Miller made no such fashion statement Sunday when he sat down for
another SportsBeat interview. Not to suggest that Boozer is leaving as a
free agent this summer and Paul Millsap is staying, but Miller did
endorse Millsap in one respect.

“In my opinion, Paul played his best basketball when he was the guy,
when Carlos was out,” Miller said. “And so it’s exciting for me to think
about what we’d get out of Millsap if he knew he was going to play that
key role for us. We’ll just have to wait and see if that happens.”

Obviously, the way in which Millsap plays that “key role” as a starter next season is if Boozer heads to another team this summer.

Miller also said not to exaggerate the significance of his March meeting with Boozer’s agent, Rob Pelinka, saying that “not much of any substantial conversation took place.”

KSL’s Tom Kirkland went through the usual list of indictments against Boozer – - his injury history, sitting out the regular-season finale against Phoenix, the playoff struggles against the Lakers – - and Miller did speak up on behalf of Boozer.

“I would say to Carlos’ credit that I saw a lot of growth in him over the season,” Miller said. “I think all the stuff that happened in the past is just water under the bridge and I think Carlos just wants to win and we want to win and hopefully there’s a way we can get together.”

Miller also spoke highly of undrafted rookie Wesley Matthews, who started 48 games this season, calling Matthews “one of the great experiences for me in my involvement with the NBA.” Miller also described re-signing Matthews as a priority for the off-season.

“I’m just thankful that he’s a member of the Jazz and I personally hope he is for a long, long time to come,” Miller said.

http://blogs.sltrib.com/jazz/index.php?p=16044&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

It’s not as if any sort of agreement will be reached any time soon.

But sometime before their starting power forward becomes an
unrestricted free agent this offseason, the Jazz do plan on talking
with the Carlos Boozer camp about the possibility of his remaining in
Utah, general manager Kevin O’Connor said Monday night.

"We’ve had conversations with everyone’s agents throughout the year," O’Connor said, "and I don’t think we ever said we’d rule out anything."

He didn’t say precisely when, but O’Connor did say "sure’ when asked if he’ll talk with Boozer’s agent again before July.

"Will we have conversations? Absolutely," he said.

The Jazz may even present a formal contract proposal to keep Boozer in Utah beyond this season, though it’s likely the two-time United States Olympian will test free-agent waters anyway.

After a rollercoaster five-year relationship, the Jazz had no interest in bringing back Boozer after last season ended.

But he — despite earlier public promises about getting a new deal and pay raise — instead wound up surprisingly opting in for the final $12.66 million season on his current six-year contract, partly because there was concern he could land no better deal in the open market.

O’Connor would not comment when asked when organizational opinion on retaining Boozer changed, but he did indicate the club now is keeping all options open.

"I think if you look at it at the end of last year and end of last summer," the Jazz GM said, "I think you keep things alive, at least talking about people."

Boozer had 23 points and nine rebounds in Monday night’s win Washington, one board short of what have been his 45th double-double this season.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700016926/Utah-Jazz-notebook-Jazz-brass-planning-to-talk-to-Carlos-Boozers-agent.html

With Zydrunas Ilgauskas reaching agreement on a contract buyout with
Washington, Ilgauskas’ agent, Herb Rudoy , said Thursday that the Jazz
have expressed interest in signing the veteran center.

The Jazz have a roster spot to fill following the Feb. 18 trade that sent Ronnie Brewer to Memphis. Rudoy said Ilgauskas was waiting until he clears waivers to start discussing the next step of signing with a team.

Ilgauskas has spent his entire 12-year career with Cleveland and is widely expected to return to the Cavaliers, who traded him to Washington in acquiring Antawn Jamison . The 34-year-old Ilgauskas has averaged 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds this season.

Rudoy acknowledged that Ilgauskas has a "huge investment emotionally in the Cavaliers and that’s part of what’s factoring into this thing."

Should he sign with Cleveland, Ilgauskas would have to sit out for 30 days before being eligible to return, though he could play immediately by signing with another team. Rudoy was asked about Ilgauskas’ interest in the Jazz.

"He knows the league and he knows every team after all these years," Rudoy said. "He’s going to make the decision that’s best for himself. They are a terrific team with a great coach."

Along with Cleveland and Utah, Atlanta, Dallas and Denver reportedly are interested in signing Ilgauskas. The Jazz are expected to consider a host of players around the league who already have or will be bought out by Monday.

http://www.sltrib.com/jazz/ci_14472150

Tim Buckley

Five and roughly two-thirds seasons after he arrived, Carlos Boozer —
the subject of more trade rumors over the years than the New York Stock
Exchange — remains in Utah.

Now, again, he’s talking about sticking around even longer — and he even sounds serious about it.

"I think it’s a great possibility," Boozer said after scoring 30 points
and grabbing 16 rebounds — his 34th double-double this season — in
Friday’s win at Golden State.

"We’ll find out in July," he added. "I’m not going to think about that, worry about that.

We’ve still got 20-something games, playoffs and a whole lot of basketball left. I’ll worry about that when the time is right."

Looking back, Boozer blew off Thursday’s NBA trade deadline day as no big deal.

"This is my eighth year in the league, man," he said. "It’s not the first time I’ve been talked about with trades. So I wasn’t nervous at all."

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700010929/Carlos-Boozer-still-with-team.html

“AndreiUtah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko becomes a free agent in the
summer of 2010 and it isn’t likely that he’ll match his previous
contract. He’s due $17.8 million next year, the last in a deal that
will end up making him $86 million richer. Not bad for a guy who is
averaging 10.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

A few years ago, Kirilenko, who was raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, said he wanted to ditch out on the remaining years and megabucks left on his contract if he could just go back and play in Europe. But he decided to stay in Utah and he apparently wants to stay there when his contract runs out, according to FanHouse.

"I don’t think the money is going to be an issue,” Kirilenko told FanHouse. "I understand that I look at the world realistically. I understand my value is going to be a little lower than it is right now. I’m not worried about that. Money has never been an issue. It’s good to have a good contract and money. But my priority is basketball.”

Remember than when the league minimum is offered to you next summer, Andrei.

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nba/rumors/post/Kirilenko-wants-to-stay-with-Jazz?urn=nba,214402

The Jazz sent Eric Maynor and the contract of retiring Matt Harpring to
Oklahoma City on Tuesday for Peter Fehse , a German League player who
is not an NBA prospect.

The deal left the Jazz with 12 players under contract, including only two point guards.

League rules mandate the Jazz sign a 13th player, and O’Connor said after the team’s shootaround that the newcomer will be a point guard.

The Jazz aren’t rushing to make a decision, however.

"… We’re going to study some tapes and make some phone calls about the availability of guys and determine what direction we’re going to go," O’Connor said.

Without Maynor, the Jazz have two point guards — starter Deron Williams and Ronnie Price .

Because Utah is finally healthy and deeper at other positions, signing another point guard makes the most sense, O’Connor said.

At their meeting, O’Connor and Sloan went over a preliminary list of "10 or 12" point guards the Jazz will consider.

Utah could "go young and … and give [somebody] a look and see if they can get better and become part of the future," O’Connor said.

On the other hand, the Jazz could "… bring somebody in who’s been in the league awhile that would better protect us if somebody gets hurt."

Asked if Dontell Jefferson of the D-League’s Utah Flash is a player of interest, O’Connor said, "Yes, he would be."

http://www.sltrib.com/jazz/ci_14074775

If you ask Charles Barkley — and his buddies on the TNT set did late Thursday night — the Utah Jazz have a big problem.

And the Round Mound wasn’t talking about Saturday’s home game against
the Los Angeles Lakers, who walloped the Jazz 101-77 at the Staples
Center on Wednesday night.

So how big is this other problem?

According to the ever-opinionated Barkley, the problem is so big it weighs 266 pounds, stands 6 feet 9 inches tall and is hindering the Jazz’s chances to be a serious contender this season.

It also has a name: Carlos Boozer.

Yes, the same one who is the reigning Western Conference player of the week and who has looked like an All-Star the past month or so.

"(The Jazz) are a decent team," Barkley said on the "Inside the NBA" show after Utah’s 120-111 win over Orlando. "But they have to do something about Carlos Boozer."

The general manager wannabe didn’t specify what that "something" should be — though the word "trade" might be found in the blanks — but he insinuated that the 13-9 Jazz might not be so up and down this season if that "something" had already happened.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705350998/Barkley-says-Boozer-is-big-problem.html

"I haven’t made a definite decision," he added. "I have to see how some of these other guys come along. I thought they played a little bit harder tonight on the defensive end. But we can’t survive with guys just trying to get by on defense, and using their offense to try to stay out there. I probably did that a little bit too much last year."

In any event, one thing seems certain: The Jazz know they need Millsap on the floor.

That probably includes at the end of close games, which in Sloan’s world is much more important than who starts.

"He’s gonna have to play," said Williams, who added Millsap was "unstoppable around the basket" Thursday.

"You saw (Sloan) try him at the 3 (small forward), and that’s gonna work in some cases, where he’s gonna have a mismatch. And I feel like he can defend the 3 at times, depending on who’s out there. So, he’s gonna have to get time. I mean, we paid him the big money to play — and he deserves to play."

Millsap seems to feel similarly, though he’s quite careful about what he has to say and how he says it.

"It’s important to me," he said of being on the court late, "but we’ve got guys who can stay out there and play in game situations — including myself. But any way I can try to help our team, I’m going to continue to do that."

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705335357/Utah-Jazz-Millsap-leads-Jazz-romp-over-Real-Madrid.html?pg=2

In the article it is reported that “Now Kyle Korver is apparently opting out. In an interview with KXNO in Des Moines he didn’t definitely say he was opting out, but he makes it clear if there is any interest at all from around the NBA, he knows it is a business and he is ready to move again.

If you are looking for a silver lining, Korver made a shade under $5 million in 2008-09 and has just one year left on his contract. If he and Okur opt out, then the Jazz might have money to afford Boozer and Millsap. Oh, sorry, I forgot, most of you want Boozer to go away.

Read the full article from

http://www.kutv.com/mostpopular/story/Kyle-Korver-Is-Ready-To-Opt-Out-And-Leave-The-Jazz/gWUxAWrQS0SF1u9LU_WH5A.cspx

Kirilenko, Utah’s leading active scorer at 16 points per game, drove to the basket and crashed into Brown just 3:02 into the game. Kirilenko’s feet went out from under him and he put his hands down to break his fall, landing hard on his tailbone and left wrist.

Kirilenko remained on his stomach for several minutes before going to the locker room, holding his wrist and in obvious pain. The Jazz announced early in the second that the wrist was broken and Kirilenko, an all-star last season, was done for the season.

Kirilenko missed 26 games after spraining his right knee Nov. 30 against San Antonio. He also missed a game Feb. 15 with a sprained right ankle.

Kirilenko’s injury leaves Utah without its top two scorers. Carlos Boozer leads the team at 17.8 points per game, but has been out since straining his right foot Feb. 15. Boozer is on the injured list and remains out indefinitely.

Sportsnet