"If you think about how many times somebody asks you, ‘How are you,’ that’s how many times I was asked, ‘Where you going?" said Bosh, who was in Manhattan Wednesday to unveil his Got Milk! advertisement. "So it’s like, well, in my case, I’m going to have fun with it. I’m going to play with people’s emotions. I’m going to be high and low."

The admission – long suspected of the Heat triumvirate (Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade) – would help explain the varying reports about Bosh’s destination during the long free agency process. Several had him going to Chicago and Cleveland, and former Nets president Rod Thorn said he felt his team was in the running the evening before Bosh and Wade announced their intentions together on ESPN.

Turns out, Bosh was sending out mixed messages for kicks – tweeting every step of the way.

"I wouldn’t call it a game because it’s serious, but, I mean, it’s entertainment at the end of the day. It’s the truth," Bosh said. "We’re entertaining and everything but at the same time I’m just getting my feelings out there.

"It’s entertaining to see people react to your real emotions because if it wasn’t fun I wouldn’t do it."

Despite this pleasure, Bosh said he seriously considered joining the Knicks because, ironically, "I took a meeting and I wouldn’t waste anybody’s time."

He also said he would have been able to cope with the pressure of New York, which Bosh compared to playing in Antarctica.

"I could handle playing anywhere," he said. "We’re talking about basketball. I could play basketball anywhere. If they said the NBA has a team in Antarctica, it would be like, ‘Well, I’m in Antarctica but it’s going to be alright.’ That’s how much I love basketball. I could play anywhere."

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/2010/08/11/2010-08-11_bosh_admits_sending_misleading_tweets.html

The soon-to-be unrestricted free agent apparently wouldn’t be fazed by
continuing to do that — or by following in Michael Jordan’s footsteps in
Chicago, either.

Boozer even believes other big-name free agents might look at it as "an
attractive thing to have that history, where M.J. played, where
(Scottie) Pippen played for those six championships," the power forward
said during an interview on Windy City-based ESPN 1000′s "The Waddle
& Silvy Show" on Wednesday.

"I think everybody, whoever it is this summer, can remember watching M.J. do his thing in Chicago," he said. "So I think that will be more of a positive thing than a negative thing."

It was on that Chicago sports-talk program last summer that Boozer divulged he’d love to play in Chicago and dropped the bombshell that he believed he’d be traded before Utah’s 2009 training camp.

Boozer didn’t share any sizzling sound bites this time, though.

In fact, he reiterated two things he told Utah media during the Jazz’s locker cleanout session earlier this month: (1) "Winning a championship" is his top priority for his impending free agency, and (2) Utah "absolutely" remains on his list of future playing homes.

"I think we have a chance in Utah; we’d have a chance to win a championship there as well," Boozer said. "I want to make it clear that’s the No. 1 thing is winning a championship."

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700035527/Boozer-finds-the-Bulls-attractive.html

MARC BERMAN

Free-agent-to-be Carlos Boozer sounded intrigued about joining Mike
D’Antoni’s Knicks, but believes if he comes to New York, it won’t be in a
star tandem with LeBron James.

Boozer and James were Cleveland teammates for King James’ rookie year. Boozer left Cleveland the first chance he got — for a multi-year contract with Utah in 2004. But Boozer doesn’t think James will leave his hometown.

"I think LeBron’s going to stay," Boozer said before scoring 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting with 14 rebounds in Utah’s 103-98 victory last night over the Knicks at EnergySolutions Arena.

"That’s my gut. They’re doing everything they can to build him a championship. His biggest thing is winning a ring. I think his best chance to win a ring is probably where he’s at."

Boozer walked out the arena yesterday’s morning shootaround wearing a Yankees ballcap — the same fashion statement of James. "I’m a Yankees fan," Boozer said.

He’s also a big D’Antoni fan. The Knicks, however, regard Chris Bosh and Amar’e Stoudemire as better power-forward fits in D’Antoni’s speedball attack. Boozer is more of a traditional, low-post power forward.

In fact, Utah’s other free agent, 3-point demon, Kyle Korver, might be a more viable and cheaper piece, especially if the Knicks re-sign David Lee. Korver is tearing up the NBA, leading in 3-point FG percentage at 55.6 percent — on track to break Steve Kerr’s record. But last night, Korver shot just 1 of 9.

Surely, Boozer, who played for D’Antoni at the Olympics, is on the Knick list.

"I love D’Antoni, he’s the dope," Boozer said. "Spending time with him in the Olympics, his offensive mindset is unbelievable. He’s got the best plays I’ve ever been around — on a whim. It’s like rappers when they come out on the top of the dome with quotes. He’s got plays in the back of his head with plays for that moment."

D’Antoni said he was reluctant to talk about Boozer because of tampering, saying only, "Anyone on the US Olympic team is one of the top 20 players in the game. He’s definitely up there."

Even though Boozer got snubbed from the All-Star Game, the chances of the former Duke NCAA champion re-signing with the Jazz is stronger than when the season started. Utah is a Western Conference force again, with a 48-26 record, in fourth place, ready to make the playoffs for the 24th time in 27 years. That is an astounding stretch considering the Knicks, after being mathematically eliminated Sunday night, having missed postseason eight of the last nine years.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/boozer_intrigued_by_possibility_URPzYYgZj0KxHtmrZsmYuM

Where will he be a month from now?

Once the NBA trade deadline passes on Feb. 18, Boozer could find himself launching that high-arcing jumper in Miami. Or Chicago. Or Dallas. Or Detroit. Or maybe the one place he’s hoping to be.

"Right here, with the Jazz," Boozer said. "If it was up to me, absolutely. But as you know, it’s not up to me."

The trade rumors are always flying at this time of the season. This year, with the economy depressed and the NBA salary cap and luxury tax threshold sinking, the skies are more crowded than over London during the blitz.

It was Boozer who floated his own escape plans last summer when he made noises about playing in Miami and Chicago. That seemed to make his expiring $12.7 million contract one of the most likely to be moved.

Now though, as the deadline draws near, the 28-year-old forward is changing his tune.

"We’ve won five of our last six games," Boozer said. "Things are starting to come together with our team. We’re playing some good basketball. We’ve beaten some good teams. If it’s just about basketball and trying to win as many games as you can, then I’d say keep it all together. It’s that simple."

Of course, it’s never that simple. The Jazz, playing in one of the league’s smallest markets, will have to pay the NBA luxury tax for the first time in franchise history if they don’t trim roughly $8 million from their payroll. In addition, the team is already committed to paying nearly $57 million to seven players for the 2010-11 season.

Utah could keep Boozer through the end of the season and try to re-sign him when he becomes a free agent next summer. Or, they could attempt to move him along in a sign-and-trade deal. Then again, the Jazz could pull the trigger on a deal in the next four weeks.

But would they do it just when their consistency and confidence is coming together?

Boozer scored 31 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the 105-98 win that gave the Jazz their first series sweep over the Spurs since the 1997-98 season and allowed them to start the second half of the schedule within one game of last season’s pace, at 24-18.

"I like the way things are going. I like the way it feels," Boozer said. "That’s why my preference is to be here. Not just this year, but in the future.

"I hope that’s an option. We’ll see. They know. They know already how I feel. It’s up to them. It’s their situation. It’s their money. It’s their team. I’m a player.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/fran_blinebury/01/21/boozer/?ls=iref:nbahpt1

A month from today, Carlos Boozer will wake up with the uncertainty
over for himself and the Jazz. Maybe he will be in Oakland, Calif.,
where the Jazz on Feb. 19 will play the Golden State Warriors in the
third stop of a four-game trip.

Maybe Boozer will be in Chicago or Miami, the two teams to which he expressed his desire to be traded last summer. Maybe Boozer will be in Dallas or Detroit, two teams to which he already has been linked in trade talk this season.

As the Jazz prepare to open the second half of their season, beginning with Wednesday’s game against the Spurs, they do so facing a month of unpredictability in regard to Boozer ahead of the Feb. 18 trade deadline.

Asked after Sunday’s loss in Denver if he thought he was more likely staying in Utah than heading elsewhere, Boozer only could voice what he would do in the position of Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor and chief executive Greg Miller.

"If I was them, I wouldn’t make a trade," Boozer said. "But I’m not them. I think, I mean, you keep this group together. We’re getting healthy, guys are getting better, we’re rolling, we’ve won four out of our last five, which is great.

"Hopefully, we’re going to win another four out of our next five. We can be good. We can beat anybody on any given night. That’s what I would do. But Kevin, Greg, they’ve got to make their decisions."

With the Jazz owning a 23-18 record and only a victory off last season’s pace at the 41-game mark, Boozer made one of his strongest statements since returning to Utah following an acrimonious summer in which he and the organization were at odds.

"That’s why I would keep us together," Boozer said in reference to the Jazz’s record. "In this business, it comes down to financial stuff, and I don’t know what their situation is. But if it’s about just winning, maybe that should be the deciding factor."

Although they could opt to trade Boozer, the Jazz just as easily could opt to keep him through the season. Afterward, the Jazz could look to re-sign Boozer as a free agent this summer or try to facilitate a sign-and-trade deal with him.

However, with $56.7 million already committed to seven players for 2010-11, the Jazz have to be careful to avoid pushing their payroll into luxury-tax territory for a second consecutive season.

http://www.sltrib.com/jazz/ci_14217627

Unless the Jazz do something sooner, that means only 35 more days of Carlos Boozer trade talk.

Because of his expiring $12.8 million contract and a public declaration
last summer that he expected to be traded, Boozer’s name will continue
to be prominently mentioned in trade-related stories over the next five
weeks.

In the last two days, Boozer has been connected to trades scenarios involving Detroit and Dallas.

"It doesn’t matter to me," he said before practice Wednesday. "If you play in the NBA, there are going to be very few times throughout the course of a season where you aren’t going to be [mentioned] in a trade rumor, especially with the deadline coming up.

"Me personally, I don’t worry about that. I’ve been in a whole bunch of trade rumors my whole career, especially when I left Cleveland. So for me, I just play. I don’t worry about. I don’t think about it. I’m just enoying the game right now."

All along, coach Jerry Sloan has talked of keeping Boozer and seeing how the Jazz’s season plays out instead of trading him — most likely for less than market value because of the cir*****stances.

http://www.sltrib.com/jazz/ci_14182163

As far as Carlos Boozer is concerned, his "Trade Me Here" world tour over the summer is ancient history.Boozer was featured prominently in trade rumors when the Jazz matched restricted free agent Paul Millsap’s contract offer from the Trail Blazers, putting the small-market Jazz deep into luxury tax territory.

Boozer went on Chicago and Miami radio stations, claiming the Jazz promised to trade him and detailing his desire to play with both organizations.

"At the time, I thought there was a chance I might get moved," Boozer said. "But that’s over. That’s summertime. Stuff happens like that in the summer. Everybody’s moved forward. I’m happy to be part of my team."

Boozer cut short a question about whether he and Millsap can coexist at power forward.

"We already have," Boozer said. "We played well together last season. I missed a lot of time (45 games to injury), so we didn’t get to see how good it would be for a long period of time. But we’re going to play a lot together."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/chi-06-bulls-bits-chicago-oct06,0,5872116.story

When training camp opened Saturday, coach Jerry Sloan made it known he had not yet decided if in*****bent Carlos Boozer or backup Paul Millsap

will start the 2009-10 NBA season at power forward for the Jazz.It was news to Boozer.

"I feel like I’m the starter," the two-time NBA All-Star said Sunday, before the Jazz open their second day of two-a-days. "I think I’ve earned that. That’s the only role I’ve been in my whole career."

Boozer has started each game he’s played in four of his five seasons with the Jazz, and started 129 of 156 in during his two years in Cleveland.

"I think it’s great to have competition," said Boozer, who during the offseason expressed eagerness to be traded to either Chicago or Miami. "You know, I think Paul is very good. I guess if we are competing, then we’re competing for it. But I feel like I am the starter."

Boozer indicated he did not feel the fact he missed 45 games due to injury last season should be held against him in the season to come.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705332865/Utah-Jazz-notebook-Battle-for-starting-forward-spot-news-to-Boozer.html

While they announced Wednesday that Matt Harpring will miss all of training camp, the preseason and the start of the regular season due to ankle and knee injuries, the Jazz will have Carlos Boozer on hand when they report to camp.
Despite a summer of tension with the organization, Boozer will report on time and be in attendance Friday when the Jazz host media day, The Tribune has learned. Boozer has not commented publicly on his situation in nearly two months.

Boozer and the Jazz have been at odds ever since the All-Star forward decided June 30 to play the final year of his contract at $12.7 million rather than opting for free agency.

Only weeks later, Boozer asserted in a series of radio interviews that he and the Jazz had mutually agreed to a trade and went so far as to name Chicago and Miami as preferred destinations.

Although he explored trade options, Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor will bring back Boozer.

As for Harpring, the Jazz stopped short of declaring the veteran forward’s career over, but Harpring will return home to Atlanta rather than stay in Utah and will be re-evaluated in six weeks.

http://www.sltrib.com/jazz/ci_13405340

This whole unhappy Carlos Boozer Saga started, it seems to me, last December.

After the injury-battered Jazz scored what should have been an uplifting win at New Jersey, Boozer ruined the moment for everyone but his accountant by telling an ESPN reporter that he planned to opt out of his contract at the end of the season because, no matter what happened after that, he’d get a raise.
Boozer gave the selfish-sounding interview in street clothes, after missing another game with a knee injury that kept him out two more months and, in reality, negatively impacted his entire season.

Boozer’s timing was so strange — so anti-teammate — that the Jazz’s late owner, Larry Miller, called it the "one of the top 10 stupidest things I’ve heard an NBA player do in 20 years."

Jazz fans, especially those still trying to figure out exactly how they felt about the All-Star power forward because his injury-filled past and defensive shortcomings, eagerly agreed with Miller.

Suddenly, the general mistrust of Carlos Boozer and his motives along the Wasatch Front became as obvious as Mt. Olympus on a cloudless morning.

It got worse.

Boozer became Exhibit A for those looking for an explanation of why the Jazz stumbled down the stretch, finished eighth in the Western Conference and fell meekly to the top-seeded Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.

http://www.sltrib.com/jazz/ci_12973744