Brigham Young University?s Rafael Araujo has seen a big jump in his stock with NBA general managers over the last few weeks.

The scouts are mightily impressed after several individual workouts.  

?They always say you do really well,? the center said. "Who knows what they're really thinking. That's all just talk. I'll believe it June 24.?

Araujo will work out wit the Jazz today and will then will leave tonight to do the same for the Lakers and Raptors.      

At 6'11" and 296 pounds, Araujo was slated as a possible first-round selection but he's displayed excellent skill in workout drills.

The Toronto Raptors have contacted Utah Jazz assistant Phil Johnson about their head coaching job and he is interested but wants to see who they hire as their general manager.

"I have talked to them," Johnson said Saturday, "and that's where it's at right now. I told them I wouldn't go any farther until they hired a GM. I just felt that was the right way to go. . . . I don't know if you can succeed if you don't have a good working relationship with the people around you."

Their is a possibility the Raptors will re-open their gm search which would put off a potential interview for Johnson.

Other canadiates mentioned for the head coaching vacancy include outgoing Denver assistant John MacLeod and Dallas assistant Del Harris.

Johnson is a former NBA coach of the year with the Kansas City-Omaha Kings back during the 1974-75 season and has been Jerry Sloan's top assistant coach in Utah for the past 16 seasons.

When you watch the Olympics this summer, you will not be seeing Jazz point guard Raul Lopez playing for his native country Spain.

Their is speculation that the Jazz pressured him to sit out this summer to rest his right knee, in which he has torn his ACL twice in the past three years.

Spain is upset with the decision but Lopez's agent is not.

I am very happy with the decision," said (David) Bauman, who is based in Washington, D.C. "I think that in the long-term Raul's career will benefit from the rest he will get this summer."