Utah Jazz Wiretap

Utah Looking To Sign A Shooting Guard

The NBA's trade deadline passed last Thursday, but the Jazz still are shopping hard for a shooting guard — and may sign one as soon as midweek. "We're going to play (tonight at Golden State)," Jazz basketball operations senior vice president Kevin O'Connor said Sunday, "and then we'll take a look." O'Connor suggested the Jazz's preference is to sign a veteran free agent sooner rather than later, and only if they cannot land one they like would they consider signing a younger player from the minors later this season. With usual starting shooting guard Gordan Giricek still out week-to-week with Achilles tendinitis, O'Connor said the Jazz are hoping to find "somebody (who) can get us through until Giri comes back." O'Connor would not name names. But it's believed possibilities for the Jazz include 32-year-old Voshon Lenard, should he soon reach a buyout agreement with Portland and be waived by the Trail Blazers, and 32-year-old Tony Delk, who was waived late last week by Atlanta but reportedly is on Detroit's radar.

Via Deseret News


Boozer To L.A. Talks Likely To Be Revisited This Summer

The Jazz held off on dealing Carlos Boozer to the Lakers, but look for that deal to be revisited this summer. The Lakers' package included Brian Cook and Chris Mihm, but the Jazz believes it can do better than that.

Once Boozer is a Laker, Lamar Odom is gone, if not before.

Via NY Daily News


Jazz Could Pull Off A Boozer Blockbuster

If the Jazz pull a blockbuster, Carlos Boozer is the guy who will go, and last season's trade rumors have been revived by the 24-year-old's return to action just in time to showcase his recovery from a four-month-long hamstring injury. The rumors are based on the assumption that the Jazz have grown furious with the most-celebrated free-agent in team history, have tired of paying him more than $11 million a season while he sits out with injuries, and have concluded that his $68 million contract was a mistake. O'Connor denies that any of that is true. Yet he doesn't completely rule out dealing his highest-paid player, either. "He [was] hurt. We know he was hurt, but there's not much you can do if people don't believe you," O'Connor protested. "Would we listen to offers? We'll listen to anything. It would be irresponsible not to. But these [reports] that we're trying to dump Carlos, they are coming from people who don't know Carlos and who don't know us. It's ridiculous, but it's part of the business."

Via Salt Lake Tribune


Jazz Feb 2006 Archive