Raja Bell will suit up for the Jazz

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By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

Looking for playing time and something beyond a minimum contract, Raja Bell's search has landed him with the Utah Jazz.

The 6-5 guard played for the Mavericks last season but found no roster spot available after the team picked up two rookie shooting guards earlier this summer and added backup point guard Travis Best last month.

"It's been a long summer for me, but I'm going to sign with Utah in the next few days," Bell said Monday from Miami. "I would have liked to stay with Dallas, but I understand it's a business. Going to Utah will be a good opportunity for me to play and a better opportunity to support my family."

Utah has a payroll of less than $27 million, which is more than $5 million shy of the minimum salary that teams must spend this season. The Jazz also have signed Atlanta point guard Jason Terry to an offer sheet, which the Hawks are expected to match. Regardless, Bell is set to join the Jazz with a two-year guaranteed contract that will pay him more than the minimum, which is about $665,000 annually for a player with three years of NBA experience.

Earlier this summer, the Mavericks talked to Bell about a two-year contract starting at the minimum salary. But with the Mavericks now having 15 players under contract, Bell would have difficulty getting playing time. In addition, the Mavericks have been unwilling to budge off the minimum contract.

"I feel like I can get on the court with anybody because not very many players like to do what I do," said the defensive-minded Bell. "I respect the Mavericks. But I didn't appreciate anybody saying I was pricing myself out of a job. I never gave them a dollar figure. The only thing I said was I didn't want to play for the minimum."

Bell's first preseason game with the Jazz will be against the Mavericks Oct. 5 at Mexico City. He averaged 3.1 points in 15.6 minutes, starting 32 times last season and 5.7 points and 3 rebounds in the playoffs, starting seven times.

Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said the club understood Bell's priorities.

"We're not optimistic that we'll be able to come to terms with Raja," Nelson said. "We wish him the best. We're not holding out hope at this point. He was an integral part of what we did last season, but in all likelihood, it's in Raja's best interest to go some place where he'll have more of an opportunity (to play)."

 

No Griffin, no Bell. It looks like the team that gives Kobe the most trouble ain't gonna be Dallas no mo'. Could it be the Rox now?

 

Could be. Bowen played good against Kobe last season, and Kobe owned Bowen the year before. But Griffin has always shutdown Kobe the better than any other the defender. If the Rox can sacrifice the offense to let Griffin matchup against the Lakers, who knows.