The trouble with Andrei — Sloan weary of AK's act

He lashed out Monday at comments made recently by Andrei Kirilenko. He suggested he does not have full confidence in Kirilenko. And he indicated he will not significantly alter things for him.

Yet despite all that, despite saying Kirilenko has struggled on the court for more than three years, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan let it be known he does not think it's time to trade the starting small forward from Russia.

"We're not having a fire sale, with anybody," Sloan said. "I don't even like to use that word — but you have to in trying to describe what's going on here a little bit."

Sloan's remarks about not dealing the 2004 NBA All-Star did leave some wiggle room.

Still, the Jazz coach who recently took his club to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 1998 made it clear he wants Kirilenko — who has four years and about $63 million remaining on a six-year, $86 million contract extension — to remain in Utah for the foreseeable future.

"We're gonna keep him, as far as I'm concerned," added Sloan, whose voice is as loud as anyone's when it comes to major Jazz player personnel decisions. "And if something comes up that we think is best for this franchise, that's with any player.

"We're not looking. I don't like to trade people," Sloan added. "But we've got to do what's best for the franchise, always."

Asked if there is any reason to believe the stance on Kirilenko might change when franchise officials soon hold their annual offseason planning meeting, Sloan suggested there is not. "We're going in with the idea of not trading the guy," Sloan said. "He's a talented guy, he's been on the All-Star team.

"He's a little upset, probably, with some of the things I've done. You don't like it, but that's part of the business, I guess, at times. Guys get upset. It's not a perfect world. And I'm a little bit older. I understand that, you know, maybe five or six years ago I'd blow my top a little bit. But I'm not doing that. I don't have any ax to grind at this particular time."

Sloan did, however, address several burrs that evidently have been bugging him.

"Quite frankly, I was disappointed," the coach said when asked about pointed comments made by Kirilenko, who was frustrated throughout the season by his reduced role in the Jazz's offense, to reporters in Russia both during and immediately after Utah's recently concluded playoff run.

Asked what must give for things to work once again between the Jazz and the 1999 first-round draft choice, Sloan — speaking with three newspaper reporters following a workout for four NBA Draft prospects — suggested the onus is on Kirilenko.