So much still undecided
The Jazz are caught between a rock and a hard place on the final day before free agency. Of course, so is Carlos Boozer, or so it appears.
With Kyle Korver opting in for the upcoming season Monday, the Jazz are in danger of seeing their payroll skyrocket should Boozer opt in as well Tuesday, citing the slim possibilities out there as a free agent looking for an eight-figure annual deal.
The Jazz have approximately $51.9 million in salary committed to nine players for next season after Korver's decision. There's no official number, by the way, since we don't yet know what salary will be set for the first year of Deron Williams' max contract.
Should Boozer opt in at $12.7 million, the Jazz's payroll would climb to $64.6 million. That's for just 10 players, not counting Mehmet Okur and Paul Millsap. Remember you have to carry at least 13 players according to NBA rules.
The Jazz's nightmare scenario would be having Boozer opt in with another team swooping in to make a significant offer to Millsap. A $9 million offer to Millsap next season would cost the Jazz more like $16 million in salary and luxury-tax penalties.
That would leave the Jazz in a position where they would have Boozer under contract for only one season - - eyeing free agency in 2010 - - while Millsap would sign long-term with another team and leave.
By next summer, the Jazz could be without either of the two power forwards who made this whole situation so complicated in the first place.
I don't know what the answer is from the Jazz's perspective. Maybe they make their peace with Boozer, sign him to a long-term contract and cross their fingers that Millsap ends up more of a hustle player than an All-Star for his career.
They might be able to minimize the luxury-tax hit that way while re-signing Okur and keeping the nucleus of their Western Conference finals team together.
Maybe the Jazz promise they'll do whatever they can to facilitate a sign-and-trade should Boozer opt out, just as long as they only take back the low end in salaries. They also could take back up to $3 million in cash from a team.
For example, Boozer could reach agreement on a sign-and-trade with another team, with a starting salary of $13 million. The Jazz would have to take back at least $10.32 million in salaries, but they also could get up to $3 million in cash.
Again, the goal would be minimizing the tax hit and overall financial pain while re-signing Okur and keeping Millsap.
Or maybe Boozer will opt out as we've been led to believe all along and the Jazz will be left with $18 million for Okur, Millsap and that No. 3 point guard. There are definitely those who still believe that's what will happen Tuesday.
As for that extension with Okur, remember that such a deal still would leave Okur playing for $9 million this season and a maximum of $9.945 million in the 2010-11 season. That has to be considered below-market money for one of the 10 best centers in the NBA.
Nevertheless, Okur's extension could add as much as four years at $45.5 million to his existing contract. He too has the Jazz in a tough spot considering the team has only Kosta Koufos and Kyrylo Fesenko as fallback options at center should Okur opt out.
* * *
Okur's agent, Marc Fleisher, sent a short e-mail Monday night saying nothing had been finalized yet, but Okur still was likely to opt out....A couple of items that I couldn't squeeze into Tuesday's paper: Kyrylo Fesenko won't be joining the Jazz for summer league in Orlando, Fla. The Jazz always had held the door open a crack that Fesenko might make it. He'll play for the Ukrainian national team, which I'm told has a pretty ambitious schedule of two-a-days....The Jazz will share their D-League affiliate Utah Flash with Atlanta this season. Boston had been a Flash affiliate for two seasons but will switch to a Portland, Maine, team.
--Ross Siler
With Kyle Korver opting in for the upcoming season Monday, the Jazz are in danger of seeing their payroll skyrocket should Boozer opt in as well Tuesday, citing the slim possibilities out there as a free agent looking for an eight-figure annual deal.
The Jazz have approximately $51.9 million in salary committed to nine players for next season after Korver's decision. There's no official number, by the way, since we don't yet know what salary will be set for the first year of Deron Williams' max contract.
Should Boozer opt in at $12.7 million, the Jazz's payroll would climb to $64.6 million. That's for just 10 players, not counting Mehmet Okur and Paul Millsap. Remember you have to carry at least 13 players according to NBA rules.
The Jazz's nightmare scenario would be having Boozer opt in with another team swooping in to make a significant offer to Millsap. A $9 million offer to Millsap next season would cost the Jazz more like $16 million in salary and luxury-tax penalties.
That would leave the Jazz in a position where they would have Boozer under contract for only one season - - eyeing free agency in 2010 - - while Millsap would sign long-term with another team and leave.
By next summer, the Jazz could be without either of the two power forwards who made this whole situation so complicated in the first place.
I don't know what the answer is from the Jazz's perspective. Maybe they make their peace with Boozer, sign him to a long-term contract and cross their fingers that Millsap ends up more of a hustle player than an All-Star for his career.
They might be able to minimize the luxury-tax hit that way while re-signing Okur and keeping the nucleus of their Western Conference finals team together.
Maybe the Jazz promise they'll do whatever they can to facilitate a sign-and-trade should Boozer opt out, just as long as they only take back the low end in salaries. They also could take back up to $3 million in cash from a team.
For example, Boozer could reach agreement on a sign-and-trade with another team, with a starting salary of $13 million. The Jazz would have to take back at least $10.32 million in salaries, but they also could get up to $3 million in cash.
Again, the goal would be minimizing the tax hit and overall financial pain while re-signing Okur and keeping Millsap.
Or maybe Boozer will opt out as we've been led to believe all along and the Jazz will be left with $18 million for Okur, Millsap and that No. 3 point guard. There are definitely those who still believe that's what will happen Tuesday.
As for that extension with Okur, remember that such a deal still would leave Okur playing for $9 million this season and a maximum of $9.945 million in the 2010-11 season. That has to be considered below-market money for one of the 10 best centers in the NBA.
Nevertheless, Okur's extension could add as much as four years at $45.5 million to his existing contract. He too has the Jazz in a tough spot considering the team has only Kosta Koufos and Kyrylo Fesenko as fallback options at center should Okur opt out.
* * *
Okur's agent, Marc Fleisher, sent a short e-mail Monday night saying nothing had been finalized yet, but Okur still was likely to opt out....A couple of items that I couldn't squeeze into Tuesday's paper: Kyrylo Fesenko won't be joining the Jazz for summer league in Orlando, Fla. The Jazz always had held the door open a crack that Fesenko might make it. He'll play for the Ukrainian national team, which I'm told has a pretty ambitious schedule of two-a-days....The Jazz will share their D-League affiliate Utah Flash with Atlanta this season. Boston had been a Flash affiliate for two seasons but will switch to a Portland, Maine, team.
--Ross Siler
12:35 AM
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