Boozer opting out in the offing

I’m not surprised at all that Carlos Boozer is opting out of his contract for next season. Nobody should be. Like Jazz GM Kevin O’Connor, I am surprised at his timing for announcing his intentions and that he’d so openly talk about getting a raise – as he was quoted as saying in ESPN.com – considering these tough economic times.
And considering he hasn’t played for a month.
It’s also interesting that Boozer opted out of a lips-sealed statement he made in the preseason. At media day, he told us, “Nobody’s contract is going to be talked about. We’re going to talk about playing basketball…”
The contract stuff – all of it, he insisted – could wait until summer to be discussed.
Interesting.
But at least the Jazz apparently know where he stands now, giving them months to decide how to work out a game plan on how to try to keep the All-Star power forward here or plan for a Boozer-less future.

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Too bad all this Boozer talk is taking away from chatting about last night’s comeback win – rallying from behind by 22 to beat New Jersey going away. It’ll be interesting if the Jazz can keep up that momentum and pull out a few more road wins.

I’m also interested to see what Jerry Sloan decides to do with his rotation. C.J. Miles has had a hit-or-miss year, but I know Sloan loves having AK, Korver and Harpring come off the bench. I don’t think he’ll yank Brewer out of the starting lineup, though. He’s just had a couple of rough outings after his aunt’s funeral.

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Here are a few snippets from some D-News stories about Boozer’s contract from over the summer that are interesting to look back at….

* – Media Day story from Sept. 30th by yours truly and Tim Buckley:

You’ve heard of contract years for players?
Consider this a contract year for the franchise.
Just don’t expect Jazz players, who could flourish or flounder in this now-or-perhaps-never-together again environment – to talk about their futures.
“I’m telling you right now, we’re not going to worry about that,” Boozer said. “Nobody’s contract is going to be talked about. We’re going to talk about playing basketball, winning games and trying to win a championship. All the contract stuff we can wait until this summer (to do).”
Nevertheless, Boozer, Mehmet Okur and Kyle Korver can all opt out of their contracts at the end of the year. And though rumors were spread about Boozer’s possible departure to Miami or Memphis next season, the Jazz’s only returning All-Star from last year promises he isn’t going to stoke the rumor-mill fire.
“I’m not going to speak about it. I advised my teammates not to speak about it,” he said. “Let’s focus on us, get ready to win a championship and then we’ll worry about that in the summertime.
“We want to win a championship, that’s all that matters.”

* – Carlos Boozer from an Aug. 9th story from the Olympics by Scott Taylor:

BEIJING – With big-bucks, multi-year deals recently drawing NBA players like Josh Childress and Carlos Arroyo to play international ball overseas, could Carlos Boozer be drawn away by foreign interests?
Boozer, who is eligible to opt out of the final season of his six-year, $68-million contract next offseason, said he would be open to all offers – including with a foreign team.
“As a business decision, we definitely would have to look at it,” said Boozer, in Beijing as a second-time Olympian. “But it doesn’t mean that you’re on the next flight out.”
He said he would “absolutely” consider the possibility, “if my wife was down with it and the money was right.”

* – Deron Williams from a July 19th story by Tim Buckley:

“We’ve talked about it since I’ve been here. He said his main thing was he probably wouldn’t stay if I wasn’t here – if I wasn’t signing an extension. So, I think I took the first step in that by signing an extension – and he knows that I’m going to be here for five more years. So, next step is just convincing him to stay.
“Whether he opts out or not I don’t know. Hopefully he stays. He knows he’s a big part of this team; he knows that we have that great chemistry together, and it will be hard to develop that same chemistry with another point guard. And maybe he goes to a team that doesn’t have the caliber of point guard that he has here.”

* – Carlos Boozer from a June 29th story by Scott Taylor:

Asked if he might be headed to Miami in the future, Boozer responded teasingly: “I live in Miami – I’m going there no matter what I do, that’s home for me. That’s just talk – I’ve been talked about in rumors my whole career.”
He declined when asked if he might have any interest, saying his current worry is the Olympic team and playing for the gold medal. Instead, Boozer offered his three-fold theory on why the Miami rumors have enjoyed an extended shelf life.
“It might be because they have a need for a power forward,” he said, “that I live in the area, and that you guys (the media) keep writing about it.”
Meanwhile, Williams was doing enough thinking and worrying about Boozer for the both of them.
“I definitely want him to hang around,” he said. “I definitely want him to re-sign. But it’s a business move … he’s doing what’s best for him.”
Williams called Boozer’s anticipated opting out “a no-brainer” but added that he hopes he stays with the Jazz.