The Jazz have reached an agreement in principle on a one-year contract with veteran free-agent point guard Mark Jackson, basketball operations vice president Kevin O'Connor said Tuesday night.
The Jazz planned to sign the 6-foot-3 Jackson — arguably a Hall of Fame candidate — pending his passing a physical exam today.
Financial terms were not disclosed. But Jackson is believed to have accepted the veteran minimum of $1,030,000 after clearing waivers and agreeing to a buyout of the final year of his previous contract with the Denver Nuggets, who acquired the 15-season vet as part of an offseason trade.
"I think the fact that we've got a guy that knows how to play, that's been in the wars, and that is a big point guard (are) all positives," O'Connor said of Jackson, a 37-year-old Brooklyn native and St. John's product who spent the early part of his career with the New York Knicks, much of the latter part with the Indiana Pacers, plus stints with the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver and Toronto.
"We were hoping that this would happen. We've been at this for a month," said a giddy O'Connor, who received permission from Denver to talk with Jackson and his agent after attempts to make a trade with the Nuggets failed.
Jackson is expected to be the primary backup to John Stockton, with young free-agent signee Carlos Arroyo serving as the Jazz's third point guard.
KIRILENKO WORRIES: Jazz coach Jerry Sloan is concerned about forward Andrei Kirilenko, and it's not because of the sprained ankle that caused him to miss most of both the Rocky Mountain Revue and the recent FIBA World Basketball Championship.
Rather, it's due to his weight.
"He's not as heavy as he was when he was in summer league," Sloan said on Tuesday, the opening day of training camp for the Jazz. "His weight went from 224 to 210.
"There's usually two problems in this league with players: One is the weight's too much, or the weight's too little," Sloan added. "You get in that situation, what's the next thing that happens? Injuries."
LOPEZ UPDATE: Out-for-the-season Jazz guard Raul Lopez was released Tuesday from University Hospital, where he has been recovering and rehabbing since undergoing surgery to help repair his re-torn anterior cruciate knee ligament.
MISC.: Forty-year-old John Stockton and 39-year-old Karl Malone, who reported to camp with an amazing 2.6 percent body fat, were both excused from the Tuesday night's second session of camp. . . . Free-agent center Joe Vogel, a Colorado State product who played last season in Lebanon, was not permitted to participate in Tuesday's sessions because he has not received formal contract-release approval from FIBA, the worldwide governing body of basketball. . . . The Jazz have scheduled a free, open-to-the-public scrimmage for Oct. 12 at the Delta Center. Starting time is to be announced.
E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com