SALT LAKE CITY -- Although DeShawn Stevenson's legal
problems appear to be worsening, Utah Jazz officials were reluctant
to say Wednesday how his role on the team would be affected by
statutory rape charges in California.
Stevenson, 20, was arrested and released on $5,000 bail after
turning himself in to police. According to court records in Fresno,
Calif., he told the victim's mother he had sex with a 14-year-old
girl.
At a somber news conference, team officials said they didn't
know enough about the case to take action. Jazz vice president
Kevin O'Connor said nobody in the organization has spoken with
Stevenson.
"Should he have been in a position that supposedly he was in?
No. Do we know what that position was? No. So to support him or to
say he was wrong, I don't want to say either one until we know
more," O'Connor said.
Team president Dennis Haslam said owner Larry Miller is aware of
the situation, but Haslam insisted everything team officials know
about the case came from news reports.
"I wouldn't say it's our worst nightmare, but it's certainly
something we wouldn't ask for," Haslam said.
Stevenson has a so-called morals clause in his contract, but
Haslam said he hasn't studied it "because we don't have enough
facts to do anything."
Such clauses are standard in most NBA contracts, allowing teams
or the league office to take disciplinary action against players
convicted of wrongdoing. Usually, offending players are suspended
without pay or fined.
He said until the charges are resolved by Fresno prosecutors,
"it is our intention to take no action until some action is
justified." Until then, he said the team wouldn't comment further.
"If the allegations are proven to be true, it's a bad thing,"
Haslam said.
O'Connor, who handles basketball operations, said the charges
won't affect plans for next week's NBA draft. With the 24th overall
pick, he said Utah probably will take the best player available.
"The consideration now is for him to take care of his business
and for us to take care of ours," O'Connor said.
O'Connor also said Stevenson is expected to report for summer
league games July 20-28 in Salt Lake City "unless there's a
problem that's going to interfere with him legally."
Stevenson played in 40 games last season, averaging 2.2 points
and 0.7 rebounds. He spent the regular season in a four-player
rotation on the injured list but was activated in April and made
the playoff roster.
Stevenson has been mentioned in recent news reports as one of
three "untouchables," along with veterans Karl Malone and John Stockton, as the Jazz consider possible off-season trades.
O'Connor said it was premature to say if the charges would
change Stevenson's status in possible trade talks.
"He's a good young player and we don't like to trade good young
players," O'Connor said. "By the same token, do we want to
improve our team? I've said from the start we would do anything we
think will improve our team."
Last year, Utah used the 23rd pick on Stevenson as he came out
of Washington Union High School. Later that night, Stevenson got
into a brawl and was charged with fighting in public.
He pleaded innocent. His trial in that case is scheduled to
begin Monday.
For years, Miller had opposed drafting high school players, so
the Jazz broke tradition by taking Stevenson. O'Connor was asked if
Stevenson's legal problems would make the team reconsider its
policies.
"He didn't have any trouble the first 19 years of his life. ...
To foresee that would have been pretty difficult," O'Connor said.
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