All's Quiet on the Carlos Boozer Front Now, but These Teams May Jazz Up Interest

Why hasn’t Carlos Boozer generated more buzz around the league?

Throughout his career, Boozer has never been known as a loyal person.  The Cavaliers realized this when Booz accepted a slightly heftier contract to sign in Utah. 

Yes, Boozer could have started a dynasty in Cleveland alongside James. Probably would have even won a title or two there.  He decided to go where the dollars were and Utah "showed him the money" (tangent alert: when was the last time somebody used a Jerry Maguire reference...2001?).

Boozer is not a very durable athlete.  He only played in more than 75 games twice in his seven-year career.  Boozer may also just be a productive player because of the Jazz system.  Jerry Sloan tends to get the most out of his players’ abilities, and Boozer could be no exception. 

The Jazz' current lineup also fits Booz like a glove.  You have an outside shooting center (Okur) to space the floor for him to maneuver down-low. There's a point guard that will feed him the ball anytime he’s open (D-Will), strong help defense (AK47), and a good backup that can give him extended rest (Millsap).  There’s no question that the aforementioned items have helped Boozer become the player that he is in Utah.

Despite all of this, Boozer is still a premier big man in this league.  Only one power forward in the last three seasons has averaged more rebounds per game than Boozer (Tim Duncan).  There’s no question that Boozer is a beast and can be an extreme boost for many teams hoping to contend. 

So why, when Utah is actively shopping Boozer, does it seem that only a few clubs are interested?

Here are a couple teams that should be champing on the bit to acquire the former Duke standout.

Washington Wizards

The Wizards made it painfully obvious prior to the draft that they were shopping the fifth pick. After being part of Amar'e Stoudemire and, perhaps to a lighter extent, Chris Bosh rumors, the Wizards eventually traded their first-round pick in a deal to acquire Randy Foye and Mike Miller from Minnesota. 

Needless to say, this should be a disappointing move to many fans, especially since Ricky Rubio, a highly valued asset, was available at five.

Tangent alert!  Who did Wizards management think was not going to be there at five that they decided to make the Minny deal for prior to the draft?  In fact, any possibility prior to the draft of someone who had fallen to five (i.e. Rubio, Thabeet, Harden, Evans and even Curry) would have warranted far greater trade value than what the Wizards received in return.

Regardless of their draft trade blunder, the Wizards are still in fine shape to make a move for Boozer. 

Washington has already shown they are in win-now mode: They hired Flip Saunders (someone you hire for a contender, e.g. Detroit), they dealt the fifth pick in the draft, they haven’t given/ promised any of their youth (notably Young and McGee) consistent starters’ minutes, and have three veterans locked up for quite some time (Arenas, Jamison, and Butler).

Boozer would be an ideal fit at the four slot for this team.  Washington is perimeter heavy with Arenas, Jamison, and Butler looking to operate offensively around the arch, not to mention Foye, Young, and Miller off the bench doing much of the same. 

Boozer would be that anchor inside for them.  He could give Washington far more balance in their offense, forcing defenses to pay for doubling him with the aforementioned players hovering around the perimeter.

Personnel-wise, the Wizards also have a plethora of youth and favorable contracts to entice Utah.  Mike James and Mike Miller are both expiring contracts, and Nick Young, Randy Foye, JaVale McGee, Javaris Crittenton, Dominic McGuire, and Andray Blatche are just some of the young, expendable pieces Washington can offer in a trade.

Washington could offer the following proposal to acquire Boozer:

Andray Blatche, Nick Young, and Mike James for Carlos Boozer. 

The Jazz could have two nice young super subs at the wing and big slots off the bench who can further improve the future scope of this team. 

Meanwhile for Washington, they could start Arenas/Stevenson/Butler/Boozer/Haywood with Foye/Miller/McGuire/Jamison/McGee off the bench...can you say contender?

Washington may be reluctant to make a move for Boozer because of 2010 free agency.  If they do acquire Boozer, that would mean they will likely forgo the opportunity to land a more premier free agent such as Bosh or Stoudemire.

Two items that should dispel the above notion:

First, Boozer can actually be a better fit in Washington than either Bosh or Stoudemire.  Bosh operates mainly from the high post and requires more isolated options in the offense.  With the perimeter heavy Wizards, a low post option could be more effective. With Arenas and Butler, Washington does not need another player who requires isolation plays ran for him. 

Second, does Washington management really believe it will sign Stoudemire or Bosh?  Among the teams that will have ample cap room in 2010, why would either choose to sign in Washington over, say, Miami, New York, or even Chicago? 

The Heat are located in sunny Miami, and, of course, pairing up with Dwayne Wade is always enticing. 

The New York market gives you far more marketing/endorsement options (see Al Harrington’s Protégé and Stephon Marbury's Starbury as recent examples) and playing under Mike D’Antoni will grossly increase your personal statistics to first-round fantasy pick status. 

Finally, in Chicago, Bosh or Stoudemire could be part of the perfect situation.  Either player would be the main scorer on a contender and playing with one of the most talented and exciting rising point guards in the league, Derrick Rose.

Why should Bosh or Stoudemire stay away from Washington? 

The Wizards are in a moderate market (PR wise), it is not the most pleasant place in the U.S. (there’s a reason why they were once called the Bullets), and you may be as low as the third or fourth offensive option on the roster. 

Bosh or Stoudemire’s agents will never convince either one about Washington's attractiveness and will only have their client sign with the team if they overpay (in 1996, Juwan Howard was supposed to sign a ridiculous seven-year $101 million contract in Miami until it violated salary cap rules.  Washington then tried to out-nutty Miami by paying him $4 million more just to stay with the team).

For all these reasons and more, Washington should hold off on any Bosh/Stoudemire notions and pursue Boozer.

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls enjoyed a quasi-successful 2008-09 season and are seen by many pundits as a team on the rise. 

Chicago fans should still proceed with caution.  The Bulls vastly improved after the Andres Nocioni and Drew Gooden for John Salmons and Brad Miller trade, and did take the defending champion Boston Celtics to seven games, though that was without Kevin Garnett.

Still, the team has lost its top scoring option (Ben Gordon), and questions surrounding Luol Deng’s health, the progression of Tyrus Thomas, and Vinny Del Negro’s coaching methods are hazing the windy city.

The Bulls could either take a major leap this season or fight with about five teams (Atlanta, Miami, Washington, Philadelphia, Toronto, Detroit) for slots 4-8 in the East. 

The Bulls’ reluctance to offer an enticing package for Boozer, however, does have some more merit than Washington’s cautious behavior thus far.

Rose is an up-tempo point guard and could be better suited playing alongside big men who can run the floor and finish in transition.  A Stoudemire- or Bosh-type would be ideal for this system.

On the other hand, Joakim Noah is an athletic center and the rookie combination of James Johnson and Taj Gibson gives the Bulls enough athleticism off the bench for Chicago’s frontcourt. 

If the Bulls ultimately want playoff success (traditionally more of a halfcourt style), they may want to balance their big men with ample athleticism and muscle.  The Bulls would also be able to keep their expiring contracts (Brad Miller and Jerome James) and make a trade for Boozer, thus not forgoing their 2010 spending plans.

The Bulls could offer Ty Thomas and Kirk Hinrich in a trade for Boozer and next offseason use their expiring contracts to sign Rudy Gay. 

As enticing as pairing up Rose with either Stoudemire or Bosh sounds, adding Boozer and potentially Gay (he’d benefit in a more marketable city and should warrant around the amount the Bulls have to pay) is far more beneficial for this franchise.

In the end, Washington will probably be too focused monitoring Gilbert Arenas’ health status, and the Bulls will be centralizing their attention on acquiring Bosh or Stoudemire.

Most likely, both teams will miss out on Boozer and you’ll see the Jazz eventually settle for a less valuable trade with either Dallas or Miami.

Plenty of teams worry about possible chemistry issues, are afraid of missing the 2010 free agency party, overrate young projects, or are simply delusional.  

Many clubs commit all of the above.  This is why only one team realistic about their current roster and the future of the franchise will be smart enough to acquire Boozer when his value is at its lowest...as in right now.