The Jazz and Booz

Salt Lake Tribune columnist Gordon Monson wrote an excellent piece about the future of the Jazz when it comes to Carlos Boozer the other day. In short, Utah has a decision to make this summer.

Boozer can opt out of his deal at the end of next season, which he likely will do, making his services available to the most attractive - read: highest - bidder, whose bidding might blast into the $130 million range. That's a difficult plate of biscuits for the Jazz to chew, given that they already will be paying Williams max money, well worth it, and Andrei Kirilenko the same, well... not worth it. Add Boozer's new market value to that mix, along with the Jazz's other projected salary obligations, then consider that their payroll already rests in the low $60 million range, with the luxury-tax threshold at $71 million and it's easy to see why the whole equation doesn't compute.

Nail on the head. It's not worth keeping Booz around, and not just for financial reasons. Yes, the man gave the Jazz 20 and 10 during the regular season last year. Honestly, I have a hard time being impressed with that. If the man doesn't choke in nearly every game of the playoffs, I think the Jazz end up getting past the Lakers.

So let some other team deal with his consistently horrendous defense and offense that doesn't work in the playoffs. He's getting max money after this next season, but please, for the love of all that is good, let some other team pay it.

But somehow I doubt the Jazz will move Carlos this offseason. Which means we'll either get nothing for him when he bolts next summer or we'll pay him max money. Perish the thought.