A former second-round draft pick making an NBA-minimum $797,581, Paul Millsap capped a breakthrough season by finishing fourth in voting for the NBA's Most Improved Player award announced Tuesday.
Indiana's Danny Granger won the award with New Jersey's Devin Harris second and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant third. Granger and Harris were All-Stars this season; Durant was the No. 2 overall pick in 2007. Millsap received three first-place, 13 second-place and 23 third-place votes for a total of 77 points from a panel of 121 media members. It was the highest finish by a Jazz player since Deron Williams was third to Golden State's Monta Ellis in 2007.
Having started only three games in his first two seasons with the Jazz , Millsap took full advantage of his opportunity this season with Carlos Boozer lost to a knee injury.
Millsap recorded a streak of 19 consecutive double-doubles -- the longest such streak by an NBA player since Kevin Garnett and by a Jazz player since John Stockton -- and went on to average 13.5 points and 8.6 rebounds for the season.
The Louisiana Tech product, who has missed only six games in three seasons, will be a restricted free agent this summer, with the Jazz capable of matching any offer Millsap were to receive from another team.
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Okur update
Back home in Turkey with his ailing father, Mehmet Okur reiterated his desire to remain with the Jazz . In fact, Okur said in an interview with his Web site (memo13.com) that he would be willing to take less in his next contract to stay in what he called his "second home" in Utah.
"As Mehmet Okur I am ready to make some sacrifices to stay here," Okur said. "I will not be changing teams if there is a difference of $3-5 million in the total worth of the new contract. I believe my managers and I have let our feelings be know by the Jazz management."
The Jazz have until June 30 to sign Okur to an extension, after which Okur could opt out of his contract and become a free agent. Okur is due to make $9 million next season.
Okur, meanwhile, will not play for the Turkish national team this summer and remains at odds with the country's Basketball federation.
"I am not being used in a way that I can be a plus on the team," Okur said, "and contribute the way I am capable of, and yet whenever something goes wrong, I am the scapegoat that is put in front of the media."
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Briefly
The Jazz will begin bringing draft prospects to Utah for workouts after the Chicago draft combine May 27-31, likely June 3 or 4.
