According to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com), former Raptors swingman Morris Peterson has agreed to a four-year deal with the New Orleans Hornets. The source of the report apparently requested anonymity, but says Peterson will sign with the Hornets following a vacation.

Peterson was the Jazz’s main target in free agency this off-season, even going so far as to fly him out for a personal visit with Jazz management. Previous reports claimed that, while Peterson liked the Jazz system and the opportunity to join a winning team, he wanted far more money than the typically conservative Jazz were willing to dole out. The length of the contract may also have been an issue, as the Jazz might not have wanted to give Peterson a full four-year contract, especially given his age.

So where does that leave the Jazz? The free agent market is pretty much barren now, and the Jazz still don’t have much money to play with (and if they weren’t willing to pay Peterson more than $4 or 5 million, they may be even less likely to pay any of the options still out there). More than anything, this may be a sign that the Jazz are willing to commit to the players they already have. Finally, we might see what Ronnie Brewer and C.J. Miles (if he re-signs) are capable of, and there should be minutes for Morris Almond, too (especially if the Jazz find a way to trade Gordan Giricek’s expiring contract for another point guard).

While my first reaction was frustration (here we go again, the too-cautious Jazz fail to make a move to push us over the top by grabbing Peterson), after thinking about it a bit, I think this will help to slim down the glut of 2-guards on the Utah roster. Hopefully the right players will prove themselves in the coming weeks and months.
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Layton Shumway is the chief copy editor for BYU’s Daily Universe. You can reach him at lss83@byu.net.