Veteran guard Ronnie Price has re-signed with the Jazz, the team announced Tuesday.
Price appeared in only 52 games last season, although he started 17 times in place of the injured Deron Williams. In those games, he averaged 8.2 points and 4.2 assists.
"Even when he wasn't playing regularly," general manager Kevin O'Connor said, "Ronnie showed up for work every day. He competed every time he stepped on the court."
Said team president Randy Rigby: "Ronnie Price is the consummate professional. He is always prepared when Coach [Jerry] Sloan calls on him and we are looking forward to his energy and toughness next season."
Price attended Utah Valley. After signing a free-agent contract, he spent his first two seasons in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings.
Since signing with the Jazz prior to the 2007-08 season, Price has averaged 3.8 points and 1.6 assists in 113 games, including 20 starts.
As a fourth-year pro, Price earned $1.188 million last season, when he spent most of the time playing behind Williams and Brevin Knight as the Jazz's No. 3 point guard. But in Utah's season-ending loss in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series against the L.A. Lakers, Price was outstanding.
After he led a late comeback that nearly allowed the Jazz to prolong the series, Sloan said he had probably made a mistake by not playing him more.
Asked if Price's effort against the Lakers was a major reason for re-signing him, O'Connor said, "No, not really. It was more about his work ethic and willingness to do whatever was asked during the entire season -- the whole time he's been here, actually."
