Deseret News | Utah Jazz: Reactions, comments have varied on Boozer trade speculation

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Utah Jazz: Reactions, comments have varied on Boozer trade speculation

Time for Boozer to go | 10:38 a.m. July 10, 2009

He's just not worth more than he's getting now. He's inconsistent and injury prone, certainly a risky move to pay him $13M/yr.

He is a good team player and hasn't complained about things here, but it's time for him to go.

Chadders | 10:40 a.m. July 10, 2009

That is awesome Thomas wants to come here. Portland could send a guard back to the bulls and give us cap room and this still is a good deal.
Side note what is with all the 6'8ish Fs from Lousiana? Granger, Bass, Millsap, and Thomas. What's in the water down there?

Talk Is Just That- TALK | 10:50 a.m. July 10, 2009

I want action talk is cheap. Roll with A.K., Boozer, Miles Maynor, Suton, Fess, Price, and Brewer or Korver if needed to change to complexion of this "powder puff" team. Get some GRIT, mental toughness and action players to replace these statues.

Comments continue below

Good News! | 11:20 a.m. July 10, 2009

Good news isn't reported everyday. If Boozer leaves and Thomas comes to Utah that would be great.

lotuschild | 11:34 a.m. July 10, 2009

boozer for JUST thomas is horrible....you people know nothing....

otterpop | 11:35 a.m. July 10, 2009

if portland is leaking these false trade rumors they very well could be bluffing the whole millsap offer too. why would they want to invest $50 in a reserve when they still have to extend/sign Roy and Aldridge? if they're so set on making a "toxic" offer, why is it taking them so long to do it? seems fishy to me.

Danny J | 12:02 p.m. July 10, 2009

Thomas would be a very welcome addition. Free up room to sign Milsap longer term and add a shot blocker. The biggest thing we lacked last year was defense and Thomas was one of the best shot blockers in the league. He can play with Okur or Milsap and free up the our guards to pressure more on wings. Not to mention the salary cap space we free up.

Makin Em say Ugh,

DJ

lotuschild | 12:27 p.m. July 10, 2009

again....BOOZER for just THOMAS....is garbage....like trading williams for pargo its garbage...

Please Don't !!! | 12:34 p.m. July 10, 2009

I would love to see Boozer go but not for Thomas.. Bosh yes and we could throw in our 20th pick or next years first rounder from Knicks. We already have problems scoring and we can't have Dwill shoot it everytime and other people leave our outside guys open cause they cant hit open shots, at least boozer can hit a jumper. I'm torn on this I just dont think Thomas is worth it but we do need a long defender down low I just think Thomas is too inconsistant.

bc | 12:36 p.m. July 10, 2009

no boozer no prob

Jazzfan1983 | 12:50 p.m. July 10, 2009

Yes finally talk about getting a big athletic F/C on the Jazz!! Something the Jazz have never had. Gladly give up Boozer for Thomas if they re-sign Millsap. I do get worried though about who will be scoring for the Jazz.

re: lotuschild | 1:16 p.m. July 10, 2009

what makes you so sure that you know eveything? what do the jazz need? defense. what cant boozer do? play defense. i think it is you who are clueless. your comparison of boozer to thomas is like williams for pargo is way off. if boozer is so good, why is it that he played maybe 10 minutes in the olympics? i for one, want boozer out of here, and yes if we could get bosh, that would be the way to go. but at this point, if we want bosh, i think we are going to have to play free agent game next summer.

re: re: lotuschild | 1:27 p.m. July 10, 2009

I'm gonna have to agree with Lotuschild on this one. We already have a shotblocker like Thomas in AK. Thomas is the same height as AK but LIGHTER if you can believe that.

I also understand that Thomas is a bit of a head case. Last thing we need right now. Moreover,why would we want another undersized PF if we're signing Milsap? That would put Okur, AK, Thomas, Milsap, and Koufos all as players who can play the 4. It makes absolutely no sense. The Jazz should be focusing on 1) finding a SG or SF who can shoot, be a leader, and play aggressive defense and 2) finding a more serviceable defensive big man to pair with Okur, unless we are confident Koufos or Fesenko are ready to step up.

Finally, if we want to pick up a big ticket item player in free agency next year, it would be stupid to trade Boozer for a long contract unless that long contract is for a franchise player. Signing Milsap and Thomas to long contracts lands the Jazz with two undersized PFs and will prevent us from picking up the marquis player we need.

lotuschild | 1:53 p.m. July 10, 2009

first off....look at the players on the olympic team....and tell me why you would need to put boozer in longer then 10 minutes....second off....trading a 20/10 all-star starter for a bench player(who by the way would be another sloan fight waiting to happen) is insane!! you say it is i who am clueless? i laugh at you and your response....hey guys lets trade karl malone for keith booth!! you people who keep talking about bosh are dumb babies that will never happen and if you think millsap will be better then boozer your dumb...

Joe | 1:54 p.m. July 10, 2009

Why is no one talking about trading Boozer for Kobe or Lebron? Lebron has an expiring contract and wants out of Cleveland. Kobe would be money for the Jazz! Wake up people!!!

lotuschild | 2:17 p.m. July 10, 2009

i wont laugh at the thought of getting kobe or lebron but i will say if either of them came to utah....they would lose most of their sponsors if not all of them....that will never happen....and becides do you think the mass appeal of jazz fans would want the dying black mamba or the spoiled queen? too much hate flows into those two

ANOTHER forward? | 2:21 p.m. July 10, 2009

Milsap, AK, Memo, Koufos and duFes can all play the four. HOW ABOUT AN ATHLETIC 2 that can shoot and defend? Are we allergic to them, or what?

re:re: re: lotuschild | 2:51 p.m. July 10, 2009

Thomas will be a restricted free agent after next year so his contract would not be any longer than boozers and would save the team more than 10 million dollars.

Joe | 3:01 p.m. July 10, 2009

Btw, I was just joking about Kobe or Lebron...I just wanted to make a stupid comment and see if I could get raked over the coals, but you handled it well lotus. I fully agree that the Jazz seem to be allergic to an athletic 2 that can guard and shoot...I think it's because most of those types don't want to play in Utah if you know what I mean.

lotuschild | 3:26 p.m. July 10, 2009

saving the team money doesnt help the team win a championship....you put millsap as your starter(which is unproven if he can do that for a full season) and add a backup(who might or might not work well in a sloan system) and you have a season full of questions of where your team really is which could ultimately be the death of your star point guard in utah in a couple years....no one can replace boozer unless you get another all star power forward (good luck)

D-Trix | 3:29 p.m. July 10, 2009

1. Boozer playing stock AND salary stock are very very low. Teams are not going to want to take that so any chance to unload him is great.
2. Jazz will be getting something else besides Thomas. Problem is, it will probably will a wing player......
3. Thomas can help the team a lot and will give a lot of energy. AK doesnt have the put back dunk ability Thomas has. I am not saying Thomas is the jazz savior that will lead them to a title. But i would be glad to see him play here.

Anonymous | 3:32 p.m. July 10, 2009

It's funny reading the comments on here and what people say. People actually think that Kobe or Lebron or even Bosh would ever come to a small market team like here in Utah. And then why are people saying "Trade" for them, you actually think that L.A. or Cleveland would EVER give up their stars for an injury prone Boozer.

Anonymous | 3:33 p.m. July 10, 2009

Trading Boozer for Thomas is one of the smartest things the Jazz could do for the organization and the future of the organization right now. Yes we all know that Boozer is alot better then Tyrus Thomas but if we keep him we loose Millsap this year to Portland and then we loose Boozer next year to free agencey and then are screwed for the future with no power forward. If we take on Thomas' small contract in comparision to the 13 million we'll pay Boozer, then sign Millsap to a multi year paying him half of what we pay Boozer (knowing that he plays all year and not half, like Boozer consistantly shows being injury prone), then wait one more year when we're finally free of that ridiculous amount we pay Kirilenko and the Jazz will be free'd up of almost $25 million to sign another star for the future that wants to play in utah.

Anonymous | 3:34 p.m. July 10, 2009

A perfect example of when teams do this, is look at the Philidelphia 76ers, 2 years ago they gave Utah Kyle Korver for Gordon Giricek (a perfect comparison of Boozer to Thomas) do you think that they actually WANTED Giricek, NO and to prove it they released him one week later, but they had to do it to free up money for their organization and the next year they signed their star Andre Iguodala to a multi year deal and then brought in and sign Elton Brand to a multi year deal which will make them a better team in the long run.

Anonymous | 3:35 p.m. July 10, 2009

Also look at Denver, who gave away one of the best Center in the league in Marcus Camby last year to the clippers for a 2nd round draft pick, they didn't do this because they wanted a 2nd round draft pick and thought they could get someone better than Camby but they had to to free up money, and next thing you know they are able to sign Chauncey Billups to a multi year and resulted in them winning the conference (a conference that has always been dominated by the Jazz) and they make it to the Western Conference finals.
Yes Thomas is nothing compared to Boozer but it's the smart decision now, just wait it out and by this time next year when we have more money to sign another star you'll be happy we gave up Boozer.

lotuschild | 3:41 p.m. July 10, 2009

Joe i couldnt have said it better myself

Miles | 3:47 p.m. July 10, 2009

Lotuschild I love you man. Kevin is just trying to dump Boozer to keep Millsap. Makes no sense. If Millsap was so great, where are all the offers from other teams? Also there is not much of a market for a guy who plays every now and then in Boozer. Boozer could play some defense if he wanted to. So could Memo. They just choose not to because they are not penalized for ignoring the other end of the court.

BigJazzFan | 5:53 p.m. July 10, 2009

I think you are ALL missing the obvious.

Just skip the middleman portland and deal with chicago directly:

boozer/maynor,

for thomas and hinrich.

Wow | 6:29 p.m. July 10, 2009

I just can't understand how some of you are just content to watch the same thing happen year after year. Of course Thomas isn't the scorer Boozer is, but tell me when will boozer ever get better than he is now? What the jazz need to do is try something new, fight, claw, struggle to make the team better, not just sit on top of mediocrity. Doing something is better than doing nothing, because we all know where nothing has gotten us.

mufaza | 6:44 p.m. July 10, 2009

Boozer for Rip Hamilton!

Anonymous | 6:52 p.m. July 10, 2009

I don't mind giving up Boozer. I mind locking Millsap in at PF for the next 4-5 years. He hasn't proven he can command a double team in the pick and roll, hasn't proven capable of consistently hitting the mid range jumper that comes out of the pick and roll, can't guard long PF like Odom, and hasn't even proven he can stand up to a full year of pounding as a starter. And the Jazz want to commit to him as the starter for the next 4-5 years? Only reason I can see for that would be a desire to go cheap. I'd rather let them both go and look for someone who can really work the pick-and-roll next year, even if it means some pain in the short term. Let Boozer play it out and use the expirings/NY pick for someone who can give us the PF we need.

CJ3 | 6:53 p.m. July 10, 2009

So, teams are making moves, and folks want the Jazz to do the same.

Examine what kinds of moves teams are making, for a moment:

The vast majority are trades or pick ups for experienced vets.

That is what Boozer is, isn't it?

Anonymous | 7:42 p.m. July 10, 2009

If the Jazz want to get better and not be a so so team every year, it has to start with getting rid of Boozer. He's a good player but not a great player, he's proven he can score but his defense is horrible. That's why Thomas is a perfect fit for Utah, because of his defense. Then you try to move Kirilenko for a proven scorer, even someone like Tracey Mcgrady (as much as I hate him, there has been rumor of trading AK for him). With that we could be better then we are now while paying less money, which we'll need in order to sign our lottery pick next year that we got from the Knicks.
Either way if we keep Boozer we'll stay in 7th or 8th place again year after year.

die hard | 10:26 p.m. July 10, 2009

get him gone asap so you can get something in return.
BECAUSE HE'S GONE AYWAY.
NO LOYALTY, NO DEFENSE, INJURED, SEND HIM PACKIN!

CJ3 | 10:48 p.m. July 10, 2009

Boozer doesn't have that much value until he gets games under his belt. Calm down.

Where is the Millsap loyalty, btw? No hometown discount?

Forget working with POR | 11:36 p.m. July 10, 2009

unless you want to be the laughing stock of the NBA. You are going to get rolled. If you want to move Boozer leave POR out of it. The best thing the Jazz can do is swallow some pride, tell Sloan NO and let Millsap go for too much to POR. That will force Prichard to pay too much for the PG he needs. That will eat up their cap and take them out of the market.

Let Prichard out smart himself. Millsap does not walk on water and his production can be replaced for less than 8 mill. He will be an expensive back up in POR until they trade him.

Boozer has value. Do not get in a hurry. You own Boozers contract. If he sandbags he hurts his own value in FA.

Get a decent replacement for Millsap and move on. The Jazz can rent Gooden for less than the MLE. They can trade Harp for many younger very good PFs and also get some cap relief. When are the Jazz going to get smart and make good moves instead of over paying to hang on to the status quo.

Act like a smart organization.

Wont happen | 11:58 p.m. July 10, 2009

Utah needs Portland too much. It's much harder than you think to find good PF's in this league. Jazz need Millsap. Portland and OKC are the only teams with cap money that can help the Jazz keep Millsap now.

3 way trade goes down. The contract to Millsap gets rescinded by all parties and everyone get's what they want. You keep Millsap, we lose our cap money but get the player we want by not losing anyone from our roster, you lose Boozer.

Just watch it happen.

Jazz Cop | 12:08 a.m. July 11, 2009

I like millsap, but portland just burried themselves. They made themselves better, but they're overpaying, I guess they thought they'd give it to the jazz, but they the fact is millsap is undersized, when he played starter minutes, he got banged up, he's a hustle player, but he committs too many fouls and he doesn't have enough offensive moves. I've always thought boozer is a better player, even with his defensive liabilties and questionable efforts, and phantom injuries, but he's bigger and just better and makes less mistakes than millsap. The jazz were a better team when millsap played less, like two years ago, and three years ago. Of course, millsap could go off, but i doubt it.

Brilliant comments... | 12:21 a.m. July 11, 2009

"Just skip the middleman portland and deal with chicago directly:"
Because both the Jazz and Chicago are over the cap, so salaries have to match, which they don't here. If they did, then the Jazz wouldn't be unloading salary, now would they?

"Where is the Millsap loyalty, btw? No hometown discount?"
Portland gets a hometown discount? That's who made the offer sheet.

"They can trade Harp for many younger very good PFs and also get some cap relief."
Awesome! A team is going to give us "many PFs" in exchange for a injury riddled 30-something who's considering retirement!

"Boozer for Rip Hamilton!"
So we instead of paying $12 million to a middling player for one year, the Jazz get to do it for four more years! Yay! Luxury tax problem...made worse!

CJ3 Re: Brilliant | 7:29 a.m. July 11, 2009

Simply making a point, oh brilliant one, that Memo was willing to recently resign for a more than reasonable amount to stay with the Jazz (which included a "hometown discount"...his words, not mine), while Millsap would take whoever offered the most money.

Take everything literally?

While we're at it, why didn't you point out to the poster who wants defense AND Bosh just how ridiculous, and contrary, those two things are?

What | 12:25 p.m. July 11, 2009

Does the Mailman want the Jazz to do. KOC should ask!

Phnehme | 3:00 p.m. July 11, 2009

I like 2 senerios,
boozer and Harp for Hamilton and Vallenuava salaries work and we save about 4 mil. Hamilton is only signed for 2 more years at 10 mil. BTW which would conicide with DWills opt out and AK contract expiring. Don't sign Milsap for the money Portland is offering, too much for a back up. Detroit will buy out Harp and we can resign him to the vet minimum. How sweet would it be to have a PF that can actually set a screen, and a 2 that can actually shoot off of the screen. Haven't seen that since Hornacek.

#2 Boozer for Brand, I know he has a big contract but we would be set at PF for the next 5 years, again no need to sign Milsap for the high dollar. We have other guys that can step up as back ups.

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