The summer of 2010 in the NBA will be filled with an astonishing array of unrestricted free agents. Dubbed the “Summer of Lebron”, next season may ultimately evolve into the countdown for King James to opt out of his contract. Lebron is hardly the only free agent available. Others include Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Tyson Chandler, Manu Ginobili, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, and Dirk Nowitzki.
Nobody knows the names on that list better than Carlos Boozer. More importantly than the names on the list are the impact those names have on his potential salary for what should be his last major contract in the NBA.
Nobody knows the names on that list better than Carlos Boozer. More importantly than the names on the list are the impact those names have on his potential salary for what should be his last major contract in the NBA.
Carlos Boozer has an opt-out provision in his current deal with the Utah Jazz and has to make a decision in the next few weeks. Carlos Boozer was recently a guest on “Rome is Burning” with Jim Rome on ESPN.
"I want to make the best decision we can," Boozer said to Rome. "Do my homework, do my due diligence and on June 30th I'll decide either to opt in or opt out."
"I put the ball in their court… I told them I wanted to be there – and we'll see how they respond, and how they approach me… I think I let everybody know that I wanted to be there – and, at the same time, for me, let's see how they approach me, and then do what's best for me and my family."
That is quite the change of tune from what Carlos Boozer had stated at the beginning of the year. "I'm opting out. No matter what, I'm going to get a raise regardless," Boozer told ESPN.com in December.
Now?
Now after an injury laden season, Carlos Boozer realizes that in the summer of 2010 he will not be the most sought after free agent on the market. He may not even crack the top 10 of those available. Afterthoughts usually don’t receive max contracts. Make no mistake about it; Carlos Boozer wants to stay with the Utah Jazz. More accurately, Carlos Boozer wants the Utah Jazz to “approach” him with a contract extension worth the money he would be getting if the free agent market in 2010 wasn’t saturated with superstars.
Think about Boozer’s options. If he opts out this year, NOBODY will offer him a long term deal with names like Amare and Dirk and Lebron dangling in 2010. Every franchise in the NBA is clearing cap room for a spending spree, a spending spree that Carlos Boozer may not be fortunate enough to capitalize on. At the same time if Boozer decides to stay with Utah, he still becomes a free agent in 2010.
Carlos Boozer is waiting until June 30th simply because he wants the Utah Jazz to sweat it out, panic, and offer him a 4-5 year deal for around 15 million a year. That, or take his chances during the summer of Lebron.
Think about Boozer’s options. If he opts out this year, NOBODY will offer him a long term deal with names like Amare and Dirk and Lebron dangling in 2010. Every franchise in the NBA is clearing cap room for a spending spree, a spending spree that Carlos Boozer may not be fortunate enough to capitalize on. At the same time if Boozer decides to stay with Utah, he still becomes a free agent in 2010.
Carlos Boozer is waiting until June 30th simply because he wants the Utah Jazz to sweat it out, panic, and offer him a 4-5 year deal for around 15 million a year. That, or take his chances during the summer of Lebron.
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