Matthews signs with Portland for $34M

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For all the opportunity they gave Wesley Matthews as an undrafted rookie, the Jazz got their thanks Saturday. The Portland Trail Blazers brought out their poison pen for the second consecutive year and signed Matthews to a five-year, $34 million offer sheet.

The Jazz will have seven days after receiving the offer (expected to arrive Monday) to decide whether to match it and keep the 23-year-old, who started 48 games last season, averaged 9.4 points and found himself guarding Kobe Bryant in the playoffs.

"Wes will play anywhere," said Lance Young, Matthews' agent. "He just loves to play and wants to win. Portland came at him hard and obviously we had to listen."

Matthews' offer effectively is a max contract for a player who reached free agency after his rookie season. The Blazers signed Matthews to a deal worth the full midlevel exception of $5.765 million plus annual raises from there.

In addition, the offer sheet contains the maximum signing bonuses and front-loading as allowed by the NBA's salary rules, Young said. As a result, the Jazz would have to make a $9.2 million upfront payment to Matthews within a week should they match.

The deal with Matthews came a year to the day after Portland signed Jazz forward Paul Millsap to a "toxic" offer sheet that called for a $10.3 million upfront payment. The Blazers are owned by Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen and have unmatched resources.

Although the Jazz opted to match the Millsap offer, there is no guarantee they will do the same with Matthews. Millsap was a post player with three years of NBA experience and was expected to succeed Carlos Boozer.

"It feels like 'Groundhog Day,' " Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor said, referring to last year's offer. "We will decide what's best for the organization and about how to use our midlevel exception, whether that's to re-sign Wesley or look in another direction."

The Jazz were bracing for a five-year, $25 million offer earlier Saturday as Young reported being close to a deal with Portland. Asked whether he thought the Jazz would match, Young said: "Who knows? They matched against Millsap, but I don't know."

To put the deal in perspective, Matthews will make more next season as a second-year player in the NBA than 2009 No. 1 overall pick Blake Griffin with the Clippers.

The offer arrived at the end of what already had proved a demoralizing week in free agency for the Jazz, who watched Carlos Boozer (five years, $80 million) and Kyle Korver (three years, $15 million) agree to contracts with Chicago.

From the start of free agency, Matthews' camp was believed to have told the Jazz it would take a full midlevel deal to re-sign him. With that as the only option they were presented, the Jazz suggested Matthews find an offer elsewhere.

He did in Portland, which is operating without a general manager, but Matthews would face the prospect of playing behind All-Star guard Brandon Roy with the Blazers, who also have wing players Nicolas Batum, Luke Babbitt and Rudy Fernandez.

"We talked about that," Young said. "Obviously, he thinks he's going to be a starter anywhere he goes. Wes guarded threes [small forwards] all year and there's no reason he can't continue to guard threes."

Young added that Portland talked about playing a lineup with Roy at point guard and Matthews alongside him in the backcourt. "He just wants to play quality minutes, be in the thick of things and if he goes there, he can continue to do that," Young said.

If they don't match Matthews' offer, the Jazz would lose a second starter in free agency and have to fill needs for both a big man and a wing. The Jazz have spoken about free agents from Ronnie Brewer to Al Harrington to Shannon Brown and Roger Mason.

Deron Williams, meanwhile, was in good spirits Saturday as he hosted his fourth-annual charity golf event at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi. He joked when asked about it being a busy week for the Jazz in free agency.

"Well, it hasn't been a really busy week for us," Williams said. "It's been a really busy week for some of our former teammates."

Asked about trying to stay patient rather than being outspoken when it comes to the Jazz's offseason, Williams cracked: "Well, I just found out Miami is trying to acquire me right now."

Williams said he spoke with Boozer and Korver and wished them well. His words Saturday were muted in comparison to what Williams said heading into the offseason, when he implored the Jazz to make moves after a third consecutive playoff exit against the Lakers.

"I'm just being patient," Williams said. "That's all I can do. We lost two guys to free agency. It happens. Hopefully, we'll have a chance to pick up some guys."

But Williams also didn't sound convinced that the Jazz as constituted are close to being one of the NBA's elite teams.

"We still have a solid team," Williams said. "Are we going to compete for a championship? That's tough to say. But we do have a good team. We have some guys that I think can step up.

"I think Paul can come in and contribute, and I think it's a good opportunity for him to show people what he can really do given the opportunity, given the minutes."

At the same time, Williams said it was tough not knowing when Mehmet Okur will be able to return from a ruptured Achilles tendon. "I still think we need some depth in the frontcourt," Williams said.

With all eight playoff teams in the Western Conference winning 50 or more games last season, the Jazz could be facing an uphill climb to reach the postseason if they are significantly weakened this summer.

Portland, Oklahoma City, Houston and the L.A. Clippers are all expected to be improved, though Phoenix did lose All-Star Amare Stoudemire as well as general manager Steve Kerr from its team that reached the conference finals.

"Some other guys lost some pieces, too," Williams said. "We're not the only ones. We knew it was going to be a big summer free agency-wise, and a lot of teams are going to be different, look different, and that's been the case."