Roster Improvement: Free Agents Now and Later?

escobar8 wrote:we need big body asap...today was good example...dwight challengs shots, mcgee dunks...
and i dont even want to describe what happens to our d when he is out...
we are basicly only team that plays small and still cant run...

khmrP wrote:wonder where Mbenga is at? We could use his shot blocking abilities right now.

Raja Bell is reportedly telling friends that he's going to join the Lakers, according to Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld.

therealdeal wrote:^ Only if the Jazz actually buy him out. Another report (I think from the same source) said that Utah will delay buying him out just so he doesn't come to LA.

UPDATE: According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Utah Jazz Senior Vice President Kevin O'Connor recently went on team-owned radio station 1280 The Zone and candidly spoke about what's hanging up the team's long-rumored buyout of veteran Raja Bell.

"I think it's been from the start. We'll be willing to look at a buyout," O'Connor said. "We're not just going to let him walk away. We're paying him the money. He's going to get money. He can't get all the money from us and then go make more with the Lakers. Oh, thank you. I'd get fired for that. I'd fire me for that."

Then, when asked whether the team would be motivated to keep Bell under contract so he doesn't play for the Lakers, O'Connor revealed more details.

"Yeah, if we thought that was the best interest of the team," he said. "I'd like not to do that. I don't think you want to be in a situation where you're holding somebody hostage in that respect, but let's go back. Raja said, 'Hey, I'll take a buyout.' We've said it from the start: All we want is a minimum buyout. We never heard from him. He never said yes to it. We would have done it right away."

Doc Brown wrote:

UPDATE: According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Utah Jazz Senior Vice President Kevin O'Connor recently went on team-owned radio station 1280 The Zone and candidly spoke about what's hanging up the team's long-rumored buyout of veteran Raja Bell.

"I think it's been from the start. We'll be willing to look at a buyout," O'Connor said. "We're not just going to let him walk away. We're paying him the money. He's going to get money. He can't get all the money from us and then go make more with the Lakers. Oh, thank you. I'd get fired for that. I'd fire me for that."

Then, when asked whether the team would be motivated to keep Bell under contract so he doesn't play for the Lakers, O'Connor revealed more details.

"Yeah, if we thought that was the best interest of the team," he said. "I'd like not to do that. I don't think you want to be in a situation where you're holding somebody hostage in that respect, but let's go back. Raja said, 'Hey, I'll take a buyout.' We've said it from the start: All we want is a minimum buyout. We never heard from him. He never said yes to it. We would have done it right away."

Lakerjones wrote:If it isn't going to work out with Bell, and it sure doesn't sound that way, I would hope that we would go after Amundson before he's picked up by someone. We could use either a big or a small forward pretty badly.

gcclaker wrote:

Lakerjones wrote:If it isn't going to work out with Bell, and it sure doesn't sound that way, I would hope that we would go after Amundson before he's picked up by someone. We could use either a big or a small forward pretty badly.

Yep...Amundson is a lively body who will do the DIRTY work. Setting screens, hitting the glass, boxing out...rotating defensively...things that don't show up in the stats. Set him at the 4 and slot Clark at the 3.

TIME wrote:

gcclaker wrote:

Lakerjones wrote:If it isn't going to work out with Bell, and it sure doesn't sound that way, I would hope that we would go after Amundson before he's picked up by someone. We could use either a big or a small forward pretty badly.

Yep...Amundson is a lively body who will do the DIRTY work. Setting screens, hitting the glass, boxing out...rotating defensively...things that don't show up in the stats. Set him at the 4 and slot Clark at the 3.

Yes please.