Utah tenders offer sheet to Okur; Detroit unlikely to match

http://www.freep.com/news/latestnews/pm20555_20040705.htm

Monday, July 5, 2004

BY PERRY A. FARRELL
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Mehmet Okur will carry the Olympic torch today in Istanbul, Turkey.

He will marry a Turkish model Wednesday.

And he could be wearing the Utah Jazz colors next season.

The Jazz has tendered an offer sheet to Okur, the Free Press has learned. The Pistons were waiting Monday to hear the official news from Okur's agent, Marc Fleisher. When a restricted free agent such as Okur signs an offer sheet, his old team has 15 days to match the offer or lose him.

For salary cap reasons, the Pistons will have a tough time keeping the 7-foot Okur -- unless they want to forgo trying to sign starting power forward Rasheed Wallace, an unrestricted free agent.

Since Thursday, teams have been able to negotiate with free agents. Deals can be reached, but contracts cannot be signed until July 14.

Joe Dumars, the Pistons' president of basketball operations, said he could not confirm that Okur had agreed to the offer sheet and referred the matter back to Fleisher.

A possible replacement for Okur could be in the wings: Antonio McDyess, a former All-Star power forward with a recent history of knee problems. McDyess met with the Pistons last week, according to a league source close to the situation, and the two sides eventually could discuss a contract that would be filled with incentives and bonuses.

Fleisher said last week that it was unlikely the Pistons could sign Okur and Wallace. To pay Wallace the salary he likely will command -- the Free Press reported last week that the Pistons were ready to start at $10 million for next season and attempt a four- or five-year deal -- the most money the Pistons could offer Okur was the NBA's mid-level salary cap exception. That exception would be roughly $5.1 million for next season. Such a contract can be up to six years long and include a 12.5 percent raise each year. The total value of that contract could be nearly $41 million.

Utah's offer, however, would be for more than the mid-level exception and would be for six years, according to a person familiar with the situation. The Pistons could receive the offer sheet from Okur's representatives today.

Utah has more to offer than money, too. Utah has playing time, especially if the Jazz decides to let go free agent Greg Ostertag, a 7-foot-2 center who has never lived up to coach Jerry Sloan's expectations. With Okur and Jarron Collins, the Jazz could field a two-headed monster at center and use Okur to stretch defenses with his ability to shoot from the outside.

That ability was a source of conflict between Okur and coach Larry Brown, who wanted Okur to concentrate on his inside game. Okur, despite averaging 3.3 more minutes a game for Brown than in his rookie season with Rick Carlisle, attempted only 48 three-pointers, 64 fewer than in 2002-03.

Okur, 25, started 33 of his 71 games and averaged 9.6 points and 5.9 rebounds in 22.3 minutes a game this season. His minutes decreased greatly during the playoffs, to 11.5, and he averaged 3.7 points and 2.8 rebounds. His biggest contribution in the NBA Finals against the Lakers was seven points in seven minutes in the clinching Game 5, when he made all three of his shots, including a triple.

Denver and Phoenix also had been considered potential suitors for Okur, whom the Pistons drafted in the second round (38th overall) in 2001. He played in his native Turkey that season before joining the Pistons in 2002-03.

Besides the Pistons, McDyess, 6-9, 245 pounds, has three or four other teams on his interest list. He was the second pick in the 1995 draft, played in the All-Star Game in 2001 but since then has battled knee trouble. When healthy, he is an athletic player who can shoot and rebound well. He spent last season with New York and Phoenix, playing 42 games and averaging 6.9 points and 6.1 rebounds.

McDyess, who turns 30 in September, missed 27 games over his first six seasons. He missed 194 the last three seasons.

With Denver in October 2001, McDyess had surgery to repair a partially torn patella tendon in his left knee and to clean out loose particles in his right knee. He was traded to the Knicks during the off-season. In October 2002, in an exhibition game, McDyess suffered a fractured left kneecap on a put-back dunk and missed the season. The following April a bone graft was added to the kneecap.

McDyess' first game as a Knick came last Dec. 1, against the Pistons, and he went scoreless from the field in five attempts.

Contact PERRY A. FARRELL at 313-222-2555 or farrell@freepress.com.

Things are moving. Not bad. Utah with his caproom and system will surely add quality players.

Next yr they'll be very dangerous, especially when you see what they can do with a bunch of no names...