Despite numerous reports and the supposed word of multiple player agents, Jazz basketball operations senior vice president Kevin O'Connor maintains players were never a part of trade talks with Portland before the Jazz and Trail Blazers agreed to the eventual swap of picks that led to Utah selecting Deron Williams at No. 3.
     
"There was absolutely never players involved in the trade. Not even discussed," O'Connor said. "(Portland's) Ruben Patterson's name, in 20 conversations, was never mentioned ? and it really bothers me, whether it was Kirk Snyder or Gordan Giricek."
     
Jazz shooting guards Snyder and Giricek and power forwards Carlos Boozer and Kris Humphries all were rumored to be involved in potential trade scenarios.
     
"Now I gotta go call their agents ? which I tried to do (Monday)," O'Connor said. "That's one of the things that bugs me. I know these are players ? but they're also people."

The 20-year-old Andrew Bogut was the first selection in this year's draft.  Utah is the first school to have players picked first in both the NBA and NFL drafts in the same year. Quarterback Alex Smith was drafted No. 1 by the San Francisco 49ers in April.

Milwaukee had been debating whether to take Bogut or North Carolina small forward Marvin Williams with the franchise's first overall No. 1 pick since 1994, when the Bucks selected Glenn Robinson. In the end, the lure of a versatile, athletic 7-footer with Olympic experience was too much to pass up.

"Adding the quality and the competitor in Andrew Bogut, we really feel we're solid in the center position," Bucks general manager Larry Harris said.

The Atlanta Hawks chose Williams second, and the 19-year-old player flashed a bright smile at Stern while shaking the commissioner's hand. The 6-foot-9 small forward was a sixth man for the Tar Heels, who were expecting to have at least four players from their national championship team chosen in the first round.

Illinois junior point guard Deron Williams went third to the Jazz, who sent three first-round picks -- Nos. 6 and 27 in this year's draft, plus a 2006 first-round pick -- to the Trail Blazers earlier Tuesday. The 6-foot-3 Williams was the first of several point guards chosen in the first round.

New Orleans selected fourth and also chose a playmaker, picking Wake Forest sophomore guard Chris Paul, and the Charlotte Bobcats took North Carolina junior point guard Raymond Felton at No. 5.

High school senior Martell Webster of Seattle Prep went No. 6 to Portland, making him the first prep player taken in a draft notable for its historical significance. It likely marked the final time high school players would be eligible to jump directly to the pros -- the route chosen by Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, LeBron James, Jermaine O'Neal and others.

Under terms of the new six-year collective bargaining agreement to take effect in July, high school players will have to wait one year after their class graduates to become draft eligible.

The Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers traded picks Tuesday.

Portland traded the rights to the No. 3 pick to Utah for the rights to the No. 6 and No. 27 picks and the rights to a 2006 first-round pick that the Jazz got from the Detroit Pistons, a league source said.

All trades had to be in by 2 p.m. ET.

A source said the Jazz would look to draft a point guard at No. 3, deciding between Illinois junior Deron Williams and Wake Forest sophomore Chris Paul.

The Blazers would then possibly draft one of three high school players -- Andrew Bynum, Gerald Green or Martell Webster -- at No. 6.

Utah Jazz officials continued talking to the Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday morning about the possibility of acquiring the No. 3 pick in tonight's NBA draft.

"I can tell you there are continuing, ongoing negotiations being held," Jazz team president Dennis Haslam said at 11:30 a.m. MDT. "But at this moment, no deal has been struck."
 
The Jazz are trying to trade up from No. 6 in order to grab Illinois point guard Deron Williams.
   
On Monday night, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that the Jazz had offered the Trail Blazers the No. 6 and No. 27 picks in this draft, a future first-round draft pick and possibly shooting guard Gordan Giricek for the No. 3 pick and baggage-toting veteran Ruben Patterson.

A source close to the negotiations told Reina on Monday that the Utah/Portland deal is as good as done, which has been widely reported, but more pertinently, that the final agreement has not been made whatsoever. Portland is reportedly adamant about keeping things open for another team to come in at the 11th hour with a deal that they?d prefer.

It is not a negotiation tactic to squeeze more out of Utah because the deal which would send Giricek, Snyder and the 6th pick for the 3rd and Patterson will not change.

The Blazers are just holding out hope that a dream-like deal will appear if their phones are still accepting calls and despite media reports that have Deron Williams on the next plane to Salt Lake City, they want other GM?s to know that his plane can still go to a number of cities, including Atlanta and Los Angeles.

Initial reports by DraftExpress regarding a second private workout with Andrew Bynum appear to be right on the money. Multiple sources have confirmed that Portland indeed did workout Bynum on Thursday in their facilities, and that the Trailblazers will be making a move on draft night to trade out of the #3 spot and take Bynum.

According to Jonathan Givony, the Lakers are out of the picture right now as a new team has emerged with a better offer. That team appears to be the Utah Jazz. A deal that could very well go down on draft night to satisfy both sides would be Portland sending Utah the #3 pick along with Ruben Patterson in return for the #6 pick, Kirk Snyder and Gordan Giricek.

The deal works under RealGM.com?s trade checker. With the #3 pick, the Jazz would select Deron Williams, and with #6 Portland would take Andrew Bynum. The Jazz would try to fill their gaping hole on the wing with the #27 pick by selecting Matt Walsh.

A league source told The Salt Lake Tribune Sunday night that the Jazz and Trail Blazers are involved in "intense discussions" about a possible trade.
 
According to the source, Portland would take Deron Williams with the No. 3 pick. The Jazz would then take one of three players who interest the Blazers - high schoolers Gerald Green and Martell Webster or Arizona center Channing Frye.

Gerald Green has worked out for just four teams - Utah, Charlotte, New Orleans and the L.A. Lakers. He has upcoming workouts scheduled in Portland, New York and Toronto.
 
Green's workout with the Lakers has fueled speculation that L.A. might have a deal in the works with Portland. The Blazers have the No. 3 pick. The Lakers own the No. 10 pick.
 
Portland does not need a point guard, and the third- and fourth-highest rated players in the draft are point guards Chris Paul and Deron Williams.
 
"I tune that all out," Green said. "I just go to the workouts and do my best."

According to the Morning Journal, the Utah Jazz are supposedly shopping power forward Carlos Boozer, who missed the final 31 games because of a strained right foot.

Utah is in serious need of a point guard and they have some interest in moving up from their No. 6 spot in the draft. There was talk of Boozer headed to either Portland or New York.

The Jazz are discussing buying out the contract of point guard Raul Lopez, whose brief NBA career has been marred by injuries.

Kevin O'Connor, the Jazz vice president for basketball operations, said Friday the team hopes to have a decision on Lopez before the end of the month.

"We're in discussions with him to see exactly what he wants to do and what we want to do," O'Connor said.

If the Jazz reach an agreement with the 25-year-old Lopez, he might resume playing professionally in his native Spain.