Breaking news from Marc Stein (on Twitter)
Just filed to ESPN.com: Raja Bell will not be meeting with Kobe Bryant after all ... because Bell has been snapped up Utah
Stein later says the deal offered by the Jazz was for 3 years and worth nearly $10 million. Which makes him cheaper than Matthews, Morrow and pretty much everyone else that has signed this off-season (except maybe Tony Allen).
Bell... we've all seen him before. And many were sad when he jumped to Phoenix after his first go-around here ended. He's coming off of a wrist injury that limited him to 6 games last season. If he's over that, though, he brings his career 41% from downtown shooting mark and some veteran defense (and the clear ability to frustrate Kobe Bryant... or clothesline him if need be). He's played for Sloan before, so that's going to help both sides... he knows what Sloan expects.
Better or worse than Matthews? That's to be seen. They're both solid jump-shooters, they both play good D on the perimeter. Bell is much cheaper though, and has proven his worth in the league (for those that think that's important). This does mean, of course, that the offer to Matthews will not be matched. We'll have to see what happens over there now... Matthews just got stuck behind a bunch of wings.
For now, we've got Bell. With a Fesenko signing likely coming, is that the off-season. What does everyone think of the team? And who goes to the bench? CJ? AK? Or Bell, who's primarily been a starter since he left Utah?