SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 Sports) - Raja Bell's days as a member of the Utah Jazz appear to be over.
Despite still being under contract, Bell will not report to Jazz training camp when it begins on Tuesday. General manager Dennis Lindsey released the following statement Friday night:
“I have spoken with Raja and his representative, Herb Rudoy, and we have mutually agreed that although Raja remains under contract, it is in the best interest of all parties that he not re-join the team next week when the Jazz begins training camp. We will now move forward focusing on Jazz basketball and our preparation for the upcoming season. We will have no further comment on this matter.”
Bell, a 12-year NBA veteran, is scheduled to make $3.4 million this season. He and the Jazz have been unable to negotiate a contract buyout, but a deal is expected to happen soon.
Bell was highly critical of head coach Tyrone Corbin this past season, saying there was a total lack of communication between the two.
"When it gets to a point where there is absolutely no communication for months, I think we all know that's irreparable damage," Bell said this past May. "I don't make any mistakes about who I am. I don't want to shoot the ball 25 times, I just want to play my roll. But I was getting one set of commands from one person, and just zero communication from [Corbin], I didn't even know if I was playing one night until [minutes before tipoff]. That's as unprofessional as it gets in my book."
Bell appeared in just 34 games last season (33 starts), averaging 6.4 points per game.
