Now that the Utah Jazz believe their young, up-and-coming team is ready to compete in the Western Conference, GM Dennis Lindsey is adding some veteran experience to help steady them in tough moments. Wholesale Authentic Jerseys .Lindsey made his latest move on Friday night, agreeing to terms with Joe Johnson on a two-year deal worth $22 million, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal cannot be signed until July 7.Johnson gives the Jazz a proven scorer and level-headed veteran as they try to climb the ladder with a promising young nucleus including Gordon Hayward, Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors and Rodney Hood.The seven-time All-Star turned 35 this week, but he showed during the stretch run in Miami last season that he can still make big shots when hes needed. Johnson shot 41.7 percent from 3-point range after coming to the Heat from Brooklyn and has the ability to play power forward in small ball lineups that gives coach Quin Snyder some more versatility to mix and match.The Jazz went into the offseason looking to spend with a need for veteran depth, another point guard and additional shooting. They added point guard George Hill in a three-way trade with the Pacers and Hawks to give them a tested veteran on the ball and were aggressive in courting veterans once the free agent market opened on Thursday night.One by one, many of Utahs targets were plucked by others teams, but the Jazz quickly pivoted to Johnson, who will give them another dimension off the bench.His scoring numbers have gradually decreased over the last few years, and he averaged 12.2 points and shot 38 percent from 3-point range while playing with Brooklyn and Miami last season.But the Jazz could see him playing a similar role to the one Paul Pierce -- a former teammate of Johnsons in Brooklyn -- assumed with the Wizards two years ago. Pierces best days are behind him, but he was able to play a complementary role in support of John Wall, Bradley Beal and the rest of a young team that was learning to win. Then, in crunch time, Pierce would assume more responsibility, take some of the highest pressure shots and help catapult the Wizards to the Eastern Conference semifinals.Johnson has a lot of the same qualities as Pierce. He is calm under pressure, willing to take the biggest shots in a game and has the ability to use his body to create space to get the shot off.The Jazz went 40-42 last season and have not made the playoffs since 2012.The deal was first reported by NBA.com.---AP Sports Writer Kareem Copeland in Salt Lake City contributed to this report. NFL Jerseys Wholesale .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. Wholesale Cheap Jerseys . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. http://www.cheapjerseysoff.org/ . Pierce was ejected in the third quarter of Indianas 103-86 win Monday. George Hill stole a bad pass and was going in for a layup, and Pierce hustled back and appeared to be trying to wrap him up. New York lightweight Al Iaquinta has turned down an offer to fight Thiago Alves at UFC 205 on Nov. 12 in Madison Square Garden due to a contract holdout with the UFC.Iaquinta, 29, verbally agreed to the matchup at first, but he said he couldnt bring himself to sign the official bout agreement.The UFC declined to comment on the situation to ESPN.com.Riding a four-fight win streak, Iaquinta (12-3) said he stood to make $26,000 to show and $26,000 to win the fight in New York. He said he has three fights left on his deal, which was negotiated in early 2015.I printed out the contract, went to sign it and just said, I cant do it, Iaquinta told ESPN.com. As much as I would love to be a superstar at Madison Square Garden, this is only going to last for so long and then Im going to be stuck with the injuries.With the money theyre paying me right now, its enough to get by, maybe. I could do that in any profession and not risk the injuries. Health is so important to me after what Ive been through the last 18 months.Iaquinta listed several factors that went into his decision, including the UFCs apparel deal with Reebok that banned individual sponsorships from appearing in the Octagon. Additionally, Iaquinta underwent knee surgery late last year, and his experience with that greatly affected his current perception.Iaquinta was 24 when he agreed to compete on the UFCs The Ultimate Fighter reality series in 2012. He performed well, eventually losing in the tournament final to fellow UFC lightweight Michael Chiesa.The show required him to fight five times in three months. According to Iaquinta, he was paid a flat $750 per week. Luckily, he made an extra $50,000 in bonus money for having the best knockout and fight of the season. Looking back, Iaquinta said that without those bonuses, appearing on the show would not have been worth it.Especially because Iaquinta suffered a knee injury in the shows semifinals. He initially had a patchwork surgery performed, he said, but the knee reached a point last year that he felt a second procedure was necessary.When he informed the UFC, Iaquinta said he was initially told the companys insurance would only pick up $15,000 of a $60,000 operation. Eventually, the UFC did agree to pay for the entire procedure, he said, but only after weeks of slow, frustrating correspondence.I was talking to a woman at the UFC medical department and it was almost like I was hassling her, Iaquinta said. Its like, This is your job. Youre employed by the UFC. You have health benefits. Your job is to help me. Im not burdening you. I wish I didnt have to call you. I actually hate calling you because you make me feel like I shouldnt.I eventually said, So, youre telling me a UFC fighter on a foour-fight win streak is going to have to start a GoFundMe page to pay for a surgery -- is that what youre telling me right now? That was what it took to get on the phone with [former UFC owner] Lorenzo Fertitta. Wholesale Jerseys Online. And even then, they wanted me to get a different surgery. I ended up saying I was going in for the surgery either way, and I think that put pressure on them.Iaquinta acknowledged it hasnt been long since he signed his current four-fight deal. He has completed only one of those: a split-decision win over Jorge Masvidal in April 2015.His mindset, however, has changed tremendously in that time. After he was initially told hed have to pay for knee surgery out of pocket, Iaquinta said he came to grips with the possibility that his career was over. Now that hes accepted that once and prepared accordingly (he received his real estate license earlier this year), it frees him to demand a new deal.They sell you on the dream, Iaquinta said. You end up fighting for less than youre worth, hoping one day you can make it. Ive already made it. Im in the UFC.At first, the dream is making The Ultimate Fighter. When youre in The Ultimate Fighter, its about making the UFC. Get into the UFC, the dream is making it to that next contract. I got to the next contract and was told, Stay in the good graces of the UFC. Dont piss them off, because if you ask for more money, theyre not going to give it to you anyway, and God forbid you lose a fight -- theyll cut you.Now, I really dont give a s--- if they cut me. I could f------ care less.Iaquinta did not reveal the exact figure hes seeking, but he said the UFC has shown no interest in renegotiating his current deal.Playing into his decision, Iaquinta said the UFC informed him he is ineligible for the promotions highly sought-after fight night bonuses, which usually consist of $50,000 and are awarded at every event.Iaquinta said he was told his ineligibility stems from several violations of the UFCs code of conduct.Im really just fed up, Iaquinta said. Im fed up with the sport. I dont even call it a sport anymore. They treat the wrong people right and the right people wrong.I went to UFC 53 [in 2005] and I had such a different idea of this. Its where I wanted to be. I watched every fight when I was young. This is all I wanted to do. I thought these guys were superstars. I thought these guys were making money, being on TV -- and now Im here and its totally different. I keep saying, It cant be like this. This cant be how it is.Iaquinta fights out of Serra-Longo Fight Team. He is 7-2 overall in the UFC with three knockouts. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' ' 

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