led Butler to two national championship games — including with Hayward in 2010 — and four Horizon League titles.

But after years of turning down jobs through high-level college basketball, Stevens finally made the jump Wednesday — to the NBA. The Boston Celtics hired Stevens to replace Doc Rivers, who was introduced last week as the new coach of the Los Angeles Clippers.

In a statement provided by the Jazz, Hayward said, "I am extremely excited about the opportunity for Coach Stevens to coach at the next level. I know he wil...

Remember the story from a couple of days ago, in which DeMarre Carroll expressed gratitude to his fans who custom-order No. 3 jerseys since they aren't sold in team stores?

Well, we've got good news and we've got bad news.

No. 3 jerseys were very much available for purchase Monday at Fanzz stores throughout the Salt Lake Valley. However, they featured not Carroll's name, but new point guard Trey Burke's.

In a premature bid to capitalize on the popularity of Burke, the prize of the Jazz's draft night, jerseys featuring the national college player of the year's name were for sale Monday at Fanzz stores throughout the Salt Lake Valley. Burke, who wore No. 3 at Mic...

The Utah Jazz met with free agent power forward Paul Millsap Sunday night in Salt Lake City and, according to sources close to the sitaution, expressed a "high interest" in re-signing the 28-year-old.

Millsap has long been thought as a candidate to depart in free agency, due to what will likely be a high price tag and a desire to start. With Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter expected step into bigger — perhaps starting — roles, its unclear whether Millsap would accept a reduced role. At the same time, Kanter and Favors may both be best utilized as centers — first-round draft choice Rudy Gobert is one, also — establshing a need for a player like Millsap.

The 47th pick in the 200...

Teams began negotiating with NBA free agents last night at 10 p.m. Mountain, with several reports surfacing relating to the Jazz and their efforts to fill out a youthful roster. This morning's Tribune story says the Jazz will target veterans to supplement the young core the Jazz are building around.

Big Al to Charlotte? • Al Jefferson, the Jazz's leading scorer and rebounder, was linked to the Charlotte Bobcats by reports from CBSSports.com and the Charlotte Observer. Jefferson, 28, is seeking a maximum contrac and the Bobcats sorely lack interior scoring. However, according to Rick Bonnell of the Observer, Bobcats' executive Rod Higgins has expressed a la...

The agent for Mo Williams said Saturday that the Utah Jazz point guard never "demanded" a starting role in order to re-sign with with the team that drafted him, as a Yahoo! Sports story reported a day earlier.

"Mo and I never have demanded anything," Mark Bartelstein told The Tribune. "We never would demand anything. That story complete mischaracterized the conversation."

Starting Monday, free agents can begin negotiating with teams but can not sign until July 15. In 46 games last year, Williams averaged 12.9 points, 6.2 assists and 2.7 turnovers.

His future with the team was cast into doubt this week when the Jazz traded up in Thursday's draft to acquire Mic...

As all dead-tree editions of The Salt Lake Tribune were done for the night, word broke late Thursday that the Utah Jazz had not stopped their dealing after getting Trey Burke, the top point guard prospect in the draft, or Rudy Gobert, the French big man.

They also traded a future second-rounder to the Hawks for No. 47, Raul Neto. Since fans will latch onto this, it's worth pointing out that No. 47 picks have worked out well for the Jazz in the past, with Paul Millsap and Mo Williams. Kevin Murphy, a rookie last year, also was picked 47th.

Neto is a 21-year-old Brazilian point guard, who General Manager Dennis Lindsey said had been scouted and recommended by Rich Sheubrooks, ...

In a long-awaited move, Utah Jazz Player Development Director Brad Jones will be promoted next week to assistant coach on Tyrone Corbin’s staff, sources said. Additionally, former University of Utah star Alex Jensen will replace him on the development side.
Jones, who won the D-League championship as head coach of the Austin Toros in 2011, replaces Jeff Hornacek. Hornacek left in late May to become the head coach of the Phoenix Suns. Jensen, last year’s D-League coach of the year with the Canton Charge, spent four years as an assistant coach at St. Louis University under former Utah coach Rick Majerus, and in 2011 turned down an offer to join new Ute coach Larry...

The Utah Jazz will hold pre-draft workouts Saturday with 12 NBA prospects, including several big men projected to be selected in the first round.

Gonzaga All-American Kelly Olynyk headlines a group that also includes Frenchman Rudy Gobert and Louisville center Gorgui Dieng, as well as BYU forward Brandon Davies. Davies was the MVP of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament earlier this spring.

The Jazz own the 14th and 21st picks in the first round, and with only six players with guaranteed contracts next season, could use help at every position.

The workouts will be broken into two sections, with Olynyk separated from the other top-tier big men. Olynyk will partici...

Jazz small forawrd DeMarre Carroll will make 27 Junior Jazz appearances throughout Utah and into Nevada over the next two weeks, conducting clinics in the far reaches of the region.

Carroll will host clinics from June 17-28. The final clinic in Brigham City could be his last act as a member of the Jazz. Three days later, he becomes a free agent. Carroll has insisted since the end of the season that he wants to return to the Jazz next season.

Here's his schedule...

June 17

11 a.m. — Tabiona

1:30 p.m. — Altamont

5 p.m. — Roosevelt

June 18

10 a.m. — Duchesne

1:30 p.m. — Price

4 p.m. — Emery County

June 19

11 ...

The Utah Jazz will host a free agent mini-camp this week, bringing in 24 players, most of whom played last year in the D-League.

The camp, which begins Tuesday afternoon and runs through Thursday, will be used as an opportunity to fill out a summer league roster, training camp roster and, potentially, spots with the Jazz when the season begins.

Among the players who will work out for the Jazz are Travis Leslie, who spent time with the team in March, but who was not signed to a second 10-day contract. Other notable players include former Minnesota forward Lazar Hayward, who played at Marquette with Jazz guard Jerel McNeal and former Jazz guard Wesley Matthews. Harouna Mutombo...

Phoenix • Jeff Hornacek became the head coach of the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, bringing to an end a relationship with the Utah Jazz that was approaching 20 years.

The well-liked assistant was a popular choice in Phoenix, where Hornacek spent the first six years of his career.

Following a press conference, Hornacek reflected on his time with the Jazz, both as a player and a coach, talked about the future of the team and told the story of the one time he attempted to dunk.

***

Hornacek spent most of his career playing under legendary coaches Cotton Fitzsimmons and Jerry Sloan. But the only time he has spent on an NBA bench has been alongside Tyron...

The Phoenix Suns made the hiring of Jazz assistant coach Jeff Hornacek official Tuesday, annoucing the popular former Sun and Jazz guard as the 16th head coach in franchise history.

While there may be some discontent among Jazz fans that the franchise is watching a player whose No. 14 is retired leave town, General Manager Dennis Lindsey said, "I'm just thrilled for him. It's something that he really wanted."

Hornacek was traded by the Suns to Philadelphia in 1992, and he was shipped to the Jazz a year and a half later. In Utah, he became the missing piece for a team anchored by Karl Malone and John Stockton, helping the Jazz reach the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998.

Hor...

Jeff Hornacek has come to terms to coach the Phoenix Suns, the team with which he spent the first six years of his playing career, according to a report in the Arizona Republic.

Hornacek, 50, has been a member of Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin’s staff since 2011, when he replaced Jerry Sloan midseason. Hornacek played 6 1/2 seasons with the Jazz, including two trips to the NBA Finals, but maintained his family home in the Phoenix area.

Earlier this spring, Hornacek interviewed for jobs with the Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Bobcats. Last year, he was a candidate in Orlando before that job wen...

The Jazz announced their schedule for the Orlando Pro Summer League, with games to be played July 7-12 at Amway Center. The annual event expanded to 10 team this summer, with a new format that will determine a champion on July 12.

From the release:

Under the new format, each team will play five games over the six-day event, with a championship day being played on the final day of the league. A point system will establish the standings leading up to the final day, with seven points awarded each game based on: three points for winning the game and one point for winning each quarter (in the event of a tied quarter, each team will receive 0.5 points). In the event of ties i...

All-NBA teams were announced Thursday and it played out about how you expected: Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Chris Paul, and so on. No Jazz players listed until you get down to the Other Players Receiving Votes category.

Utah Jazz center Al Jefferson received 20 points in the voting formula. Jefferson received the ninth most points among players not selected to an All-NBA team, which are voted on by media members covering each. For transparency, here again is my ballot from April.

Despite finishing eighth among centers, behind Tim Duncan, Marc Gasol, Dwight Howard, Brook Lopez, Joakim Noah, Chris Bosh and Al Horford, one media member gave Big Al a first-team vote.

That...

Enes Kanter's recovery from April shoulder surgery is ahead of schedule, his agent said Wednesday, but the Utah Jazz center may not be cleared to play until August.

That means Kanter will not participate in the Orlando Summer League July 7 through 12, although Kanter's agent, Max Ergul, said it was unlikely the Turkish big man would have played that week even if healthy.

The second-year center underwent surgery on April 10 to repair a tear resulting from a dislocated left shoulder suffered against Phoenix two weeks earlier. Kanter, who turned 21 on Monday, is in his native Turkey this week visiting family, Ergul said.

The Jazz have not released a timeline on Kanter's...

Dennis Lindsey is in New York City today, leading a small contingent of Jazz executives in the Big Apple for the NBA lottery, the game of fortune in which the Jazz have a 98 percent chance of remaining exactly where they are, in the 14^th slot for next month's draft.

While Lindsey, the Jazz GM, is squarely focused on the draft, the offseason and going to work on the nearly blank canvas of Jazzdom, he still has an eye on the NBA playoffs and especially on his former team, the San Antonio Spurs.

"Now that we've been eliminated," he said, "I want them to win it."

On Tuesday, in the night-cap following the lottery, the Spurs will try to go up 2-0 on the Memphis ...

The Philadelphia 76ers have received permission to speak with Utah Jazz assistant coach Jeff Hornacek for their head coaching vacancy, according to a report by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Hornacek, 49, has been an assistant coach with the Jazz since February 2010, following a stint as a special consultant with the organization. As a player, he spent 1 1/2 seasons with the 76ers from 1992 to 1994 before being traded to the Jazz at the deadline in exchange for Jeff Malone. Here, he teamed with Karl Malone and John Stockton to lead the Jazz to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998. Somewhat amusingly, per the Wojnarowski report, Hornacek finds himself up against yet another Malone ...

Utah Jazz CEO Greg Miller tweeted Wednesday morning that Executive Vice President Kevin O'Connor was not vacating the role, despite a television news report Tuesday night that the 65-year-old former general manager was shifting into a consulting position and leaving the state.

"Sources very close to the Utah Jazz (me) verify that Kevin O'Connor is not stepping down as EVP of Basketball Operations," Miller posted to his online account at about 9 a.m.

O'Connor himself denied the report to The Tribune saying, "Not true and I have no comment."

The report came from KUTV's 10 p.m. newscast, which cited multiple sources and said O'Connor was leaving Jazz management...

The NBA's relocation and finance committees on Monday recommended that the Board of Governor's, in next month's final vote, reject a bid to move the Sacramento Kings to Seattle.

The group of 12 owners, which includes Jazz CEO Greg Miller, convened by conference call and considered competing bids from a group led by Steve Ballmer and Chris Hansen that would have moved the Kings to Seattle, which has not had a team since the SuperSonics left for Oklahoma City in 2008, and from a Sacramento group organized by mayor and former NBA point guard Kevin Johnson.

Sacramento's plan calls for a new downtown arena.

While the NBA's Board of Governors, which includes one ownership r...

Utah Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey said Thursday afternoon that coach Tyrone Corbin has the "full support" of ownership and management despite the fact the team missed the playoffs this season.

Speaking to reporters at EnergySolutions Arena, Lindsey was asked for an update on Corbin's status after he guided the Jazz to a 43-39 record -- ninth in the Western Conference.

"Ty's our coach and has the Miller's family full support," Lindsey said, adding the franchise "subscribes to a little different philosophy" than the "blame-the-coach culture" that is so common in professional sports.

"I know that's not going to pacify all the masses of our fans," Lindsey ...

DeMarre Carroll wants to come back to Utah.

Carroll is one of nine Jazz players without a contract heading into the off-season. But he made it clear Thursday he'd like to return to the team that has given him his best chance to blossom as an NBA player.

In 66 games this season, Carroll averaged six points and 2.8 rebounds in 16.8 minutes.

Often referring to himself as the Junkyard Dog, Carroll's personality, hustle and hard work on the court have endeared himself to Utah fans and, perhaps, management.

"I'm a Utah Jazz until they don't want me," Carroll said. "If I got the same offer and the same contract and all that, I'd be back. I love it here. I th...

A jovial Al Jefferson wasn't talking about his future with the Jazz on Thursday -- if there is one.

Utah's leading scorer this season, Jefferson becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1. One of management's major decisions during what will likely be a hectic off-season will be whether to try and bring Jefferson back to Utah. He will undoubtedly get big-money offers from other teams.

For now, however, Jefferson isn't discussing his contract situation.

"We'll cross that bridge when I get there," he said.

Asked if he's talked to management about what needs to be done to make the Jazz a playoff team and legitimate contender, Jefferson laughed.

Utah Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin met with the media Thursday morning, about 15 hours after his team had been eliminated from the playoffs.

Corbin touched on the busy summer that is ahead for the franchise, which has only five players under contract beyond July 1, including Marvin Williams. He owns a player option for next season.

Of course, the problem with having so many pending free agents is whether they are more worried about the future than the present. According to Corbin, however, his players mostly kept their eye on the prize, despite missing the playoffs after an 86-70 loss to Memphis on the final night of the regular season.

"It was hard," Corbin said. ...

The Utah Jazz season ended with an 86-70 loss in Memphis on Wednesday night. And with the postseason, come postseason awards. Each NBA market has three media representatives vote on Most Valuable Players, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, as well as the All-NBA teams. The Salt Lake Tribune beat writer holds one of those votes.

In the interest of transparency and debate, the ballot I submitted to the NBA this morning follows:

Most Valuable Player

1. LeBron James, Miami

2. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City

3. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks

4. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clip...

Some quick final thoughts from the FedEx Forum. I have an early flight to get back to Salt Lake in time to catch the players cleaning out their lockers after a discouring 86-70 loss brought the season to an end, abruptly ended hopes for the playoffs.

• Tomorrow's game story looks at Wednesday night on a macro level. Where do the Jazz go from here sort of stuff. Key takeaway from the locker room was that the Jazz all like each other, this group of players was tighter than most, but players understand the nature of the business.

• Columnist Kurt Kragthorpe turned in this scathing, gem of a line about the Jazz: "Anyone suggesting the Jazz made progress this season is misguided,...

Regardless of its impact on the rest of the NBA season, Al Jefferson expressed sadness at the gruesome injury Kobe Bryant suffered in the Lakers 118-116 win over Golden State on Friday that kept Los Angeles 1 game ahead of the Jazz for eighth place.

"At the end of the day," Jefferson said, "we're all a big NBA family. It sucks to see one of the best players go down with that kind of injury. But if it's going to happen to anybody I'm glad it's Kobe, because he has that will power and that mindset to recover from it. But it still sucks to see him go down especially with everything they've been fighting for."
The Lakers play San Antonio tonight, while the Jazz are off until Mond...

Kobe Bryant turned in one latest, hopefully not last, great performance Friday night in Los Angeles. He crumpled to the floor, pulled himself up, sank two free throws to give him 36 points and announced himself to have torn his Achilles tendon.

As Jazz fans know, an Achilles injury devastates a career.

Pending an MRI, we'd best reserve judgment of what this means in the grand scheme of things — the man's career, his livelihood — and in the short-term — a race for the playoffs. But when you look at Bryant's minutes per game over the last seven games, you find this: 47, 47, 42, 47, 41, 48 and, on Friday, 42.

You look at that, and have to wonder. Was it worth it? The pr...

Enes Kanter underwent successful surgery to repair a dislocated left shoulder, agent Max Ergul told The Salt Lake Tribune. Ergul said the surgery "went perfect," that Kanter was awake and watching a movie in his Chicago hotel room.

The Jazz announced Kanter's surgery Tuesday, hours before suffering a 90-80 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder that knocked them out of eighth in the Western Conference playoff chase. Ergul said Kanter will remain in Chicago for the forseeable future for rehab, which begins Friday.

He said he did not know when Kanter would return to Salt Lake City.

"He has no reason right now," Ergul said. "His medical staff is here, his rehab staff...

Not exactly a good news day for the Utah Jazz. Enes Kanter goes under the knife tomorrow in Chicago to repair a dislocated left shoulder and the Jazz are back out of playoff position following a 90-80 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Jazz rotation is ravaged by injuries. Tyrone Corbin put just eight players on the floor for the first time since April 2011. In addition to Kanter, Marvin Williams was home with a stomach flu and Alec Burks continued to rest a sprained left ankle. The only guys not to play for the Jazz were two D-Leaguers (Kevin Murphy and Jerel McNeal), Jeremy Evans and Earl Watson.

But go big picture for a minute: Anyone who entered Tuesday with some con...

Our Steve Luhm had good stuff earlier today on DeMarre Carroll's thoughts on his budding rivalry with Kevin Durant. Carroll, you'll remember, came to the aid of teammate Alec Burks on Feb. 12 after the NBA scoring leader flattened the young Jazz guard on the fast break. A month later, in Oklahoma City, Carroll retaliated with a similar foul on Durant (although he said afterward it was not meant as payback).

So, what does Durant, the NBA's scoring leader, think of the back-and-forth relationship between the two?

He was asked following Tuesday's shoot around:

"That's what it is for everybody I play against now. Everybody's been playing physical something I don't shy a...

Promised an update on DeMarre Carroll breaking the rim at Life Time Fitness yesterday, so here you go.

Carroll was playing at the South Jordan recreation center, and a rim was already loose from repeated jams by he and Jeremy Evans.

OK, so was this a Darryl Dawkins-style backboard smasher?

Not quite.

"It was coming down already and I just went up and took it," Carroll said. "I actually took it home. They let me take it home."

Carroll said he gave the hoop "the last yank and I got it."
So, what? Is there video? Is there proof?

"We got a couple witnesses," Carroll told a group of reporters. "I will be sure to let the witnesses call you guys an...

To update an earlier report, Enes Kanter is in Chicago, not New York, meeting with doctors this week to determine the best course of action for his dislocated shoulder. Kanter's agent, Max Ergul, told The Tribune that "odds are absolutely in favor of surgery" to repair the injury, which was suffered in a March 27 win over the Phoenix Suns.

The Tribune first reported Tuesday morning that Kanter would miss the remainder of the season due to the injury. On Monday morning, coach Tyrone Corbin said Kanter was in New York City consulting doctors. Ergul clarified that Kanter was actually in Chicago, and that he believed Kanter "has made up his mind" on a doctor."

...

Utah Jazz center Enes Kanter will miss the remainder of the season regardless of a postseason run, multiple sources confirmed to The Salt Lake Tribune. Kanter, the second-year former lottery pick, dislocated his left shoulder in the first half of a March 27 win against Phoenix when he and Suns center Hamed Haddadi both chased a loose ball onto the floor.

A timetable for Kanter's return to full strength is still unknown. The Turkish big man is in New York this week meeting with doctors as the Jazz try to determine the right course of action for the 20-year-old.

Kanter may have tipped his hand last week when he told a group of reporters that he was staying in shape "f...

Well, this ought to be a good story. Jazz forward DeMarre Carroll tweeted Monday afternoon that he broke the rim during a pickup game at Life Time Fitness, an athletic club in South Jordan. There have been plenty of classic backboard breaking moments [this is a solid compendium] but the whole library doesn't quite seem complete without footage of Carroll's. Does anybody have it?

Carroll, 26, averages 16 minutes per game in 64 appearances this season. He is a pending free agent, but even if he ends up leaving it's unlikely it will be without recounting the story of the time he broke the backboard at Life Time Fitness. Stay tuned.

— Bill Oram

...

Oakland, Calif. • Derrick Favors came up with maybe the play of the season when he had a huge rejection of a Draymond Green jumper in the lane Sunday night that preserved the Jazz's 97-90 win over the Golden State Warriors.
It was the biggest play in arguably the biggest win of the year to give the Jazz a ½ game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers for eighth in the Western Conference.
Gulp. Gonna be a tight one, no?

Asked about Favors' block, teammate Marvin Williams said, "Derrick jokes around about the type of defensive player he is. But all jokes aside, he's a very, very good defensive player. He's always in great position; he's always there to help somebody."

Th...

Marvin Williams dressed but did not play in Utah's 95-83 win over the New Orleans Hornets, a move that paid dividends for the Jazz and, likely, Williams.

The small forward had struggled with tendinitis in his right heel for several games, coach Tyrone Corbin said, and the game against one of the worst teams in the NBA allowed the Jazz an opportunity to rest Williams. However, it may have done something even more key: It freed up 26 minutes for DeMarre Carroll, whose spirited play in the second quarter carried the Jazz to their sixth win in seven games.

"It was a chance to rest him," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "His heel's been bothering him the last few ballgames and I to...