Utah Jazz: New-look Andrei Kirilenko fields questions

SALT LAKE CITY — Sporting a hairdo that makes him look like Scooby Doo's best buddy, Shaggy, is something new for Andrei Kirilenko.

Dealing with rumors that he'll be sent packing, however, is something the coiffure-changing small forward has previously experienced during his nine-year NBA career with the Utah Jazz.

So while acknowledging that he's aware of the reported blockbuster trade that would send him to Denver, Kirilenko didn't act fazed about the hot topic at Jazz media day.

Been there, heard a version of that.

"Look, for the last the 10 years there's so many rumors around me (saying) I can end up on any team in NBA," Kirilenko said. "But I'm still a Jazz man."

And, for the record, he's as happy as a Russian lark about that fact.

With the Carmelo Anthony-sparked trade rumors still swirling, though, it's unknown just how long he'll be wearing Jazz colors along with 16 other training camp attendees.

"Hopefully," Kirilenko said, "I'm going to stay the same way."

When asked about the proposed four-way trade that's on hold for now, Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor admitted conversations were held "with a lot of teams" but emphasized Utah is "not looking to trade" Kirilenko and his expiring $17.8 million contract. He also stressed that the Jazz have not made one phone call to shop AK-47 around.

O'Connor said the proposed blockbuster trade "got ahead of itself" in the media.

"If you were going to make that trade," he said, "it would have been done Friday or Saturday at the latest."

Asked if that meant the Jazz are no longer involved in those trade talks — a reported deal that on the local level would send Kirilenko to Denver and bring Boris Diaw and Quinton Ross to Utah — O'Connor offered a curt response.

"I wouldn't say anything like that," O'Connor said. "I would have no comment on that."

The Jazz GM also quickly backed off his short statement he made that Kirilenko "will be" with the team on Day 1 of the 2010-11 season.

"Can I guarantee that he's going to be here? No," O'Connor said.

But, he added, the same uncertainty goes for most players.