SALT LAKE CITY — One interesting part about Mehmet Okur's relocation to New Jersey is the fact he'll hook up again with a former teammate.
Kris Humphries.
That's right, make it teammates.
Sundiata Gaines is also with Nets. And, oh yeah, that Deron Williams guy.
Memo will even play with someone who was a Jazzman the two seasons before he arrived in Utah in 2004 — DeShawn Stevenson.
Call them the East Coast Jazz.
Heck, Newark and Salt Lake City might as well become sister cities for a year.
Then there's the Midwest Jazz with Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer.
Just to be safe, EnergySolutions Arena P.A. announcer Dan Roberts might have to change his famous crowd-pumping line to be, "How 'bout this UTAH Jazz!?"
"We'll just have a lot of intersquad scrimmages this year, I guess," joked C.J. Miles of the Utah-based Jazz.
"It's going to be interesting," Utah forward Paul Millsap added.
New Jersey visits Salt Lake City on Jan. 14 for the first Jazz-Nets game since Williams and Okur were traded there.
The Jazz only play the Bulls once, March 10 in Chicago.
Miles hoped to get both Williams and Okur on the phone at the same time in the aftermath of the recent trade. And, yes, you can bet some Jazz jawing will ensue if that conversation happens.
TURKEY TALK: Rookie Enes Kanter wasn't the only person from Turkey to be disappointed that his hoops hero was shipped away to New Jersey.
Basketball fans on Turk websites and Twitter feeds he follows didn't like the news, either.
"They were really sad, too," Kanter said. "The Turkish people really wanted me and him (on) same team."
No doubt Jan. 14 will be circled on Turkish calendars as well as those in Utah.
Kanter still hadn't talked to Okur as of Saturday's practice, but he's trying to come to grips with his mentor's move.
"It's just a business," the 19-year-old said. "You can not do anything about it."
Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor maintains the notion that the separation might actually help Kanter progress quicker.
"He got Lesson 101 in the NBA a little bit and that's, 'You've got to take care of your own business,'" O'Connor said. "You've got to learn what you're supposed to do."
TURKEY TIME: The Turkish pro team that retired D-Will's jersey after his 15-game career came and went this past offseason has found his replacement.
And he also has a Utah connection.
Besiktas signed ex-Jazz point guard Carlos Arroyo to be the team's playmaker. Arroyo played for Miami and Boston in the NBA last season. He was with Utah from 2002-05.
OTHER MILLSAP CUT:Elijah Millsap, Paul's younger brother, was released by the Los Angeles Lakers this week.
"It's tough to be cut from a team, but he's been there before. He's growing up," the Jazz's Millsap said. "He's becoming a professional. He knows the nature of it. It's actually motivated him to do more to go out there and work harder."
The younger Millsap, a 6-6 guard, played with the L.A. D-Fenders in the D-League before attending Lakers' camp.
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