Miami targeting both Boozer and Odom
Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 3:46 am
Now, the Heat are working furiously to deliver Lamar Odom(notes) and Carlos Boozer(notes) to the shores of Biscayne Bay. The Heat are trying to sell Odom on a five-year, $34 million contract at the mid-level exception, and a league executive with knowledge of the talks says Miami has also hatched a three-way proposal with the Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies to secure Boozer.
The essentials of a possible deal would include Miami sending forward Udonis Haslem(notes) and Dorrell Wright to Utah. Because Memphis is under the cap, Utah could move Wright’s $2.8 million salary to the Grizzlies and save itself approximately $5.6 million with salary and luxury-tax payments. Memphis would probably get cash and picks for its trouble. The Heat would have to send one more small contract to make the math on the salary exchange work.
Miami could pay Boozer his $12.7 million salary this season and own his Bird rights to sign him to an extension next summer. Link