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What to do with AK?
Posted by: Adam Mason on July 7th, 2010
The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of the Utah Jazz.With Boozer now signing with the Bulls, does AK become even more important? He’s due to make $17.8 million next year and we all know that his contract was a huge reason, if not the reason, Booze did re-sign. So what should we do with AK’s contract? He was already a very important part of the offense with knowing how to run it and his abililty to pass. With Booze gone and no one likely to come via free agency he might just play a…gulp…more pivotal part of the offense.
The Jazz organization apparently wants Andrei back because they don’t want him to play in the World Championships to rest his injuries. Now whether that is because they want a good full season out of him or have him come back to build his stock in order to get better pieces in a trade, I really don’t know. His expiring contract becomes very attractive to some suitors.
Trading AK would be harder than some might think. Remember if you move a player you have be within 20% of the contract. So if you trade someone player for player you can only be over or under by that much. The only way to really just dump money or a contract is to add a third team into your trade. So AK is due to make $17.8 million next year, which means if we would trade AK straight up for another player to shed salary we would need to take on a contract(s) that is $14.2 million. So, in all honesty, we’re really not saving much, unless that third team is involved.
Still having said that though last year when the Jazz started turning their season around it was because of the emergence of AK. Dating back to his first starting job against Miami on January 11 all the way to March 10 against the Pistons Andrei played in a total of 24 games. He averaged 13.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. I know, not great numbers and definitely not a max contract type player, but a good MLE type player. Most importantly we had a 20-4 record in that span. When he didn’t play, after he won his starting job back, the Jazz went 12-7. There’s no doubt he is the ultimate X-Factor for us. Deron even said the Jazz needed AK because not even he “can do what Andrei does on the floor.”
Are the Jazz content to just let AK’s contract expire after this season in hopes of signing him to a full MLE or something of that nature? Some may wonder as to what AK will think when he realizes that he won’t be worth that much again, because I have heard this from people. AK already realizes he’s not worth that much money and won’t get that much again. Check out this article that was written on him in January, where he says he knows his money will come down. http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/01/19/money-not-an-issue-as-kirilenko-wants-to-remain-with-jazz
He even says that re-signing with the Jazz will be his top priority. Now I’m not saying that AK is our answer and he’s going to save our season now that Boozer is gone. I’m really not even sure I would care if he was traded just so his contract could come off the books. However, you will NOT find a player like AK in free agency. So what should the Jazz do with his contract? They have some reasons to keep it, but they also have some reasons to trade it.
Replies: 6
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6 Responses
I like AK at 6-7.5 Million a year. If we could re-sign him to something that then im fine with it but in truth he is a solid all around player who will NEVER stay healthy and play to his potential. I would love to trade him for other expiring contracts if in the end the trade would make us better. But i do not want to deal AK for non-expiring contracts unless we get a good young player or players in return because i would love the Jazz to be big players next year in FA and we could really make our team better next off-season then the teams we have had with Boozer.
that post of mine made no sense. ha, sry.
I think AK is a great player, when he’s healthy. He’s had struggles and his value has gone down. I think i’d be ok to sign him for around $10 mill. You can’t drop him over 10 mill between contracts. That still saves us $7 mill for the 2011-12 season, that allows us to sign a decent player.
I say keep him. I think he’ll stay more healthy this next season and play better, now that Boozer is gone he knows he has to step up to what he once was.
I also say keep him he’s been a horse on d-fence ever since he was a rookie allowing a defensive player like him to walk would be disasterous. AK’s offense has been a little shaky but as he continues to work with Hornacek he has improved putting to practice what he’s learned takes time. Rolling him into a 11 mil 5 yr deal would be a decent option but limits getting a better option without a buyout of his contract. Still he is better with us than against us.
AK is the Jazz X-factor. He is exactly what we need to facilitate our young team this coming season. Though, pay him half of what he’s making.
I think the Jazz will attempt to move him between now and the trade deadline. I’ve heard Phoenix is very interested in acquiring Kirilenko, and that the Jazz might be willing to take a trade exemption in return. AK is a injury prone guy, and I don’t think the franchise really views him as a cornerstone of their future.