They couldn't have seemed any farther apart Wednesday, however, one day after Kirilenko wrote a blog post in Russia declaring that he wanted to leave the Jazz and had expressed that wish to Kevin O'Connor.

The Jazz were disappointed Kirilenko so publicly voiced his frustration, especially after the team signed him to a maximum six-year, $86 million extension in 2004 that was by no means a slam dunk.

Kirilenko is said to regard his relationship with Jazz coach Jerry Sloan as frayed. He kept quiet last season with the Jazz winning, otherwise his trade demand would have come before Tuesday.

The words in the blog were confirmed Wednesday as Kirilenko's. O'Connor, the Jazz's

senior vice president of basketball operations, declined to comment on whether he'd talked to Kirilenko or his representatives.

"I'd like to think Andrei recognizes that the Utah Jazz have helped him in his career,'' O'Connor said.

Kirilenko will report to camp, agent Marc Fleisher said, and the Jazz expect him to honor his contract, O'Connor said. A source said Kirilenko was due back in Salt Lake City on Sept. 29.

Masha Kirilenko wrote in an e-mail that her husband gave an interview to Russia's Sport Express newspaper that would be published in two days. Because of an exclusivity agreement, Andrei would not talk to reporters until the story is published.

The Jazz were said to have been offered several trade proposals for Kirilenko this summer. O'Connor declined to comment about whether he would honor the trade demand or if he was concerned about the precedent the Jazz would be setting in dealing a player at odds with Sloan.

"I think what we would be remiss in doing,'' O'Connor said, "is not exploring every option to make our team better, and that includes everybody and we've always talked about that."

The Jazz were unhappy Kirilenko chose to blame Sloan following the worst season of his career, considering Kirilenko was selected to the All-Star Game in 2004 while playing for Sloan.

In the blog post, Kirilenko credits Sloan but compares him unfavorably to Russian coach David Blatt. Kirilenko rekindled his love of basketball playing for Blatt, culminating in Russia's triumph and Kirilenko's MVP award at this month's European championships.

After coming home a national hero, Kirilenko has a hard time stomaching the thought of returning to Utah. His role on the team alongside Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer is not his problem as much as it is Sloan and a coaching style that he regards as too negative.

Sloan defined Kirilenko's role strictly in terms of rebounding and blocking shots, which left him largely a jump shooter in the offense. Even after working last summer on his shooting, Kirilenko suffered from a lack of confidence and struggled.

With Sloan returning for a 20th season, Kirilenko decided the only way things would change was a trade. The Jazz have given no indication they are willing to trade him, and how Sloan and Kirilenko would coexist was a question left unanswered Wednesday.

The Jazz, meanwhile, remember Kirilenko expressing his commitment to the team and his appreciation for Sloan before the decision was made to offer a maximum extension.

For his part, Kirilenko is open to being traded anywhere. As much as the blog post came as a bombshell, it was said to be the culmination of a summer's worth of conversations between Kirilenko's camp and the Jazz.

Assessing Kirilenko's value is difficult coming off a season in which he averaged 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds. The $63 million left on his contract would be a concern for any team hoping to stay beneath the NBA's luxury-tax threshold.

One general manager said Kirilenko's rift with Sloan would not be so easily explained away.

"People know Jerry Sloan and know what he stands for,'' said the GM, who could not be quoted by name because of NBA rules prohibiting commenting on another team's players. "It would be bothersome to know a guy couldn't play for him."

The general manager's verdict on Kirilenko: "He's a good player. He makes a lot of money, but he's a good player. He didn't have a great season. The question is can he get back to where he was."

rsiler@sltrib.com