As Kyle Korver opted against free agency Monday in favor of a return to the Jazz, speculation increased that Carlos Boozer might do the same, despite his declaration to the contrary in December.
Marc Fleisher, the agent for Mehmet Okur, said "as of last time I checked" nothing had changed in regard to Okur's intent to opt out. An ESPN.com report, meanwhile, suggested there was a "significant chance" Boozer would not opt out.
Boozer is due to make $12.7 million this season, with an already shallow pool of available free-agent money appearing to be shrinking. Boozer and Okur must make their decisions by today, with the free-agent negotiating period set to open at 10 p.m. tonight.
Only three teams -- Detroit, Oklahoma City and Memphis -- will have the salary-cap space to sign a big-ticket free agent. The Pistons, however, appear to have targeted Chicago guard Ben Gordon and Milwaukee forward Charlie Villanueva.
The Pistons' path to signing Villanueva became easier Monday when the Bucks declined to make a qualifying offer to Villanueva, leaving him an unrestricted free agent. How much interest Oklahoma City or Memphis has in Boozer is uncertain.
Barring a sign-and-trade deal in which the Jazz would want to participate, Boozer might be faced with settling for nothing more than the midlevel exception of about $5.5 million. Boozer had cited a desire for the security of a long-term contract.
"We're prepared for everything," Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor said.
By opting to return, Boozer's decision would have reverberations as the Jazz look to re-sign Paul Millsap. The Jazz's payroll would be climbing toward the luxury-tax threshold and the team might have to explore trading Boozer.
Boozer, a two-time All-Star, declared his intention to opt out in December, with little indication until now that things had changed. The Jazz, however, long questioned whether the market Boozer believed existed would materialize.
Korver will make $5.2 million, giving the Jazz approximately $52 million in commitments to nine players for this season. Should he return, Boozer's salary would push that number to $64.5 million, with the luxury tax expected to be set around $70 million.
Under that scenario, the Jazz would still face decisions about re-signing Millsap and/or Okur and would need to sign a third point guard.
After arriving in a December 2007 trade from Philadelphia for Gordan Giricek, Korver became an immediate fan favorite, such that his No. 26 jersey was the team's second-best seller behind only Deron Williams' No. 8.
Korver voiced a desire to stay in Utah after the season and went even further Monday, saying, "I would love things to work out where I finish my career here. Obviously, we've got to see what happens, but I'm excited to have another year of playing here."
The Jazz and Korver could revisit extension talks later this summer. In the meantime, Korver is determined to improve on a season that left him unfulfilled, averaging 9.0 points and shooting 38.6 percent from three-point range.
Asked if he was satisfied with his season, Korver said: "Not at all. I thought I played OK. I haven't been able to shoot the ball as well as I wanted to for a few reasons. But I'm excited about having a good summer to work and a good year next year."
Korver underwent wrist surgery in May -- he was back on the golf course Monday for the first time --and reported improvement in his shooting. "It feels so much better, so much stronger. I'm looking forward to being much more consistent," he said.
Korver will take part in a USA Basketball mini-camp next month in Las Vegas and will hold a joint charity event with Williams, benefiting their respective foundations, later this summer.
O'Connor said in a statement the Jazz valued Korver "both as a person and a player and are pleased he has shown a commitment to this organization." In a later interview, he added, "Look, he made a decision and we're happy to have him back but we're not talking long-term or short-term or anything."
O'Connor previously said the Jazz were prepared to make Millsap an offer at the start of free agency, which Millsap's agent, DeAngelo Simmons, took as an encouraging sign. "Hopefully, it's something satisfying," he said Monday.
Simmons added that the possibility of Boozer's return would not diminish interest on Millsap's part in returning. "No, I don't think there would be as long as everything is fair," Simmons said.
Pointing to favorable comparisons in terms of playoff experience and plus/minus numbers, Millsap is seeking a contract similar to that of New York forward David Lee and in the range of $10 million a season, according to Simmons.
"What it boils down to is just a lot of number-crunching and a lot of comparisons," Simmons said, "that puts you in the neighborhood of what we're looking for. He has strong numbers, very strong numbers."
Lee averaged 16.0 points and 11.7 rebounds last season, compared to 13.5 points and 8.6 rebounds for Millsap as a part-time starter.
Millsap has been a part of three playoff teams compared to none for Lee. The Jazz outscored teams by 266 points when Millsap was on the floor, while the Knicks were outscored by 198 with Lee.
"He's sacrificed his body," Simmons added of Millsap. "He's played hurt and a lot of players in the league won't do that. Hopefully, that carries weight. He's a stud and he's made a name for himself."
Millsap is expected to draw interest from Oklahoma City, as well as possibly Detroit and Portland.
