The Jazz today will re-sign free agent Carlos Arroyo, their No. 3 point guard this past season.  The signing, however, does not signal an end to Utah's ongoing search for help at the point.
     
"We're still looking," said Kevin O'Connor, the Jazz's senior vice president of basketball operations.
     
"But," O'Connor added Wednesday, "we're not going to be looking to get somebody with experience just for the sake of getting somebody. He's got to be able to play. Skill is more important than experience."
     
In another development, it is believed the Jazz will bring San Antonio free agent shooting guard Stephen Jackson to Salt Lake for an interview on Friday. Jackson became expendible when the Spurs acquired Sacramento's Hedo Turkoglu and Indiana's Ron Mercer in a trade earlier this month.

They may have missed out on their dream backcourt of Corey Maggette and Gilbert Arenas, but the Jazz haven't stopped shopping for guards.
   
The Jazz will add a point guard today by signing their own free agent, Carlos Arroyo, to a one-year contract. And Friday, they will turn their attention to Stephen Jackson, showing him around Salt Lake City in an effort to attract the Spurs' shooting guard.
   
Jackson, who averaged 11.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in 80 games for the world champions last season, is not expected to return to San Antonio after the Spurs acquired Ron Mercer, Hedu Turkoglu, Robert Horry and Anthony Carter earlier this month.

San Antonio Spurs free-agent swingman Stephen Jackson is scheduled to visit the Nuggets today in Denver.

Jackson averaged 11.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in 28.2 minutes last season for the NBA champions. The 6-foot-8, 220-pounder ranked 18th in the NBA in steals (125) and started in 58 of 80 games.

Jackson averaged 11.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in 28.2 minutes last season for the NBA champions. The 6-foot-8, 220-pounder ranked 18th in the NBA in steals (125) and started in 58 of 80 games.
 
Agent Dan Fegan said Jackson also would visit the Utah Jazz on Friday and the Atlanta Hawks early next week. The Nuggets' roster includes shooting guards Rodney White, Vincent Yar- brough and Jeff Trepagnier.

"It's a great fit for (the Nuggets)," Fegan said. "Stephen has proven he can knock down big shots. If the Nuggets get (point guard) Andre (Miller), he becomes a great fit."

They may have missed out on their dream backcourt of Corey Maggette and Gilbert Arenas, but the Jazz haven't stopped shopping for guards.

The Jazz will add a point guard today by signing their own free agent, Carlos Arroyo, to a one-year contract. And Friday, they will turn their attention to Stephen Jackson, showing him around Salt Lake City in an effort to attract the Spurs' shooting guard.

Jackson, who averaged 11.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in 80 games for the world champions last season, is not expected to return to San Antonio after the Spurs acquired Ron Mercer, Hedu Turkoglu, Robert Horry and Anthony Carter earlier this month.

The prospect of moving from a champion to a rebuilding team like the post-Stockton & Malone Jazz doesn't bother Jackson, his agent said. "When you are 25 years old, your clock's not ticking at the same pace. A player like Steve looks at it differently," said agent Dan Fegan, who also represents Arenas. "Steve has confidence in his ability, and being an important part of the process -- helping restore a winning franchise -- is attractive."

At 6-foot-8, Jackson is unusually big for a guard. "He's a strong perimeter defender, and with his size, he can overmatch other guards. And he showed he can hit big shots in the playoffs," Fegan said. "He has also proven he can play within a system, which is something I know the Jazz value. He doesn't need the ball all the time to be effective."

The San Antonio Spurs are expected to announce soon the re-signing of center Kevin Willis. They also are awaiting Steve Kerr's decision to either return to the Spurs or begin a career in broadcasting.

A local-boy-makes-good story highlighted the Spurs' introduction of three new players Wednesday afternoon.

San Antonio native Devin Brown realized a life's dream when he signed a two-year deal with San Antonio.

The 6-foot-3 guard played at West Campus High School and was a four-year player at UTSA, leaving after his 2001-02 season.

Spurs general manager R.C. Buford also announced the signing of backup point guard Anthony Carter and introduced guard/forward Ron Mercer, who had been signed last week.

"We're excited to add a San Antonio player," Buford said of Brown. "He proved he belonged by his play in the Boston Summer League."

Brown caught a break, thanks to that impressive showing in Boston.

"They told me to forget about Utah," he said of the Rocky Mountain League. "They told me to just go back to San Antonio and relax because I had made the team.

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed guard Anthony Carter. Per club policy terms of the agreement were not announced.

?Anthony Carter is a proven NBA player who has experience as both a starter and a reserve,? said Spurs General Manager R.C. Buford. ?He is a good defensive player and will fit well into our system.?

The 6-2, 195-pound Carter has spent his entire four-year NBA career with the Miami Heat. Last season he averaged 4.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 18.6 minutes in 49 games. In 26 games as a starter, he had 5.3 points, 5.4 assists and 1.09 steals in 23.8 minutes.

?This is a fresh start for me and a great honor to play for the defending World Champions,? said Carter. ?It will be a tremendous challenge to return to championship form, but it is a challenge I think we will be up to.?

The San Antonio Spurs today announced they have signed guard Devin Brown. Per club policy terms of the deal were not released.

After appearing in the Spurs 2002 training camp, the 6-3, 190-pound guard signed two 10-day contracts with San Antonio on 11/3/02. Brown appeared in seven games for the Silver and Black and averaged 1.7 points and 1.0 rebounds in 3.1 minutes.

The 21-year-old Brown also played the Fayetteville Patriots of the National Basketball Development League during the 2002-03 season. Originally drafted by Fayetteville with the second overall selection in the 2002 NDBL Draft, Brown was named 2003 NBDL Rookie of the Year and NBDL league MVP after averaging 16.9 points and 4.1 rebounds in 44 games. He also shares NBDL records for points in a game with 38 and field goals made in a game with 14, notching both marks against North Charleston on Dec. 5.

The Nuggets will open their season at home Oct. 29 against NBA champion San Antonio, according to NBA sources who have seen the schedule. That game is expected to mark the debut of Nuggets rookie forward Carmelo Anthony. The Spurs are led by two-time MVP Tim Duncan and a host of new players added in a busy offseason.

The Nuggets' first road game is Oct. 30 at Houston, which will be opening its new downtown arena, the Toyota Center. The complete NBA schedule will be released today.

Anthony's first matchup with Cleveland's heralded No. 1 overall draft pick, LeBron James, will take place Nov. 5 in the Cavaliers' home opener, a game scheduled to be televised by ESPN.

James' first appearance in Denver comes Dec. 2.

Coach Gregg Popovich is quick to agree with people around the league who say the Spurs came out ahead when Jason Kidd opted to remain in New Jersey.

"You know, they're right," he said.

"I think it was Malik Rose who said in the paper that when one of the league's premier players is available, you have to make a run at him. That's all we did."

Ron Mercer, one of the new guys picked up during the Spurs' trading and signing spree, is quick to agree with Popovich's final assessment.

"This is great; it's the best opportunity I've had since I've been in the league," Mercer said during a telephone conversation. "I'll be playing alongside Tim Duncan, and you can't turn down a chance like that. I'm just glad to be a part of this championship team."