| | Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY -- Accepting half the cash offered by other
teams, Danny Manning agreed to a two-year deal with the Utah Jazz on
Friday.
"He probably passed up an opportunity to make considerably more
money in other places, but he just felt to have a chance to play
for Jerry Sloan and the Jazz organization and with Karl Malone and
John Stockton was something too good to pass up," said Mark
Bartlestein, Manning's agent.
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| Manning |
Manning accepted Utah's $1.2 million salary cap exception. He
has an option of extending the deal for a second year.
Bartlestein said Portland, Miami, New York and Dallas also were
after the 12-year veteran, offering a $2.5 million-a-year deal, but
Manning chose Utah.
"They did an unbelievable job of recruiting him. They won him
over," Bartlestein said. "The No. 1 prerequisite for Danny was he
wanted to go somewhere where he could have a chance to win a
championship."
Manning, 34, has had surgery on both knees and joins a Jazz
lineup already stocked with veterans. The 6-foot-10, 244-pound
Manning will be expected to provide a scoring threat at center -- which the Jazz have been fruitlessly searching for for years -- and
help rest the aging Malone.
Jazz personnel were not immediately available for comment.
Manning played on the University of Kansas team that won the 1988 NCAA
title, then was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers
with the first overall choice that year. He also played on the 1988
Olympic team that won the bronze medal.
He played 5½ seasons with the Clippers before being shipped to
Atlanta. He then signed with the Phoenix Suns he spent five seasons
before signing with Milwaukee.
Milwaukee agreed to buy out the remaining year on Manning's
contract, in which he was to receive $7.83 million, then waived
him, clearing the way for him to sign with the Jazz.
Manning has averaged 15.5 points over 12 seasons, but averaged
less than 17 minutes and just 4.6 points per game last season with
the Bucks. He played in only one game of the Bucks' first-round
playoff series against Indiana.
The signing, along with the addition of another Bartlestein
client, John Crotty, fills out Utah's 12-man roster. Crotty agreed
to a two-year deal worth about $2 million.
"We think it's going to be a great situation for (Crotty),"
said Bartlestein.
Utah also signed free-agent guard John Starks with the team's
$2.5 million salary cap exception.
Manning is the third former Jayhawk on the Jazz, joining Greg
Ostertag and Jacque Vaughn.
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