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I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

Sources: Boozer at heart of 3-team talks By Marc Stein and Chad Ford ESPN.com

Another major multi-team trade might be looming in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls having discussed a deal that would be headlined by Carlos Boozer and Kirk Hinrich, according to NBA front-office sources.

Sources stressed to ESPN.com on Thursday that no deal was imminent, but two sources with knowledge of the three-team proposal confirmed that there have been detailed talks aimed at landing Boozer in Chicago, Hinrich in Portland and Tyrus Thomas in Utah.

These trade discussions, sources said, are the byproduct of a hard push by the Jazz to move Boozer in an attempt to create the financial flexibility needed to comfortably re-sign restricted free agent Paul Millsap, along with Portland's ongoing attempts to cash in on its nearly $8 million in available salary-cap space after Hedo Turkoglu made an 11th-hour switch to sign with the Toronto Raptors.

Sources say that, as a result, Utah and Portland continue to explore trade scenarios with other teams.

One source close to the process on Friday identified two main obstacles to the aforementioned three-way deal. Concerned about the quality of its backcourt rotation if it has to surrender Hinrich with Thomas after losing Ben Gordon in free agency, Chicago would insist that the Blazers surrender young guard Jerryd Bayless, which Portland is reluctant to do.

If it can't get Bayless, Chicago might still be willing to substitute Tim Thomas for Tyrus Thomas in the deal, but sources say Utah would likely balk if Tyrus Thomas is not included.

For a time Wednesday, sources say Chicago was committed to participate in the four-team deal that ultimately sent Shawn Marion to Dallas, with Tim Thomas also headed for the Mavericks. One source with knowledge of the discussions said that the Bulls pulled Thomas out of that deal Wednesday night to plug him into another trade.

The Detroit Pistons, meanwhile, continue to be widely mentioned as a trade suitor for Boozer, but sources with knowledge of Detroit's thinking insisted again Friday that the Pistons will not join the trade bidding for the Team USA power forward because they think Tayshaun Prince and newly signed Charlie Villanueva will complement each other better than Boozer and Villanueva would.

When asked about the trade talks with the Blazers and Bulls, Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor declined comment in Friday's editions of the Salt Lake Tribune.

Bulls general manager Gar Forman did not offer specifics but told the Chicago Sun-Times: ''There are always conversations going on, and we'll continue to talk to teams to see if we can make ourselves better."

A deal headlined by Boozer and Hinrich would deliver the elite low-post scorer that the Bulls have been chasing for years while also positioning them to have significant salary-cap space for the summer of 2010 to court Chicago native Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh in free agency, thanks to Boozer's $12.7 million expiring contract.

Hinrich, meanwhile, is a lead guard that Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard has been known to covet for some time as a potential backcourt mate for Brandon Roy.

Other Blazers mentioned for possible inclusion in a Boozer deal include Travis Outlaw, Steve Blake and Martell Webster.

Even if a Boozer-to-Chicago concept goes no further, it is becoming increasingly evident that Utah is prepared to move Boozer immediately to ensure that it can re-sign Millsap.

Pritchard acknowledged Friday afternoon in a session with local reporters that he is also weighing whether to extend an offer sheet to Millsap, but he offered no timetable when asked how soon the Blazers will make their first splash of the offseason with that cap space.

"We're looking at all our options," Pritchard said. "We're excited about all the possibilities and maybe they happen tomorrow, maybe they happen in two months, maybe they happen at the trade deadline."

As for Millsap specifically, Pritchard said: "I wouldn't just say that we're just looking at him. We are talking with him. That I can verify. But he's not the only person we're talking to."

Pritchard also addressed a report in Thursday's Oregonian newspaper that talks negotiations on contract extensions for franchise cornerstones Roy and forward LaMarcus Aldridge have stalled.

"It's amicable," he said. "We plan to make it amicable. More importantly, Brandon and LaMarcus will be here for a long time."

After injuries restricted him to just 37 games last season, Boozer declined the option in his contract to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. It's believed that the Jazz are determined to keep Millsap but are concerned about the luxury-tax consequences of signing him to a long-term deal.

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

Update. It looks like the Bulls are the team that is holding things up with this deal:



Shouldn't the Bulls want to hang on to Tim Thomas' expiring contract? Im all for shipping Tyrus out. He is a restricted free agent next summer and I don't think the Bulls should even think about bringing him back. You might as well deal him now.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

Boozer will only be with the Bulls for one year. We can get a 16 - 8 guy after next season.

For next season, there isn't a 16-8 guy for less money and the Bulls have money to spend anyways.

In the messed up NBA, the biggest value in trades is the expiring contract and this is the most valuable season to have an expiring deal.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

So is this deal pretty much dead now?

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

With the re-signing of Lindsey Hunter, I think the Bulls have solidified their roster for the championship run.

So is this deal pretty much dead now?

Thank god.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

Yeah no need for this team to get a scoring option on the front court and in better position for 2010

How does this put the team in a better position for 2010?

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

It would give the Bulls $35-$39M to spend next summer even if the salary cap goes down as projected. That would put them in position to sign 2 full boat guys and some fillers.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

From earlier in the thread:

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

If he does not work out, then you don't resign him and you have the money available to sign 2 guys. If he does work out, then you still have the money to add another top level guy with him. How is there a down side? If Boozer sucks, then you have him for one year and are done with him.

If he works out, then all that means is we were able to squeeze a good year out of a player that has been constantly injured in his past. Then the front office will sign a fellow top-level player, only to eventually lose Boozer (because there is no way we get two straight solid years from him, IMO) and are now stuck with one player instead of two.

I dunno, I guess if the Bulls are comfortable with the risk then this is a moot point. I still contend, however, that there are cheaper players out there with similar skill and less injuries.

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

Latest has Boozer going to Miami and then Odom will sign with them as well. He'll make less then the 9 mill LA offered so that doesn't make much sense but it would make for a great, 2,3,4 combo for the Heat and the East would be even more stacked.

Carlos Boozer said Monday that he and the Jazz have "mutually agreed" to a trade, and it would be "a beautiful thing" if he wound up reunited with Olympic teammate Dwyane Wade on the Heat.

"We first came here for tax reasons and fell in love with it," Boozer told The Miami Herald. "We love the palm trees, the laid-back attitude, the sun, quality of life. It's like paradise here, and I would love to be part of the Heat. They're a very good team, and I'm real close to some of the guys. Dwyane and I started to get close at the Athens Olympics in 2004, and I'd love to play on his team. Plus, I already live here. I'm just waiting to see what happens."


John Hollinger
Reality Check: Boozer, Odom no help to Heat
"When I model it, adding Boozer does surprisingly little for the Heat's chances this year -- they already have a power forward who scores and doesn't defend, and Michael Beasley should be able to improve quite a bit on last year's output. Ditto for Lamar Odom, who is essentially a pure 4 in today's NBA.

If the Heat had another move up their sleeve involving Beasley that might change the picture substantially, but the two positions Miami really needs help are point guard and small forward; merely adding Boozer and Odom wouldn't change the picture on either front."