The offseason is past, the personnel moves mostly made.
     Starting center Olden Polynice, backup point guard Jacque Vaughn and backup power forward Danny Manning are all gone, sucked in by the lure of the free-agent market.

Asking Dave Fredman to summarize his 27 years with the Jazz is asking too much. It's like sizing up the '60s by saying, "Well, there was Woodstock, and then it was over."
     Twenty-seven years is a third of a lifetime. It's the time it takes for a franchise to be born, flourish and even begin to fade.
     There were highs, such as the two trips to the NBA Finals, and lows, such as Luther Wright's excellent adventure in the Tooele County jail. Along the way were practices, breakfasts with the coaching staff, film sessions, bumpy flights, wild cab rides, team spats, team celebrations, welcomes, farewells and lots of room service.

The Deseret News outlines John Stockton's attitude to his new deal with the Utah Jazz.  Stockton basically gave the club a free hand in determining what deal would work best for them.  The Jazz chose a two year deal at about $8 million.  The club wants to be sure that Stockton is available for that second year if they need him to cover the point guard position until Spanish prospect Raul Lopez can be worked into the lineup.  For Stockton's part the money issue seemed secondary. "It's not like we'll be at the soup kitchen."

The announcements came within a couple days of one another. Michael Jordan confirmed this week that he is indeed coming back after a three-year layoff. He's coming back because he loves the game, because he thinks he can help the young Washington Wizards, and because he obviously got tired of never breaking a sweat.
     Across the country, Jazz guard John Stockton announced Thursday that he, too, is coming back. Because, well, he never said he wouldn't.

The Deseret News is reporting that the Utah Jazz have signed point guard John Stockton for two years.  The deal is reported to be in the $8 million dollar per year range but no firm numbers were announced.  The Jazz have some looming luxury tax concerns and Stockton was in the position of having to take a significant cut from his $11 million dollar salary from last year.

Veteran Jazz forward David Benoit tops the list of free agents expected in Utah for the start of training camp next Tuesday.
     Jazz basketball operations vice president Kevin O'Connor said Benoit is among a group of seven who have accepted invitations to camp, sans any sort of guaranteed contract.

The Desert News reports that Russian rookie Andrei Kirilenko has signed with the Jazz, basketball operations vice president Kevin O'Connor said Tuesday, and the team is confident veteran free agent John Stockton will do the same shortly.

Kirilenko, a 20-year-old forward who was one of the Jazz's three first-round draft choices in 1999, was scheduled to arrive in Utah from Russia on Monday night.

Meanwhile, Stockton is expected to re-sign with the Jazz sometime in the next week.

"I'd like to think we'd have it done by training camp," said O'Connor, who added Stockton already has met with Jazz owner Larry H. Miller since returning to Salt Lake City following his offseason break.

Longtime Jazz employee David Fredman has started work as assistant general manager of the Denver Nuggets, Jazz officials said Monday.
     Fredman, most recently the Jazz's director of scouting, began working for the franchise as a public relations and ticket sales intern when it was an expansion team located in New Orleans in 1974. His departure leaves broadcaster Rod Hundley as the last remaining member of the original Jazz staff from New Orleans.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports: The Heat continues to pursue Cleveland free agent center Chris Gatling, but is apparently reluctant to pay him much more than $1 million. The Cavs would be receptive to trading Gatling for a draft pick and all or part of the Heat's $3.3 million trade exception.

The Heat also has expressed interest in Jazz free agent center Olden Polynice.

Ex-Heat center Rony Seikaly, who hasn't played in the NBA since 1999 but is mulling a comeback, will work out with Heat players this week with team officials watching, agent Steve Kauffman said. Seikaly, 36, also might do the same with Magic players in Orlando.

Don Cronson, Anthony Mason's agent, said there's a chance Mason will remain unsigned when camps open next Tuesday. Mason, unlikely to return to the Heat, has told Cronson he will sit out indefinitely rather than accept the $1 million veteran's minimum.

Cronson said he has considered European options, but Mason prefers the NBA.

Milwaukee has offered the Heat Scott Williams or Greg Foster for Mason, but the Heat appears disinterested.