Cav back down on Boozer, forget about the trade with Cav

Boozer, Cavaliers ready to move on
Cavs' late offer rebuffed. Jazz's offer sheet official

By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal staff writer

The Utah Jazz fretted, the Cavaliers prepared to move on, Carlos Boozer got paid.

One of the most controversial contracts in NBA history closed a chapter shortly after midnight today when Boozer's six-year, $68 million offer sheet became official. A source close to Boozer confirmed the deal Tuesday night.

Once the NBA announces its salary cap, which will slightly affect the exact amount of Boozer's deal, the documents will be sent today to Gund Arena. The Cavaliers then will have 15 days to match the offer. Don't expect it to happen.

Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund is expected to make a statement today about the team's reaction and its intention to move on.

The Cavaliers did their due diligence in backing up their late one-year, $4.95 million contract offer issued to Boozer Monday. They felt it was a chance for Boozer to regain his reputation, damaged by the public perception he backed out of an understanding with the Cavaliers to earn $30 more million from the Jazz, while still having a chance to land an even bigger offer next summer.

Cavaliers general manager Jim Paxson and Gund made contact with Boozer and his wife, CeCe, by telephone or e-mail Tuesday in an attempt to earn an 11th-hour stay. It might have made the Jazz, who have been burned by restricted free agents in the recent past, a little nervous, but not too much.

The Boozers listened, might have even briefly discussed it, and then moved on anyway.

They were talking with the Cavaliers without the benefit of an agent after Rob Pelinka resigned as Boozer's representation under pressure from his company, SFX Sports Group. Boozer has not named a new agent and there is speculation they might rejoin Pelinka if he severs ties with SFX.

The only realistic way the Cavaliers could clear enough salary-cap space to match the offer would be to trade former All-Star center Zydrunas Ilgauskas away for virtually nothing in return, a low-paid player or draft picks. According to team sources, that will not happen.

Paxson would only say that the Cavaliers will "look at all our options and make the best decision for the team.'' Coach Paul Silas declined comment.

There have been rampant trade rumors surrounding Ilgauskas in recent days as there was speculation that the Cavaliers would use the veteran 7-foot-3 center as bait to replace Boozer. But sources say most of it is teams calling the Cavaliers, not the Cavaliers actively looking to move him.

One rumor that seemed to have national legs was one involving the Knicks and forward Kurt Thomas, but the sources report Paxson hasn't even talked to Knicks president Isiah Thomas since the Jazz announced they'd come to terms with Boozer.

According to sources, the Cavaliers are involved in trade talks, many surrounding Eric Williams in sign-and-trade packages. The Cavaliers might also consider moving guard Dajuan Wagner. The team has been reluctant to consider trading Ilgauskas, who is going into the final year of his contract, but might take more interest in offers in the wake of losing Boozer.

The team still has its mid-level exception, believed to be just under $5 million, and it's $1.6 million exception to sign free agents. The team is in need of a replacement for Boozer at power forward and might consider unrestricted free agent Vin Baker of the Knicks and lower-budget fill-ins like Gary Trent or Samaki Walker.