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In a wide ranging interview with KSL's Tom Kirkand, Miller Group CEO Greg Miller addressed Carlos Boozer's possible free agency.
In his last interview on ‘locker clean out' day, Boozer put the ball in the Jazz court saying he wanted to be back and viewed himself as a cornerstone of the team. Do you want to spend to keep Carlos?
Miller said, "We'd love to have Carlos here. Carlos is a very talented player. I think he would be one who would be considered a marquee player. But I do have concerns about Carlos' defense and I have some concerns about his ability to lead the team."
Boozer has until June 30th to ‘opt-out' of the final year of his Jazz contract (worth more than $12 million) and seek a long term deal in free agency.
In light of economy, does health of the Miller Group Automotive side affect business of the Jazz?
Miller said, "If the Jazz were a Toyota dealership, they would be our fourth largest Toyota dealership in terms of revenue. They (Jazz) are certainly the most high profile and they lend a lot of credibility to our organization and to the automotive side. But we have to make sure the automotive side does well."
Realizing this was a ridiculous season for Jazz injuries, what about the way the Jazz performed and finished worries you most
Miller said, "The thing that I'm most worried about is our toughness. I think we have very talented, capable players, we have respected players and players that know how to win. But I think there were elements of our team that left a bit to be desired."
In your economic model for the upcoming summer and next season, can and will you allow Jazz payroll to rise to the level of the NBA's luxury tax, something that's been absolutely out of the question in the past?
Miller said, "If we had to spend all the money and all the players with their options decided to come back... that would obviously put us in a luxury tax situation. If that were the case, we would be willing to go into the luxury tax realm."
Last week Memo was quoted on his website that "…I am among the top 8-10 centers in the league " but that he wanted to stay in Utah and he is willing to "make some sacrifices to stay here" willing to take $3-$5 million less than total worth of any new offer to make it happen…what do you think of that?
Miller said, "We'd love to have Memo here as well, we view those as encouraging words."
Paul Millsap made $797,000 this past season but his ship is about to come in, where does Millie fit in your immediate plans?
Miller said, "We would love to keep Paul on the team. We feel his development has been marvelous over the years. We think he has a great future ahead of him... we would not rule out paying luxury tax money to keep him."
Can you say there's no way you'll sell the team in the near future
Miller said, "I can say what has been said all along. The Utah Jazz will remain in Salt Lake City until or unless they become a burden to the rest of the organization. I have a responsibility, as CEO, to the 7,000 plus people to do the right thing. I would never want to let any one of our entities threaten the overall well-being of the organization. The good news is we've had tremendous support from our fans and our sponsors and the media. We've been able to pay our bills. Our season ticket renewals are some of the best in the league. As long as that continues to be the case and there's no economic threat, there's no reason to think the Jazz would ever leave."
