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Tickets at Ticket Master
The Utah Jazz agreed to settle Glen Rice's contract Friday, just three days after acquiring the veteran swingman in a trade with the Houston Rockets.
The deal will allow Rice to pursue options with other NBA teams.
The Jazz did not say how the contract was settled, but Rice, 36, was in the last year of a $9 million contract with Houston.
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``As we are committed to a youth movement, this provides Glen the option of
being able to be released from his contract in a timeframe which allows him
to quickly seek other options,'' Jazz ticketmaster vice president Kevin O'Connor
said.
The Jazz traded center John Amaechi to Houston for Rice and two first-round draft picks. Amaechi still had a year on the contract he signed with the Jazz as a free agent in 2001, plus an option for next year. Both years would be worth around $2.5 million.
``It saves us Amaechi's contract for next year,'' O'Connor said.
By picking up Rice's contract and reaching the settlement, the Jazz will again have plenty of salary cap space next year as they continue to try to rebuild. And they got rid of a player who didn't fit well with coach Jerry Sloan and hardly played last season.
A 14-year veteran, Rice did not fit the youth mold and even after Tuesday's trade was reached was not expected to play with the Jazz.
``It was a mutual agreement. He wants to play in the league and we wanted to give him as much of an opportunity as we could to find a team and find a spot,'' O'Connor said. ``We're committed to ticketmaster playing young kids and that's what we want to do.''
O'Connor said the
Jazz would continue to look at other players and trade possibilities throughout
training camp. Utah opens the preseason Sunday night against Dallas in Mexico
City.