When the Jazz left on their pre-Christmas trip only 11 days ago, Ronnie Price was in limbo.

The Jazz point guard was coming off a toe injury and playing behind Deron Williams and rookie Eric Maynor, who stepped in during Price's absence and played well enough to stay on the floor.

On Saturday night at EnergySolutions Arena, however, Price will be Williams' backup when the Jazz play Philadelphia.

Price's promotion resulted from Tuesday's money-fueled trade that sent Maynor to Oklahoma City.

Without Maynor, Price is the Jazz's only other point guard. He will remain so until Utah signs its required 13th player sometime in the next two weeks.

Presumably, the Jazz will bring in another point guard but, before practice on Christmas night, coach Jerry Sloan didn't know who will become the newest member of his team.

"We'll discuss that tomorrow," he said. "We'll have a chance to sit down and visit with Kevin [O'Connor] about who we want and how we want to do it. ... We'll come up with something and, hopefully. it works well for our team."

Backing up Williams is the role Price and the Jazz envisioned when he signed a free-agent contract in the offseason.

"My intention coming into the season was not get hurt and be in this spot," Price said. "But things happen and, unfortunately, I got hurt."

Because Maynor played so well, Price didn't expect to immediately reclaim the job as Williams' primary back-up.

"I didn' have any expectations of being on the court so soon," he explained. "The guys were playing well and they needed to be on the court. So give Eric Maynor credit. He did his job."

Price called the trade, which saves the Jazz over $10 million in salaries and luxury tax considerations, a "crazy situation" that, for him, will translate 10-18 minutes a night.

In the Jazz's first post-trade game, Price had six points in 14 minutes in an 80-70 loss at Miami on Wednesday.

"I want to be on the court as much as I can," he said. "If I didn't feel that way, what reason is there to play basketball? So I'm excited. ...

"The situation that happened for me to get back on the court happens in this league. You take it with a grain of salt and move forward."

According to Sloan, trades and how players react to them are "part of the business." Every year, he talks to his players every year about the business end of the NBA.

"I've always said, 'If you don't like the way it's run, don't get in it because there might be some things you dislike,'" Sloan said.

Praising Maynor for seizing the opportunity when Price was injured, Sloan now expects Price to play well.

He's in shape, at least.

"I came back during a time we had a bunch of games -- not too much practice time," Price said. "So I had to find ways to try and get myself in basketball shape -- basketball timing shape -- without practice."

Crediting assistant coach Ty Corbin, assistant Scott Layden, strength coach Mark McKown and trainer Gary Briggs with an assist, Price is confident conditioning won't hold him back.

"I've had [teammates] come in on their days off, too," he said. "There's nothing like playing in a real game, but they've helped me get some timing back, going 3-on-3 and 2-on-2."

luhm@sltrib.com