Boozer tells his side of story

While the Jazz held their breath as today's first full day of the NBA's summer signing period approached, Carlos Boozer let his out.

Boozer sounded off late Monday night, telling the Cleveland Plain Dealer he is being unfairly portrayed as a liar who backstabbed the Cavaliers before agreeing last week to sign Utah's six-year, $68 million offer sheet today.

"Maybe they're trying to save face or trying to make up stuff and kill my character," Boozer said. "And if that's the road they want to take, that's OK."

The Cavs claim Boozer led them to believe that if they would just trust him and not pick up the $695,000 option year on his deal for next season, he would remain loyal — and presumably accept their six-year, midlevel-exception offer, which is the max they can pay him this year.

With the midlevel salary figure for next season set at $4.9 million late Tuesday night, that deal would be worth $38.6 million — down from the $41 million originally estimated that the Cavs had to offer Boozer.

But there was no such agreement, says Boozer, who told the Cleveland newspaper he definitely intends to sign with the Jazz — and would not even consider a last-ditch one-year, $4.9 million offer the Cavs made Monday.

"I didn't make a prior agreement. And if I did, I would've stayed (in Cleveland)," Boozer said. "For (the Cavaliers to take) shots at my character is incredibly wrong, and I don't understand that. I thought I had a great relationship with them."

The Boozer saga has overshadowed the rest of the work done by Jazz basketball operations senior vice president Kevin O'Connor since the NBA's free-agency negotiating period opened July 1.

It's not all finished, though.

When the signing period officially opened at 10 p.m. Tuesday night, the Jazz still were looking to secure agreements to return from guard Mo Williams and center Greg Ostertag or big man Jarron Collins.

But O'Connor already has come to terms on a four-year, $16 million deal that starting point guard Carlos Arroyo will sign today.

He also has agreed on a four-year, $16 million deal with Gordan Giricek, the Jazz's starting shooting guard at the end of last season. Giricek is expected to sign soon, if not today.