Over the weekend Peter Vecsey snuck some Nets’ news in his article. Apparently Carlos Boozer has mentioned to people that two places he would want to land are Detroit and New Jersey:
Apparently, rising free agent-of-choice Carlos Boozer is telling confidants he’s either going to Detroit or New Jersey — only way the capsized Nets pull that off is by doing a sign-and-trade. Word has it Jersey will have but three assistants next season and all must take pay cuts.
This isn’t just Vescey talking about this, the Salt Lake Tribune talked about this as well. My opinion on the situation? It isn’t going to happen. The only way that the Nets can even dream of getting Boozer is with a sign and trade. Carlos Boozer is going to opt out of his contract (it hasn’t been made official yet, but Boozer has been hinting at it for a long time), that much is for sure. Now once he opts out, he is basically a free agent, and the Jazz would have to sign him again to deal him. If Boozer can get a better deal without resigning with the Jazz, why would he? Detroit seems like a much more realistic destination for Boozer. They can sign him without a trade, and they will have a need at that spot and the money to resign him (I strongly believe Sheed won’t be back in Detroit).
Now lets say that Boozer does opt out, and the Jazz resign him looking for a sign and trade. I still say the Nets are a long-shot to land Boozer. I think we don’t have enough attractive pieces to offer Utah. The Salt Lake Tribune say that a deal would have to involve one of two players:
Such a deal with New Jersey likely would have to be built around either Vince Carter, who has three years and $52 million left on the contract he signed in 2007, or Bobby Simmons, who will make $10.6 million in the final year of his contract.
I hate being such a pessimist about this (I would love to have Boozer on this team), and I hope I am proven wrong, but I just don’t see this happening. Especially when there are cheaper options at the PF position (Brandon Bass, Anderson Varajeo, Gortat, and a few others). Now granted, these players won’t be as good as Carlos Boozer, but they do fit in the Nets system (We need a rebounder and a defender more than a scorer) and we can get them without trading away anyone.