Trade talks between the Mavs and the Jazz are absolutely going on, or so says Peter Vecsey. On NBC's NBA halftime show, Vecsey reported that there is a large trade being discussed. The main players are: Karl Malone going to the Mavs. Juwan Howard going to Denver, Raef LaFrentz going to Utah. Nick Van Exel going to Golden State and some of the Warriors' size (maybe Danny Fortson, maybe Marc Jackson) going to the Jazz. While he didn't elaborate, we're assuming there would be more players involved. Tariq Abdul-Wahad is a player the Jazz have coveted in the past and his salary seems like a good fit in a deal like this.

Vecsey says the deal rests in the hands of Karl Malone. His "no-trade" clause will decide whether the trade is a go or not. With Utah fading fast, this may be Karl's last chance to contend for a ring. The Jazz will get younger. The Mavs will get tougher. The Warriors get some much-needed backcourt help... But what do the Nuggets get out of this?

Vecsey's column in the Sunday edition of the New York Post had nothing to add to his NBC report.  However, the Deserert News reported that Jazz basketball operations vice president Kevin O'Connor vehemently denied Vecsey's broadcast report regarding the four-team trade. "There's nothing to discuss," O'Connor said. "I've got no comment, because I can't comment on something that's absolutely off the wall."

"I've never had any conversations with any of the principals supposedly involved in that," O'Connor said. Asked Saturday night if the Jazz are involved in any Malone-related trade talks, O'Connor answered without hesitation. "None," he said.

And according to the Denver Post, Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe denied Vecsey's report stating Nuggets point guard Nick Van Exel and forward-center Raef LaFrentz were involved in trade talks in a four-team deal that centers around Utah forward Karl Malone. "Why would I do that?" Vandeweghe said. "Raef is a very valuable player. At this point, I am not interested in trading him. I am not looking to trade anybody. Nick? No. Nick is an all-star. We would have to get a lot of value back. . . . If anything was happening, I think I would know about it. There is nothing going on."