Jazz trade to 3rd pick overall

NBA draft moves already beginning.

According to Tim Buckley of the Desert News:

The Jazz on Tuesday acquired the No. 3 overall selection in tonight's NBA Draft from the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Jazz gave up their own Nos. 6 and 27 picks in tonight's first round, and a conditional first-round selection acquired from Detroit when they sent former starting point guard Carlos Arroyo to Detroit this past season. The Detroit choice could be used as soon as 2006, but is lottery-protected through 2010.

Utah will presumably use its newly acquired No. 3 on University of Illinois point guard Deron Williams, as long as he is available. Otherwise, it would be Wake Forest point Chris Paul.

Williams, though, obviously seems to be the Jazz's preferred choice.

"We are absolutely optimistic that we are going to get our man," Jazz president Dennis Haslam said shortly after the noontime deal was met with NBA approval.

The Jazz have been trying to pry the No. 3 pick from Portland for quite some time.

"We've been working on this from the very beginning," Haslam said, "and everything gelled late this morning

"It worked out just fine," he added. "I am ecstatic. (Basketball operations boss) Kevin O'Connor is ecstatic. (Team owner) Larry Miller is ecstatic. And (coach) Jerry Sloan Sloan cracked a big smile."