On the same day the Jazz kick-started stalled contract negotiations with free-agent forward Donyell Marshall, Marshall's agent fired responses to comments from Jazz owner Larry H. Miller regarding a couple of Dwight Manley's other clients, Jazz star Karl Malone and free-agent swingman Bryon Russell.
     
Calling Miller "a world-class negotiator," Manley said he told Jazz basketball operations vice president Kevin O'Connor that any contract-related discussions between Miller and Malone would have to go through him.
     
Having Miller negotiate directly with Malone, Manley said, "is the equivalent of having Larry going one-on-one in basketball with Karl."
     
Manley said he did not mean to suggest Miller could not socialize with Malone without first contacting Manley, something Miller seemed to imply in comments made last Friday to a Salt Lake radio station.