Utah Jazz: Trade rumor-mill up and running

Not surprisingly, Boozer was specifically mentioned in the Yahoo report. NBA writer Marc J. Spears' league sources claim the Jazz might be "asking for too much for Boozer, and that most teams who trade for him would want assurances they have a good chance to re-sign him over the summer."

Boozer's name has been associated with trade rumors since last summer when the power forward publicly claimed he was going to be shipped out of Utah — preferably to teams in Miami or Chicago. So dealing with the wheeling-and-dealing whispers is nothing new or particularly bothersome for him.

Boozer did, however, admit it could affect his teammates who "haven't been in that position before."

C.J. Miles believes Jazz players won't let trade talk get in their way of trying to snap out of their current funk.

"There have been trade rumors on this team for two years, and I think everybody's still here for the most part," Miles said. "Until something happens, I mean, we're just going to play. … As far as a mental thing, I don't think it's a problem for anybody."

The Jazz did make a transaction on Tuesday, picking up D-League point guard Sundiata Gaines from the Idaho Stampede to bring their roster up to a league minimum of 13 players. Utah had been undermanned for two weeks after trading rookie point guard Eric Maynor and injured Matt Harpring to Oklahoma City for salary relief.

The Yahoo report also claimed that Kirilenko and his huge salary — $16.4 million this year, and nearly $18 million in 2010-11 — are being shopped around.

"It's also little secret," Spears wrote, "the Jazz have been trying with no luck to trade forward Andrei Kirilenko and his hefty contract for some time."

But Sloan, always a fan of stability, would prefer to see his players "continue to work" through these troubling times. It's certainly not time, according to the Hall of Fame coach, for the players or management to panic.

"The best trades you make are the ones you don't make," Sloan said. "That's always been pretty much evident over the years."

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