Jazz: Miles Commanding Attention -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Travis Heath for *************** Jun 14, 2007, 14:26 People who have watched the Utah Jazz play the last two seasons have seen very little of C.J. Miles. That's why it might come as a surprise to some that Miles, a free agent, is already drawing interest from a number of teams. Miles played in just 60 regular season games the last two seasons and played in only one playoff game this spring. He's played a total of only 575 minutes in his career. Because of this limited duty, many assumed there would be little interest in the 20-year-old shooting guard. However, that's turned out not to be the case. "I really like C.J. Miles," said one NBA executive speaking on the condition of anonymity. "He's got a great stroke, and he's still very young. I know at least four or five other teams around the league that feel like we do, too." Miles, originally a second round pick of the Jazz in 2005, is in a unique position. After only two seasons with the Jazz, Miles is already a free agent as a result of not being locked into the same long-term contract structure required of first round picks. Thus, Miles is afforded the opportunity to test the free agent market earlier in his career the same way second round picks of the past like Gilbert Arenas and Mo Williams did in recent summers. Due to his lack of playing time, it's not likely Miles will get a huge payday. But that's one of the things that makes him so attractive. It's believed that in order to land Miles, a team has to offer just a little bit more than Utah. Also, an offer of some real playing time could persuade Miles to jump ship in Utah. With Ronnie Brewer being tabbed as the shooting guard of the future in Utah, are the Jazz willing to introduce Miles back into the fold with a new contract only to watch him ride the pine? The answer may be yes assuming Miles doesn't ask for a ridiculous amount of money simply because of the kind of player the 20-year-old may become in the future. "I think (Utah GM Kevin O'Connor) knows what he has (in Miles)," explained an NBA executive. "We called a number of times about C.J. last season and they didn't want to move him." Another thing Miles has going for him is his attitude. He's an intelligent and very likable kid who hasn't complained once about his lack of playing time. He's also proven he's willing to be coached, a quality teams love to see in young players. In the end, teams interested in Miles will have to step up to the plate and offer what seems like a little bit too much jack for the youngster banking on the fact that he will realize his potential. Anything short of that will likely lead to a return to the Jazz next season for Miles.
