Off-season primer
Much thanks to Steve for all his work the last two weeks in keeping this blog current. Between us, we're going to do the best we can during the off-season, which my gut continues to tell me will be quiet for the Jazz.
They have 13 players under contract for next season, are expected to tender a qualifying offer to C.J. Miles and own the No. 23 pick in the June 26 draft. That would leave them with the maximum 15 players on their roster.
They have roughly $63.5 million in salary commitments - - counting a $1.2 million qualifying offer to Miles and the $1.1 million the No. 23 pick will make - - in a league whose luxury-tax threshold was $67.9 million last season.
The Jazz also have to take into consideration the $80 million extension Deron Williams can sign July 1 (which doesn't kick in until the 2009-10 season) as well as potential extensions Ronnie Brewer and Paul Millsap are due next summer.
The first domino of the off-season already has fallen, with Jason Hart exercising his option to return, as expected. We're waiting now to see if the coaching staff will remain intact or if Jeff Hornacek and/or Tyrone Corbin will be offered jobs elsewhere.
In the meantime, the Jazz have three players of particular interest this summer, namely Carlos Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko and Miles.
CARLOS BOOZER
Judging from my e-mail, there's tremendous fear that Boozer will opt out of his contract next summer and sign elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent, leaving the Jazz with nothing in return for their two-time All-Star.
It happened once with Boozer in Cleveland, the thinking goes, so why can't it happen again here?
For the record, Mehmet Okur has an early termination option that he could exercise next summer as well. Boozer would be opting out of $12-plus million and Okur $9 million in the final year of their respective deals.
By opting out, Boozer could simply turn around and sign a long-term extension with the Jazz, who would be able to offer him more money (with larger annual raises) thanks to the NBA's salary-cap rules.
If Boozer wanted to leave, he would have to find a team with $12-plus million in cap space, assuming he didn't want to take a paycut. The best a team over the cap could offer would be a five-year, $35 million deal for the midlevel exception.
Otherwise, Boozer and the Jazz would have to work out a sign-and-trade, in which Boozer would get his payday but the Jazz would get a package of players or draft picks in return.
Among the teams that could have the cap space to sign Boozer straight-up are Seattle, Memphis and the L.A. Clippers, depending on whether they re-sign Elton Brand and/or Corey Maggette. Philadelphia could as well, depending on Andre Iguodala's extension.
Although Boozer has been linked to Miami, the Heat are looking at $48 million to $50 million in salary commitments if they sign Shawn Marion to an extension. There also is the question of what they will do with that No. 2 draft pick.
Even if the Heat could offer him a big contract, Boozer would have to decide whether it made sense to leave a contender in Utah for a rebuilding team in Miami with a rookie coach in Erik Spoelstra and the possibility Dwyane Wade could leave in 2010.
We'll see this summer whether Gilbert Arenas and Brand both opt out of their current contracts only to sign extensions to stay in Washington and Los Angeles. That could very well be what happens with Boozer next summer.
ANDREI KIRILENKO
There's also been no shortage of trade proposals in my inbox regarding Kirilenko, who is owed nearly $50 million for the remaining three years on his contract. Everybody from Jermaine O'Neal to Emeka Okafor has been mentioned coming to Utah in return.
My favorite proposal from an e-mailer was shipping Kirilenko and Jarron Collins to Memphis for Darko Milicic and Jason Collins. There's just something wrong with the karma of trading one twin brother for another.
The key to any Kirilenko deal, in my opinion, is for the Jazz to gain some measure of payroll flexibility. They will be paying Williams $13 million a season beginning in 2009-10 and don't want to exceed the luxury-tax threshold.
The Jazz would have to approximately match salaries in any potential Kirilenko deal and can't afford to take back too many players, considering they already have 13 under contract. They don't want to start waiving players with guaranteed deals.
You could build packages around several players, including Dallas' Josh Howard and New Jersey's Richard Jefferson, who are owed $33 million and $42 million respectively the next three seasons.
Denver's Marcus Camby, Chicago's Drew Gooden, Golden State's Al Harrington and Detroit's Rasheed Wallace also have the kind of starting-point salaries you would need to make any Kirilenko deal happen.
If they wanted cap relief, the Jazz could look to Portland, which has Raef LaFrentz's $12.7 million expiring contract. The Blazers have a quality backup big man in Joel Przybilla as well as promising young wings in Travis Outlaw and Martell Webster.
The Blazers also have a billionaire owner in Paul Allen who might not seeing taking on the money owed Kirilenko as a negative. Of course, the last thing the Jazz want to do is help both a conference and division rival.
C.J. MILES
The Jazz have a surplus of young shooting guards in Ronnie Brewer, Morris Almond and Miles, especially after acquiring Kyle Korver in December. But it's a relatively low-cost investment to bring back Miles, especially on a $1.2 million qualifying offer.
Miles is expected to spend his second consecutive summer as a restricted free agent, with the Jazz capable of matching any offer he signs with another team. Has Miles proven enough for another team to sign him to a multiyear deal?
One thing to consider: If Miles is included in any deal as part of a sign-and-trade, he would have to agree to at least a three-year contract. Only the first year has to be guaranteed, but it does make sign-and-trade deals more complicated.
--Ross Siler
They have 13 players under contract for next season, are expected to tender a qualifying offer to C.J. Miles and own the No. 23 pick in the June 26 draft. That would leave them with the maximum 15 players on their roster.
They have roughly $63.5 million in salary commitments - - counting a $1.2 million qualifying offer to Miles and the $1.1 million the No. 23 pick will make - - in a league whose luxury-tax threshold was $67.9 million last season.
The Jazz also have to take into consideration the $80 million extension Deron Williams can sign July 1 (which doesn't kick in until the 2009-10 season) as well as potential extensions Ronnie Brewer and Paul Millsap are due next summer.
The first domino of the off-season already has fallen, with Jason Hart exercising his option to return, as expected. We're waiting now to see if the coaching staff will remain intact or if Jeff Hornacek and/or Tyrone Corbin will be offered jobs elsewhere.
In the meantime, the Jazz have three players of particular interest this summer, namely Carlos Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko and Miles.
CARLOS BOOZER
Judging from my e-mail, there's tremendous fear that Boozer will opt out of his contract next summer and sign elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent, leaving the Jazz with nothing in return for their two-time All-Star.
It happened once with Boozer in Cleveland, the thinking goes, so why can't it happen again here?
For the record, Mehmet Okur has an early termination option that he could exercise next summer as well. Boozer would be opting out of $12-plus million and Okur $9 million in the final year of their respective deals.
By opting out, Boozer could simply turn around and sign a long-term extension with the Jazz, who would be able to offer him more money (with larger annual raises) thanks to the NBA's salary-cap rules.
If Boozer wanted to leave, he would have to find a team with $12-plus million in cap space, assuming he didn't want to take a paycut. The best a team over the cap could offer would be a five-year, $35 million deal for the midlevel exception.
Otherwise, Boozer and the Jazz would have to work out a sign-and-trade, in which Boozer would get his payday but the Jazz would get a package of players or draft picks in return.
Among the teams that could have the cap space to sign Boozer straight-up are Seattle, Memphis and the L.A. Clippers, depending on whether they re-sign Elton Brand and/or Corey Maggette. Philadelphia could as well, depending on Andre Iguodala's extension.
Although Boozer has been linked to Miami, the Heat are looking at $48 million to $50 million in salary commitments if they sign Shawn Marion to an extension. There also is the question of what they will do with that No. 2 draft pick.
Even if the Heat could offer him a big contract, Boozer would have to decide whether it made sense to leave a contender in Utah for a rebuilding team in Miami with a rookie coach in Erik Spoelstra and the possibility Dwyane Wade could leave in 2010.
We'll see this summer whether Gilbert Arenas and Brand both opt out of their current contracts only to sign extensions to stay in Washington and Los Angeles. That could very well be what happens with Boozer next summer.
ANDREI KIRILENKO
There's also been no shortage of trade proposals in my inbox regarding Kirilenko, who is owed nearly $50 million for the remaining three years on his contract. Everybody from Jermaine O'Neal to Emeka Okafor has been mentioned coming to Utah in return.
My favorite proposal from an e-mailer was shipping Kirilenko and Jarron Collins to Memphis for Darko Milicic and Jason Collins. There's just something wrong with the karma of trading one twin brother for another.
The key to any Kirilenko deal, in my opinion, is for the Jazz to gain some measure of payroll flexibility. They will be paying Williams $13 million a season beginning in 2009-10 and don't want to exceed the luxury-tax threshold.
The Jazz would have to approximately match salaries in any potential Kirilenko deal and can't afford to take back too many players, considering they already have 13 under contract. They don't want to start waiving players with guaranteed deals.
You could build packages around several players, including Dallas' Josh Howard and New Jersey's Richard Jefferson, who are owed $33 million and $42 million respectively the next three seasons.
Denver's Marcus Camby, Chicago's Drew Gooden, Golden State's Al Harrington and Detroit's Rasheed Wallace also have the kind of starting-point salaries you would need to make any Kirilenko deal happen.
If they wanted cap relief, the Jazz could look to Portland, which has Raef LaFrentz's $12.7 million expiring contract. The Blazers have a quality backup big man in Joel Przybilla as well as promising young wings in Travis Outlaw and Martell Webster.
The Blazers also have a billionaire owner in Paul Allen who might not seeing taking on the money owed Kirilenko as a negative. Of course, the last thing the Jazz want to do is help both a conference and division rival.
C.J. MILES
The Jazz have a surplus of young shooting guards in Ronnie Brewer, Morris Almond and Miles, especially after acquiring Kyle Korver in December. But it's a relatively low-cost investment to bring back Miles, especially on a $1.2 million qualifying offer.
Miles is expected to spend his second consecutive summer as a restricted free agent, with the Jazz capable of matching any offer he signs with another team. Has Miles proven enough for another team to sign him to a multiyear deal?
One thing to consider: If Miles is included in any deal as part of a sign-and-trade, he would have to agree to at least a three-year contract. Only the first year has to be guaranteed, but it does make sign-and-trade deals more complicated.
--Ross Siler
12:47 PM
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1 Comments:
Not only must the Jazz secure Miles, but they need to find a way to get him consistent minutes. In my opinion, CJ has the look of a very good NBA player. He is long, can shoot the three, is playing better and better defense, and has shown signs of giving the Jazz something that none of the other shooting guards have shown--the ability to create his own shot off the dribble.
If a Kirilenko trade is in order (I think the offer would need to be very good--AK is a beast) it should be for some interior defense. CJ could fill in a lot of AK's role and we could bring in somebody who is tall and tough to help mop of some of Boozer's defensive mess.
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