Utah Jazz could be bound for Europe next preseason

BOOZER UPDATE: Jazz All-Star power forward Carlos Boozer still is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery today in Los Angeles.

Boozer told ESPN.com Wednesday that he expects the surgery will keep him out until the Jazz's final "20 or 30 games," meaning he doesn't expect to return before Feb. 11.

He's already missed 24 straight games over seven weeks.

Boozer, according to the Web site, also dismissed "suggestions he has drawn out his recovery to protect himself for free agency in July," saying, "I mean, c'mon. If I could play, I would play all day long. People thought I was doggin' it or whatever, but I'm not that kind of dude. If I can play, I'll play through anything. And I've already played through a bunch of stuff that people don't know about."

ALL-STAR UPDATE: The fourth and final release of partial fan-balloting results for the Feb. 15 NBA All-Star Game still has the Jazz's Mehmet Okur fourth among Western Conference centers behind Houston's Yao Ming, Phoenix's Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers' Andrew Bynum, with no one else from Utah ranked among the top-10 at their respective positions.

ALUMNI UPDATE: The Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday that the Chicago Bulls decided against waiving Michael Ruffin this week, meaning the ex-Jazz big man's contract will be guaranteed for the rest of the season.

Ruffin has been out all season with ankle/Achilles tendon injuries, and the Bulls reportedly would have owed him an injury settlement anyway if they had released him now.

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com