DENVER -- Chris Bosh said his contract situation could prevent him from playing for Team USA in next year's World Championships. But another big man off the 2008 gold-medal winning Olympic team has no such reservations.
Utah forward Carlos Boozer told FanHouse on Wednesday morning he wants to play for Team USA in Turkey, and his contract situation has no bearing on it.
"I definitely would love to play if I get invited,'' said Boozer, a free agent next summer. "Not at all (will Boozer's contract situation affect his decision to play). If I've got a chance to put USA on my chest again, I'll do it in a heartbeat. The contract stuff will take care of itself.''
Heading into the season, Boozer's status is the biggest issue surrounding the team. He said during radio interviews during the summer that he wouldn't mind ending up in Chicago or Miami, and that Jazz officials told him they were looking to trade him.
The forward, though, didn't get moved. And now he's saying that, if the Jazz keep him throughout the season, impressive things can happen in Utah.
"If they keep us together, we can be very good,'' he said.
The remaining dominoes in the notable NBA free agency set are starting to fall.
Thursday night the Utah Jazz matched Portland's front-heavy $32 million offer to restricted free agent forward Paul Millsap. The move accomplishes the Jazz's goal of keeping Millsap, who's younger, more reliable, and has more upside and oomph than his counterpart, Carlos Boozer. The move also means that just as Boozer has indicated to the press recently, his bags are packed, he just needs a destination.
The question is, what are the next pieces to fall?
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! has a whopper: Miami is apparently desperately trying to trade for Carlos Boozerand trying to sign Lamar Odom away from the Lakers. Incumbent power forward Udonis Haslem is included in the Boozer trade rumor, which leads one to believe Boozer and Odom would both start under such a scenario, with Michael Beasley serving as either the top small forward or the first big man off the bench.
Whatever way it shakes, such a set of moves would immediately vault Miami into contention for the contested Eastern crown.
Ross Siler of the Salt Lake Tribune has a great summation of Jazz thinking with regard to the power forward position. As expected, Carlos Boozer seems to be on his way out while that seemingly daunting Portland offer sheet for Paul Millsap isn't actually terribly daunting.
Siler reports Jazz boss Greg Miller told Boozer the All-Star isn't in the team's long-term plans, and agreed to try to trade him. I would not expect Utah to have trouble; even at $12 million, Boozer is too good to languish without suitors. But more interesting is Millsap's position in all of this.
As has been rumored for the better part of a week, Portland has thrown its cap space at Jazz restricted free agent Paul Millsap, a burly forward who has come off Utah's bench behind Carlos Boozer much of his career. Millsap's rep has grown over the last few years, and a big platform created by Boozer's injuries this season have made a substantial payday -- four years, $32-34 million -- possible.
The question now is whether Portland's offer sheet (signed by Millsap Friday) is big enough to keep Utah from matching. I don't think it is.
You're not really tired of all the offseason rumors, near-deals, unnamed sources, and "whispers." (Who whispers in these conversations, anyway? Couldn't you just make the call on your way home in the car? Does anyone think Pritchard has his employees' cars bugged?) You're loving all of these deals that don't happen, the signings that never arrive, and all the inside information. And it's a good thing, too. Because there's more. Lots more. Like this!
ESPN's got the scoop on a rumored deal that either makes a ton of sense or none at all, depending on your point of view. Long story short?
Carlos Boozer to Chicago, Kirk Hinrich to Portland, and Tyrus Thomas to Utah. Ta-da! So how real is this thing? As usual, that depends on who you talk to.
Could it be any other way with Carlos Boozer and the Jazz? Everything is so complicated, from late owner Larry Miller's combative stance on Boozer's injuries to Boozer's renewed sense of self-worth to the constant conflict between stardom and also-ran status. Boozer surprisingly picked up his 2009-10 team option Tuesday, putting Utah on the hook for $12.3 million.
Boozer is well worth the cash, so this development should be a clear win for Utah, right? Well, it's complicated. Boozer's commitment puts the status of back-up power forward Paul Millsap and starting center Mehmet Okur into question. By casting his lot with Utah for one more year, Boozer may very well have cast his buddies out.
Well, well, well. Utah has decided it won't go down without a fight. Behind a raucous (as usual) home crowd, the Jazz clawed their way back in Game 3 to put a win up on the board. Now with Game 4 tonight, the Jazz have an opportunity to prove our own Brett Pollakoff wrong and make this a series for real. The Jazz get Mehmet Okur back tonight (most likely) which is a big plus for them. For the Lakers, the question is not talent, nor execution, nor offense, nor defense. It's simply effort. If they don't want this game more than Utah does and play like it, no amount of talent and size is going to save them amongst the rabid Utah fans.
Say, since this is such a big game, why don't we get a liveblog going? Indeed, let us. Join us at 9PM EST for Lakers at Jazz, Game 4.
The Jazz did indeed beat the Lakers in Game 3 of their first round playoff match-up, and cut L.A.'s lead in the series to two games to one in the process. But just because Utah was able to squeak out a two-point victory at home basically at the buzzer, that doesn't mean that suddenly we now have a series on our hands.
Because we don't. Look a little more closely at how this one went down, and you'll see that so much had to go wrong for L.A. and right for Utah, that this game was the exception to the rule, and not the rule itself.
DENVER -- Chris Bosh said his contract situation could prevent him from playing for Team USA in next year's World Championships. But another big man off the 2008 gold-medal winning Olympic team has no such reservations.
FanHouse 
The remaining dominoes in the notable NBA free agency set are starting to fall. 
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! 
Ross Siler of the Salt Lake Tribune has 
As has been rumored for the better part of a week, Portland has thrown its cap space at Jazz restricted free agent 
You're not really tired of all the offseason rumors, near-deals, unnamed sources, and "whispers." (Who whispers in these conversations, anyway? Couldn't you just make the call on your way home in the car? Does anyone think Pritchard has his employees' cars bugged?) You're loving all of these deals that don't happen, the signings that never arrive, and all the inside information. And it's a good thing, too. Because there's more. Lots more. Like this!
Could it be any other way with 
