Gund: Trust with Boozer 'was broken' ESPN.com news services SALT LAKE CITY -- Cleveland forward Carlos Boozer has signed a multi-year offer sheet with the Utah Jazz that the Cavs, according to owner Gordon Gund, will not match. Detroit center Mehmet Okur also signed a multi-year offer sheet Wednesday with Utah, the Jazz, announced. Terms of the offers were not announced, though Boozer's has been widely reported to be a six-year deal worth $68 million. Okur's is reportedly worth $50 million over six years. The Cavs and Pistons have 15 days to match Utah's offers, but neither is expected to because they don't have enough money available under the salary cap. "Now it's up to the other team to make a decision," Jazz vice president Kevin O'Connor said. In a letter to Cleveland fans, Gund explained that the decision not to pick up Boozer's option on his Cleveland contract was his. The owner says he trusted Boozer would sign a long-term deal with the Cavaliers. Boozer's reputation has taken a beating in recent days after he spurned what the team said was a verbal agreement to come back to the Cavs. Boozer denied any agreement was in place, and a last-minute, one-year $5 million offer that would have made Boozer a free agent next year wasn't enough to keep him in Cleveland. "Up until late last week when the trust was broken, I believed in Carlos Boozer, the player, and Carlos Boozer, the person," Gund says on the Cavs' Web site. "That is why I tried to do what he said he wanted. We tried to do right by him, by the team and by you in trusting in his repeated insistence that if we showed him respect, he would show respect to us." SFX agent Rob Pelinka informed the NBA Players' Association on Monday that he had resigned as Boozer's agent, two league sources told ESPN Insider Chad Ford. According to sources, SFX and Pelinka grew increasingly concerned in the aftermath of the agreement that Boozer's betrayal would sully the reputation of the agency and prevent it from conducting good faith negotiations with league owners in the future. The Cavs had declined to exercise a $695,000 option on Boozer's contract -- thereby making him a restricted free agent -- in the belief he would accept a six-year, $41 million deal to remain in Cleveland. Boozer, the Cavs' second-round draft pick (No. 35 overall) in 2002, is coming off a breakout season in which he averaged 15.5 points and 11.4 rebounds. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
"In the final analysis, I decided to trust Carlos and show him the respect he asked for. He did not show that trust and respect in return." That is just ... ouch. Can't wait to see Boozer return to Cleveland. If only he had done this to Philly.
They're going to boo the hell out of him, and then he'll go on to dominate any scrub they decide to put on him.
Winners Carlos Boozer Utah Jazz Losers Jim Paxson Cleveland Caveliers Cleveland tried to get away with something, and got burned. Spin is a beautiful thing.
Wouldn't it be cool for Moore to do a documentary on this? Find out the exact facts from both parties and document it without a bias. It's hard to tell the facts just from one side. Cavs owner and GM are looking dumber and dumber by the day. This is definitely not the way to attract talents to your team! Just look at the Clippers yesterday. When the salary cap was announced to be lower than expected, Clippers immediately made a trade to get under the cap. They didn't tell Kobe that $12M is all they could offer under the cap. Instead, Cavs told Boozer all they could offer was MLE. There were no discussion of what Boozer's real market value is, nor how they should move the roster to clear more capspace make Boozer a better offer. So basically Boozer went to Cavs said he need financial security. Cavs calculated and said if we overpay you $4M this year, would you take a cheaper long term contract ($28M cheaper turned out)? Pure greed from both side...
Now I realize I can't blame Paxson anymore, it was owner's decision to give up Boozer's option. Gund is the real dumb decision maker. That is why Paxson won't get fired.
What makes this whole situation sad is that teams do royally screw players over. Here we have a case of a team not trying to screw a player over, but taking a huge risk to help the player (they were willing to do a one year deal on a wink-wink for next season). Then they get screwed by the player. Meanwhile, I am sure you have the Weisbrod's and Sterling's of the league pointing out that this is why they negotiate wihtout trust or good faith and this is why they treat players as nothing more than assets.
I have to disagree with this. Yes, Cleveland had something to gain by Boozer signing at a lower figure, but Gund clearly spelled it out in his letter today that Boozer was clearly told he could make more money by waiting one more year. This same chain of events from that meeting was told in an article a few days ago by someone else who supposedly was in the room. Gund's version has just a few more details, but the same sequence of events and discussions are there. The agent hasn't talked and Boozer claims he was prohibited by CBA from making a direct promise and that he didn't give any inidication that he would definitely sign with Cleveland. I don't pretend to know the integrity of anyone involved in this mess, but it sure seems highly unlikely the Cavs would take that risk without a good feeling that Boozer understood they would do it only if he would come back. Here's the part of Gund's letter that addresses Boozer being told of his market value: PS...there is no denying his agent was in the room as well. Even if the Cavs are lying and didn't give him his options for more money, don't you think his agent would be aware of better options that would net Boozer more money?
I can do that for you: Cut1: Boozer looked misarablly with his wife in a NBA players party. All players were talking about their mensions and bling-blings. Boozers wife complained about their paltry income, but followed with "but I still love you Calos." Cut2: Gund on vacation, extravaganza. Cut3: Gund and Paxon on phone with GM and owner buddies of NBA, looked happy. Paxon talked with agent of Boozer. Cut4: Media outcry broke out criticizing Boozer, his agent resigned. Cut5: Boozer practicing with anger. Cut6: Gund toasted champagn with some member of media and NBA folks. implication: Gund and rich folks screwed and demoralized Boozer. BTW, the above are all facts, so it's a documentary. No argument about it. Now how can these rick right-wingers not evil, my dear viewers.
LOL Moore could totally do that Anyway, Boozer were not financially secure before the Utah deal, while Gund is filthy rich. I guess that's probably why I tend to side with Boozer.
as much as i hate to say this, boozer looks good in a jazz uni. i just hope he plays as well in the powerhouse west. he will be playing wih the real BIG boys four times.. duncan, kg, yao, webber just to name a few.. i just noticed this, but the jazz unis has the same collar design as the rocs unis..
its like if your girlfriend goes to tennis camp for a month after promising not to cheat, then she calls up a week before its over to say that she met another guy. Man, does that hurt
Maybe Boozer scared that his 2003/2004 performance might turn out to be a fluke so he cashed. Not to even mention the possibility of injuries. Maybe he still resents he was chosen in the 2nd round. Aorund the NBA, his alleged sin will be forgiven and forgoten save for Cleveland Ohio. I bet Boozer may turn out to be marginally successful in Utah.
Hell he probably won't even know if we're booing him or not! He's used to hearing the old "BOOOOOOOOZE" chant, so it'll all sound the same to him!
Why you guys always want to made bad analog? It's like your girlfrient goes to tennis camp for a month after saying she loves you. Then she came back and say that she met another guy. She did not promise she will marry you.
so you're saying that making 700k a year does not constitute being financially secure? if you read the letter, gund clearly says that he told boozer multiple times that if he waited a year he would make ALOT MORE MONEY than if they redid his contract this year. boozer just got greedy and wanted the money now and didn't want to make a "paltry" 700k for next season.
