pan6467

The Cavs held an option on Carlos Boozer for next year. The amount $695,000.

Carlos Boozer went to the Cavs, told them he really wanted to stay and loved Cleveland, BUt he knew he was worth more money and if the Cavs would offer him a multi-year contract he would sign.

The Cavs knowing Boozer was worth more knew they needed to make an offer, but they also realized by renegotiating Boozer could become a F/A. Cleveland sought Boozer's word that he would sign a deal with them, if they reopened in good faith negotiations. What the Cavs did was offered him the max they could to stay at sal cap level. The Cavs did all in good faith and offered all they could.

That total was 48 million over the next 5 years. They had Boozer's word he would sign with them. But he legally could not sign anything until July 14th.

Along come the Utah Jazz, they offer Boozer $68 Million over 6 years.

Boozer has now given his word to Utah that he will sign with them.

Boozer played the Cavs to get all he could but it wasn't enough. The Cavs could have had Boozer for 1 more season and traded him knowing they didn't re-negotiate his option. Although, next year after his option, Boozer would have been a "Larry Bird F/A" and the Cavs could match any offer, and not worry so much about the cap.

Now the Cavs are in a pickle, they can match Utah's offer but have to trade some people to make cap room, or lose the second best player and a player (along with King James) they had hoped to build on.

So what do the Cavs do? Trade away Z and others to keep Boozer or let Boozer go for nothing and try to find a F/A or trade as good as Boozer?

Either way Boozer gets what he wants and the Cavs are fucked.

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

Cross-Over

I agree, it sounds like total crap to me.

The Cavs chose Boozer in the draft after many, many teams passed over him. He frequently mentioned that as a reason why he would be loyal to the team. Fact is, the Cavs had no intention on letting him go. Sure they would have made off well only having to pay him a long term deal at the mid level exception, but he verbally agreed. Also, as previously mentioned, they could have paid him his low salary then eventually matched any offer at the end of next year. Shame on Boozer if the reports are accurate, this is a blow to the Cavs, the east, and the entire league as a whole.

djtestudo

Throw a water bottle at his Mom in the stands.

Someone at a Duke-Maryland game actually did that a couple years ago (not on purpose, but still). I would think that would be a worthy punishment.

__________________
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--Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

pan6467

I've lived through the Manny ordeal (his agent was a greedy fuck as shown on the ESPN documentary of what happened) and the Thome ordeal (Dolan was just cheap and Thome, a good union boy, took the more lucrative Philly offer because the union asked him to.)

But this Boozer deal just sucks. The man gave his word to the Cavs and they did all they could to show he was wanted.

It's like when Wells said he was signing with Phoenix then turned around and said the Yankees gave him a better offer.

All these guys are showing is that sports is about the money and not the team anymore. But ask Shaq, A-Rod (while on the Rangers) and others if putting money before team wins you anything.

Say what you will about JR. he has my undying respect because he said he wanted to play in Cincy and made it happen, by accepting the best offer Cincy could give him (even though other teams at the time would have offered more).

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

sixate

LINKY



Just when the Cavs were starting to build a team that I could get behind they prove, yet again, just how fucking stupid they are. I mean god damn, you had him under contract next year. All you had to do was give him the extension he wanted with a nice signing bonus to make up for the small amount of cash he was gonna make next year. Now, isn't that simple? Not for a retarded team like the Cavs...... Now they get nothing for the second best power forward in the East. Fucking idiots!! I don't blame Boozer for leaving. If you're a smart team you don't let him leave. You don't even think about giving him the opportunity to leave.

I have a feeling that I'm gonna be watching LeBron walk in 2 years and get nothing in return, also.

BigGov

The Cavs said they had a verbal agreement with Boozer, that they would not pick up his option and instead of paying him under a million, they would pay him over 6 million.

Now Boozer signs this deal with the Jazz.

He better really like that extra $27 million, because GM's don't appriciate being double crossed.

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One day an Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman walked into a pub together. They each bought a pint of Guinness. Just as they were about to enjoy their creamy beverage, three flies landed in each of their pints. The Englishman pushed his beer away in disgust. The Scotsman fished the fly out of his beer and continued drinking it, as if nothing had happened. The Irishman, too, picked the fly out of his drink but then held it out over the beer and yelled "SPIT IT OUT, SPIT IT OUT, YOU BASTARD!"

Halx

Merged...

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Kurant

Calm down!

The Cavs still have 15 days to counter the offer. I'm not sure they will though. Although, Boozer IMO would be absolutley stupid to sign with the Cavs for 6 more years. They cannot, and will not be able to afford LeBron in 2 years. Smart move IMO.

But, you can't blame anyone except the Cavs. They showed no intrest in picking up his option, and from what I read, showed no loyalty to him except a press statement. Correct me if I'm wrong, I really only read a few small things about it. If they were so commited to him, they woulda had a deal in place, and ready to sign instead of draggin' da feet.

BigGov

The Cavs aren't going to pick up the counter offer, it's $20 million more than they can afford...

And the Cavs are saying they had a deal in place already. They did not pick up the option because they felt it was unfair, and they offered him their mid-level exception, about $40 million over 6 years. Supposedly Boozer agreed to it. After the Cavs didn't pick up the option Utah swept in with the offer sheet and that is where we are now.

__________________
One day an Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman walked into a pub together. They each bought a pint of Guinness. Just as they were about to enjoy their creamy beverage, three flies landed in each of their pints. The Englishman pushed his beer away in disgust. The Scotsman fished the fly out of his beer and continued drinking it, as if nothing had happened. The Irishman, too, picked the fly out of his drink but then held it out over the beer and yelled "SPIT IT OUT, SPIT IT OUT, YOU BASTARD!"

pan6467

There wasn't much they could do. In order to do anything with his contract made him a F/A. By using the option and not re-negotiating you have a disgruntled player that wouldn't care. Catch-22.

He gave his word to the Cavs. and told them he was staying if they opened his contract. He deserved it.

The Cavs were played because the player seemed sincere and honest.

What this does is the next time a player wants to re-negotiate the team won't do it because of this.

As for Lebron, he's signed for 4 more years, and Gund who was ready to move the team to KC before he got Lebron, will spend whatever it takes to keep him. Lebron has to go through Larry Bird F/A first and Gund will sell every player he has to be able to afford Lebron.

Yes, it will look funny with only one player out there, but he'll be a Cav most if not all his career.

I think the Cavs would be idiots and sending a precedent if they match the offer.

Best thing is to walk away let Boozer go, and find a "real team player" to replace him.

This may slow the Cavs growth but won't stop it.

I just highly doubt they will ever try to renegotiate someone's contract again.

I also have a feeling there are going to be a lot of pissed owners and GM's who won't trust Utah.

I put most of the blame on Utah's owner for doing this. I feel once Boozer said he had a deal, it became unethical (not illegal, and ethics really have nothing to do with sports) for teams to talk to him.

How would Utah feel if a team had done it to them?

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

Rudel73

OMFG You people have NO idea how pissed i am! I just bought a 100 dollar replica boozer game jersey and split season tickets with my buddies just to watch BOOZER my favorite player on the cavs! THen he becomes this low life money grubbing whore! I hate him so much now! OMG i cant wait for the game that utah playes cleveland at cleveland! The booing with be nonstop!!! I was there when ricky williams of the celtics played the cavs at cleveland after he said cleveland was a blackhole, the booing was NONSTOP! Cleveland has the most loyal sports fans ever!!

Kurant

He may sell every player he has for Lebron?

Great, so now everyone will know Lebron is a money grubbing whore like Boozer is. COme on. There will be better teams, that can offer him as much, if not more then the Cavs can reguardless of who's on the team. You'll see, pull this thread up in 4 years. If Cuban is still an owner, you'll see what I'm talking about.

Reguardless, I think it's pretty chicken shit of Boozer to do. I actully thought it was a place he could really show how good he is.

Cross-Over

Financially, you are mistaken. If Lebron leaves, it wont be because other teams "can offer him as much, if not more". For example, the Lakers (Kobe's original team) maximum offer is higher than any other teams maximum offer at the same number of years. The way free agency is set up through the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Cavs will be able to offer King James the most loot when that time comes.

Keedo

They should have gotten a written agreement or picked up his option, boy did they screw up. And i am from Cleveland.

pan6467

Today's Plain Dealer (Best Damned paper in the nation):Boozer claims he never agreed to anything with the Cavs and never claimed he wanted to or was staying.

LINK: http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/plaind...1156312792.xml

+++++++++++ARTICLE++++++++++++

"I didn't make a prior agreement. And if I did, I would've stayed here."
Boozer fires back
Forward to sign with Utah Wednesday
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Branson Wright
Plain Dealer Reporter

Carlos Boozer has had enough of the character assassination that has pounded him since last week's announcement that the Utah Jazz have offered him $68 million over six years.

Boozer has been accused of lying and backstabbing the team and its fans because he allegedly told the Cavaliers he would remain in Cleveland. As a result, the organization allowed him to become a free agent, with the intent to sign him to the mid-level exemption of $42 million over six years.

According to sources within the Cavs' organization, Boozer told team officials that if they didn't pick up his option, he would sign with them.

Boozer, speaking exclusively to The Plain Dealer by telephone Monday, said that is not true and he wants to set the record straight.

"I didn't make a prior agreement. And if I did, I would've stayed here," Boozer said. "For them [Cavaliers] taking shots at my character is incredibly wrong, and I don't understand that. I thought I had a great relationship with them. Maybe they're trying to save face or trying to make up stuff and kill my character. And if that's the road they want to take, that's OK."

Everything was apparently fine when Cavs management met with Boozer, his wife CeCe and agent Rob Pelinka on June 30. These were friendlier times, when the two sides were prepared to talk about Boozer's future with the organization. The only thing that is clear about this meeting is that the Cavs decided not to pick up the option on the last year of Boozer's contract, which was worth about $700,000. This is where things get cloudy.

"I assumed they were going to pick up my option and work something out for the long term, but they went another route," Boozer said. "I was shocked that they didn't pick up my option. I left the meeting excited because this meant that I was going to get a long-term contract."

Boozer was surprised the Cavs didn't pick up his option because he said management gave him every indication in earlier informal conversations that they would.

So on June 30, according to Boozer, owner Gordon Gund and General Manager Jim Paxson asked him what was important to him. Boozer said that financial security and remaining in Cleveland were important.

"But during that meeting, it seemed like they were going down the road of wanting a commitment," Boozer said. "My agent pulled out the collective bargaining agreement, and he said that the rules don't allow a verbal or written agreement and everyone at the table understood that. During the course of that meeting, it was brought to my attention that [management] weren't going to pick up the option. They made that [decision] on their own."

Boozer said he had no idea why they Cavs didn't pick up the option.

"Maybe with me telling them that I wanted to be in Cleveland and wanting to have security could've made them believe I was going to sign with them, but that wasn't an agreement," Boozer said. "I never gave them my word, never signed a document and I never shook hands with the idea that I was going to sign."

The two parties met again on July 1. Boozer said this is when Paxson told him what the midlevel exemption was worth. During the Fourth of July weekend, Boozer met with Cavs management and they continued to discuss his future, and they talked about his role with the team. This was the turning point during the negotiations.

"During those conversations, I asked those guys about my role on the team, and I expressed to them the direction I wanted to go individually and with the team," Boozer said. "I wanted the chance to become an All-Star and some [in the meeting] didn't think I could accomplish that here. One primary person didn't believe I could."

That primary person, according to an unnamed source in a published report, is coach Paul Silas. From there, Boozer said he told the organization that he would explore his options.

"I called Paxson and Gordon and told them what was out there and the situation that was presented to me in Utah," Boozer said. "They told me 'You can't do this, you gave me your word.' I told them that I didn't give them my word. The only organization I gave my word to was Utah. I called [Utah GM] Kevin O'Connor and I told him that I accepted their offer and that's the only word I gave during this process. I plan to sign the offer sheet tomorrow."

Gund and Paxson were not available for comment. Silas was not available. He's in Oakland because of his mother's recent death.

The Cavs, apparently, have not given up. According to league sources, the team offered Boozer on Monday a one-year deal for $5 million. If Boozer accepts the offer, he would become a restricted free agent next season. Boozer doesn't believe the Cavs' sincerity.

"Why would they try to sign me?" Boozer said. "They've tried to demoralize me as a human being. They tried to depict me as a kind of guy that bamboozled people. They've lied and painted a picture that we had an illegal deal. They tried to say we had an oral agreement before July 1, and that didn't happen."

There also are rumors that Boozer wanted out of Cleveland because of some animosity toward LeBron James, and that he wanted to become the top gun.

"I'm not saying I want to be the man," Boozer said. "I'm going to Utah where Andrei Kirilenko is already an established All-Star in this league, and they have stud players like Matt Harpring and Mehmet Okur. I feel mature enough, educated about the game enough and good enough to take on more responsibility. . . . Obviously, there's no question that the man on the team is LeBron, and he's well-deserving of it. There's no way I would try to overshadow him."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sounds to me like he is trying to cover his ass and diffuse any fan retaliation. The fact of the matter is, when the Cavs and everyone was claiming he HAD given his word he said nada until now. He had all that time to deny everything and now a day before he decides to deny?

Also, sounds like he has animosity towards Silas and is wanting to be the man and knows he would be the Cavs Pippen to our MJ King James.

I have a feeling Boozer will be a bust in Utah and the Cavs will do just fine without him.

Also I heard on the radio last night that the NBA may fine Cleveland for what we did (opened negotiations). So we not only lose Boozer BUT we get fined ... ain't sports and F/A fucking grand?

I feel if the NBA fines Cleveland then the whole deal is void and Boozer is back wearing a Cavs uniform next season.

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

Mojo_PeiPei

Don't be scurred about a fine Pan, here in Minnesota we know all about that... thank you very much Joe Smith. And as if not having only one 1st round pick in the last four years (maybe 5) we pick Ndudi Ebi, boo.

I think Boozer will be a good fit on the Jazz however, as the things have unfolded in the last few weeks, they are going to have a pretty dirty front court.

__________________
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djtestudo

So...he wasn't ALLOWED to make a verbal commitment?

Fuckin' bullshit CBA.

__________________
"Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen."
--Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

Keedo

Yeap, Verbel Agreements are forbidden and finable (last time some one did it, they lost 5 first round draft picks, however later they were refunded 3).

I would be willing to bet almost every one makes them anyways.

pan6467

But the kicker is HE made a VERBAL with Utah to sign last week.

How is that ok but a verbal to the Cavs is wrong?

Damn greedy athletes.

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"