Time to trade Boozer?
Over the past three seasons, Carlos Boozer has been the subject of much trade speculation around the league. Though the Utah Jazz verbally continue to show their support for their All-Star forward, perhaps now is the time for them to seriously consider trading the free agent-to be.
As if missing a total of 89 games due to injury over his four seasons with the Jazz wasn’t enough cause for concern, Boozer just wasn’t the same dominant interior presence during last year’s playoffs. It was clear late last season, when the majority of team was healthy, that this Utah team has likely gone as far as Boozer can take them, and that his time as a Jazzman could soon be coming to an end.
It was Friday, May 16, and the Los Angeles Lakers were on the verge of eliminated the Jazz from the playoffs in Salt Lake City, when Boozer showed exactly why he’s not worth the money it’ll take to keep him in Utah. Instead of raising his game to the next level, Boozer was completely shut down by the likes of Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, neither of which is known as a defensive stopper. Boozer did collect 14 rebounds in the game, but his 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting in nearly 37 minutes is just unacceptable for an All-Star forward in a home elimination game.
Even more sickening was Boozer’s lack of aggressiveness. For a player known as a physically dominating presence, he only made one trip to the free throw line the entire game. His lack of effort on the defensive end, which is known to be one of the weaknesses in his overall game, was equally appalling, and he ended up fouling out during a key stretch of the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, Boozer’s backup, Paul Millsap, was doing his best to clean up Boozer’s mess. In only 24 minutes off the bench, Millsap piled up 8 rebounds, blocked 3 shots, and scored 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting. He also scored three straight baskets for the Jazz to shorten the deficit just before halftime. As I watched the game with two of my brothers that night, we joked that at halftime Jazz point guard Deron Williams was devising a plan to keep Boozer out of the gameplan for the second half. After all, it was Millsap, not Boozer, who was showing the hustle and determination of an All-Star.
Since then, there’s little doubt which player has been more productive for the Jazz. While Millsap still has not missed a single game during his three-year career, he’s putting up very solid numbers while filling in for the injured Boozer this season. His numbers across the board have improved every year, and most importantly, he’s a consistently reliable player who gives you basically the same production every night. He recently recorded his 13th consecutive double-double, which is something even a healthy Boozer hasn’t done. Plus, Millsap is four years younger than Boozer.
While Millsap is making a paltry $757,581 this season while filling in as a starter for the injured Boozer, who has missed the last 15 games with an injury, he’s clearly playing well beyond expectations. As ESPN’s Chris Sheridan says, “he has unquestionably established himself as the NBA player providing the most bang for the buck.”
We already know Boozer’s going to opt out of his contract this summer, and that there are at least a half dozen teams expected to have room under the salary cap to sign him to a max contract. Therefore, the Jazz had better find a taker for him before February’s trade deadline, or they could end up losing him without receiving any compensation in return.
While Boozer maintains that he’s hopeful of getting an contract done that would keep him playing in Utah, having Milsap waiting in the wings is a justifiable reason to place Boozer on the trading block. Not only is Millsap younger and more durable, but he’s also likely to come with a much cheaper price tag. That’s a big deal, especially for a small market team like the Jazz, who cannot afford to carry three max contract players (Williams, Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko) on a non-title winning team. That doesn’t even include the new contract Mehmet Okur could be looking for this summer.
While Boozer can opt out and sign with whomever he chooses, Millsap will be a restricted free agent, meaning the Jazz can match any off for his services. If the Jazz were to move Boozer via trade sometime between now and February, they’d be able to take comfort in the fact that nobody will be able to sign Millsap away without the Jazz having an opportunity to match. Keeping Millsap and moving Boozer might be the only way to keep the Jazz competitive without having to go over the luxury tax threshold, which is something Jazz owner Larry Miller has never done.
If the Jazz were to move him for expiring contracts and draft picks, they’d essentially have the same team they have playing right now, and would have more than enough cap room to keep the team intact. They’d also have some draft picks (along with New York’s unprotected pick in 2010) to make them a contender in the near future.
For more on Boozer’s decision to opt out, click here.
*Send any questions for comments about this post to ajohn135@gmail.com
December 18, 2008 at 4:43 PM
Well said. . . As of this morning I think it was reported that he will opt out of his contract. What I want to know is who is out there that may interest the Jazz in return for Boozer. I like Boozer but after what he did to Cleveland in verbally stating his desire to stay there and then bolting, I have little confidence in him ending up in Utah. I really would like him to stay but if the Jazz can get something before he leaves I say take it.
December 19, 2008 at 1:15 PM
I too would like Boozer to stay, but we both know that there’s no way they can afford to keep both Boozer and Millsap. Therefore, Millsap is my vote for all the reasons I stated above. The notion that Boozer says he’s getting a raise “no matter what happens” just shows what’s most important to him. Millsap is a guy playing for a new contract as well, but you never hear a peep out of him as to what he believes his market value is. He’s just the type of hardworking, humble guy that I’d like as the power forward of the future in Utah.
December 20, 2008 at 12:27 AM
The interesting thing about Boozer is this: when he was drafted people around league were less than impressed with his offensive skills, categorizing him as a “hustle player”, as Paul Silas put it in Cleveland, who could get baskets if the focus of the offense weren’t on him. Now it’s a very different story, with Hollinger and others praising his athleticism and his ability to go left or right from the elbow, as well has his strength and quickness against defending power forwards. It’s his hustle, especially at the defensive end, that’s now being questioned.
I haven’t seen Millsap play a whole lot, but it doesn’t seem like he has quite the same great set of offensive skills that Boozer does. He is a durable, hard-charging, athletic player, though, and that may be worth more to the Jazz at this point that Boozer’s skills (and his fragility). They may also feel like they have enough offensive firepower at other positions to more than make up for Boozer’s contribution. Millsap is also the more likable player, so Jazz management know they won’t go wrong paying Millsap even 10-12 million a year as a replacement for Boozer. Locking in a young Millsap at that rate is bound to be a great bargain down the road, if not right now.
With Boozer getting a pay raise, you’re basically committing yourself to serious luxury tax and/or letting go of some of the serious Jazz favorites like Miles, AK-47, Korver and even Brewer. Okur is probably gone, too. Millsap is the better long term option, even though it’s sad that such a talented combo such as the Jazz have had the past two years only got a couple of years to make a run in the playoffs.
December 21, 2008 at 2:10 AM
Great article in the links above–http://nbaroundtable.wordpress.com/2008/09/17/excellent-article-jazzs-financial-situation?referer=sphere_related_content/
One obvious thing it points out is that AK-47’s contract is the big reason that Jazz will have to make such tough decisions. Okur is a former all-star who is making 8 or 9 mil. Boozer is higher, at around 12. But AK-47, who will never be in an all-star game, has a contract that will max out at 18 mi. I think there are three years to go on it!
Re-upping Millsap, Korver and Okur may be enough to make up for the hurt of losing Boozer, especially if Boozer ends up being hurt for a third of the season, and especially if the Jazz see more improvement from the likes of Miles, Brewer, Koufos, Fesenko and Almond. The Jazz is still stocked with young talent, and there’s no reason to think that an injury prone guy like Boozer is their only hope at a title. Giving Boozer a big raise will mean that Jazz fans will be hoping that Brewer, Miles and Millsap get better–but not too much better, since there’s no money to pay them star salaries.
December 23, 2008 at 4:01 PM
Like Arenas, Boozer isn’t worth a max contract if he’s injured half the time. Not only is he hurt so often, but he disappears during the playoffs and doesn’t play defense, which means he isn’t the guy who I see as a legit second option on a team striving to win a championship. Trade him to Miami for a prospect and a few picks (Miami will be under the cap during the summer and won’t have to match salaries). That will give the Jazz an opportunity to stay competitive now by re-signing Millsap and Okur, while investing in the teams future.