This time of year is an exciting one for many NBA
fans. The finals are in the history books, all the seasonal awards
have been dispensed, and only a few teams are still talking about
the referees. Fans, the true fans of every team are looking toward
draft day and the various summer rookie and free agent camps.
Jazz fans are looking forward to seeing their teams draft picks play
alongside Raul Lopez, Andre Kirilenko, DeShawn Stevenson, and Jarron
Collins. While that line up seems to be a dream lineup for summer
fans – especially if the Jazz draft a PF like Marcus Haislip, don’t
be surprised if a Player is missing from camp, And I’m not talking
about Lopez.
Jarron Collins status as a free agent could jeopardize his
appearance in the Rocky Mountain Review. While it seems almost
certain that Collins will again be playing in Utah next season, the
league rules as set in the CBA state that no player can sign with a
team until the sixteenth of July. That may or may not turn out to be
a problem for the Jazz coaching staff who use the end of July
tournament as a time to not only evaluate the talent in the camp –
but improve the players under contract.
Several teams have added Collins to their wish list of players to
talk to once the July 1st bargaining period begins. While it seems
unlikely that a team will be able to out bid the Jazz for Collins
service, there may be enough interesting offers and developments on
the table to keep the negotiations going in to August. It is also
true that Collins could still play in the Review as a Free Agent,
however a player like Collins who is almost guaranteed a spot on a
teams roster, it would be foolish to risk injury until the contract
is signed.
Adding up all the intangibles The Jazz and Collins will have a 3 day
window to sign and report for camp.
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