Boozer going to Utah

[Phil]

Then again, back to the "he said, she said" situation. Gund is saying Boozer promised and Boozer is saying he didn't make any promises or commitments. How do we know who's really lying when both people seemed to have upstanding reputations.

One question: Why would the Cavs allow Boozer free agency unless they were sure about his commitment?

[the_cynic]

I read somewhere that even Gordon Gund knew that there was a possibilities of Boozer going somewhere else if they released him like they did. The Cavaliers should have been more proactive. They don't even report that there were in the running game for Boozer. I seems as though Paxson took that so-called reported "oral agreement" as an excuse not to be pursuing Boozer. The Cavaliers should have been on Boozer's door step on July 1st asking for more promises or comments.

Did anyone really know before July 8th as to why the Cavaliers let Boozer go?

[the_cynic]

I stumbled upon an interesting article on cleveland.com. Here's it is......

Carlos Boozer has had enough of the character assassination that has pounded him since last week's announcement that the Utah Jazz have offered him $68 million over six years.

Boozer has been accused of lying and backstabbing the team and its fans because he allegedly told the Cavaliers he would remain in Cleveland. As a result, the organization allowed him to become a free agent, with the intent to sign him to the mid-level exemption of $42 million over six years.

According to sources within the Cavs' organization, Boozer told team officials that if they didn't pick up his option, he would sign with them.

Boozer, speaking exclusively to The Plain Dealer by telephone Monday, said that is not true and he wants to set the record straight.

"I didn't make a prior agreement. And if I did, I would've stayed here," Boozer said. "For them [Cavaliers] taking shots at my character is incredibly wrong, and I don't understand that. I thought I had a great relationship with them. Maybe they're trying to save face or trying to make up stuff and kill my character. And if that's the road they want to take, that's OK."

Everything was apparently fine when Cavs management met with Boozer, his wife CeCe and agent Rob Pelinka on June 30. These were friendlier times, when the two sides were prepared to talk about Boozer's future with the organization. The only thing that is clear about this meeting is that the Cavs decided not to pick up the option on the last year of Boozer's contract, which was worth about $700,000. This is where things get cloudy.

"I assumed they were going to pick up my option and work something out for the long term, but they went another route," Boozer said. "I was shocked that they didn't pick up my option. I left the meeting excited because this meant that I was going to get a long-term contract."

Boozer was surprised the Cavs didn't pick up his option because he said management gave him every indication in earlier informal conversations that they would.

So on June 30, according to Boozer, owner Gordon Gund and General Manager Jim Paxson asked him what was important to him. Boozer said that financial security and remaining in Cleveland were important.

"But during that meeting, it seemed like they were going down the road of wanting a commitment," Boozer said. "My agent pulled out the collective bargaining agreement, and he said that the rules don't allow a verbal or written agreement and everyone at the table understood that. During the course of that meeting, it was brought to my attention that [management] weren't going to pick up the option. They made that [decision] on their own."

Boozer said he had no idea why they Cavs didn't pick up the option.

"Maybe with me telling them that I wanted to be in Cleveland and wanting to have security could've made them believe I was going to sign with them, but that wasn't an agreement," Boozer said. "I never gave them my word, never signed a document and I never shook hands with the idea that I was going to sign."

The two parties met again on July 1. Boozer said this is when Paxson told him what the midlevel exemption was worth. During the Fourth of July weekend, Boozer met with Cavs management and they continued to discuss his future, and they talked about his role with the team. This was the turning point during the negotiations.

"During those conversations, I asked those guys about my role on the team, and I expressed to them the direction I wanted to go individually and with the team," Boozer said. "I wanted the chance to become an All-Star and some [in the meeting] didn't think I could accomplish that here. One primary person didn't believe I could."

That primary person, according to an unnamed source in a published report, is coach Paul Silas. From there, Boozer said he told the organization that he would explore his options.

"I called Paxson and Gordon and told them what was out there and the situation that was presented to me in Utah," Boozer said. "They told me 'You can't do this, you gave me your word.' I told them that I didn't give them my word. The only organization I gave my word to was Utah. I called [utah GM] Kevin O'Connor and I told him that I accepted their offer and that's the only word I gave during this process. I plan to sign the offer sheet tomorrow."

Gund and Paxson were not available for comment. Silas was not available. He's in Oakland because of his mother's recent death.

The Cavs, apparently, have not given up. According to league sources, the team offered Boozer on Monday a one-year deal for $5 million. If Boozer accepts the offer, he would become a restricted free agent next season. Boozer doesn't believe the Cavs' sincerity.

"Why would they try to sign me?" Boozer said. "They've tried to demoralize me as a human being. They tried to depict me as a kind of guy that bamboozled people. They've lied and painted a picture that we had an illegal deal. They tried to say we had an oral agreement before July 1, and that didn't happen."

There also are rumors that Boozer wanted out of Cleveland because of some animosity toward LeBron James, and that he wanted to become the top gun.

"I'm not saying I want to be the man," Boozer said. "I'm going to Utah where Andrei Kirilenko is already an established All-Star in this league, and they have stud players like Matt Harpring and Mehmet Okur. I feel mature enough, educated about the game enough and good enough to take on more responsibility. . . . Obviously, there's no question that the man on the team is LeBron, and he's well-deserving of it. There's no way I would try to overshadow him."

[fiasco!]

and the spin begins!

[the_cynic]

Instead, someone within this whole mess is big ass. Everything points to Boozer but the Cavaliers have more power and more people would be willing to believe what they say over Boozer. Who knows what the true story behind this whole mess is!

[the_cynic]

Looks like Boozer and Okur signed today!

ESPN Link

[newsenterprise]

Earth to the Jazz front office:

Contrary to your warped beliefs, Carlos Boozer is not the second coming of Karl Malone.

Wish to inform us of any costworthy moves before you makes fools of yourselves publicly (again)?

Hmmm .... this is mighty awkward,

In a column by John Allen is the sports editor of the Caller-Times in Corpus Christi, Texas, at http://www.caller.com, Allen wrote:

"The Utah Jazz's new power forward, Carlos Boozer, may not be a man of his word after reneging on a verbal deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he could be the second coming of Karl Malone. Boozer (15.5 points, 11.4 rebounds per game) and Andrei Kirilenko (third in the NBA in blocks and fourth in steals) will be joined by former Detroit Pistons center Mehmet Okur and sweet-shooting Matt Harpring, who missed most of the past season with a knee injury."

So I could be wrong ...

[the_cynic]

Wrong with what?

[See Red]

No -- I'm pretty sure you're right that Boozer is not the second coming of Karl Malone.

However, he will end his career with as many championships as Karl Malone now that he threw away the honor of being on Lebron James' team.

[the_cynic]

However, he will end his career with as many championships as Karl Malone now that he threw away the honor of being on Lebron James' team.

Are you implying that since Cleveland has LeBron that they'll win a championship?

[See Red]

I'm not saying they will this year -- but as long as Lebron James continues on the progression his career has already taken (in just one season, mind you), it would be a safe bet that he will, with the right talent surrounding him, be in a position to where he can make a run at a championship and staying in Cleveland would have served very beneficial to Carlos Boozer, has he benefitted off of Lebron James' ability, in addition to being helpful towards Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers organization. From 17 wins to almost making the playoffs is a huge difference for a rookie player (in addition to some other acuqisitions) to make and it would not be unreasonable to expect The Cavaliers to be a good team in the east in a few years. Lebron's big thing has always been that he makes others around him better. He would have been in much better shape staying in Cleveland than going to the West and trying to put up the numbers he did as a forward in the East.