This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Veteran point guard Earl Watson has sincere interest in re-signing with the Jazz, a source told The Salt Lake Tribune on Friday.
Watson, 32, will be an unrestricted free agent once the market officially opens Dec. 9.
Utah has yet to make contact with Watson since Wednesday, when teams were allowed to begin informal negotiations with agents. The sides are expected to talk during the next few days.
Watson re-signing with the Jazz makes sense. Utah will likely add two backup point guards to support starter Devin Harris, and Watson has a firm grasp of the Jazz's offensive and defensive systems. He also enjoyed his 2010-11 run with Utah and living in Salt Lake City.
Still, the respected 10-year veteran will have other options.
Watson played 80 games (13 starts) for the Jazz last season, averaging 4.3 points and 3.5 assists. He was Utah's best free agent signing, and brought renewed attention to his smart, speedy game. As a result, several other teams are expected to pursue him, and Watson will have to balance his preference for the Jazz with his market value.
Brian T. Smith
Twitter: @tribjazzbsmith@sltrib.comfacebook.com/tribjazz