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Interesting. Hughes for AK I could see, but the other trade scenarios seem less likely.
Some trades that might make sense?
Memphis could offer Mike Miller and Brian Cardinal
Clippers could offer Maggette and Tim Thomas
Cleveland could offer Hughes
New Jersey could offer Jefferson
Interesting. Hughes for AK I could see, but the other trade scenarios seem less likely.
Kirilenko's defense consists of getting taken off the dribble every time and hoping he can get a block from behind with his long arms. In other words, he gets a block or 2 a game but his defense blows.
Not to defend AK as a great defender, but he's not real quick and is often matched against much faster opponents who take advantage of the physicall mismatch to blow past him. That's part of the NBA game plan against guys with his size and speed.
It's to his credit that he doesn't always quit on the play and wi'll try to recover and block the shot from behind.
The Spurs defense in the playoffs basically took him out of the game both physically and mentally. It was a superb defensive plan IMO.
ak is a loser! a cry baby loser! making 60+ mil and still crying? those types dont need to be in the league.
Kirilenko is lucky Europeans cant play good defense.
No, i wouldn't. Duh.
But he would be great in Dallas or Boston. The guy has talent and could fit in any team, that lets him play his game.
My bad if I missed this earlier somewhere in the thread, but he says he's willing to drop his contract:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3029816
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Report: Kirilenko 'ready' to leave NBA, $63M contract
ESPN.com news services
Andrei Kirilenko is so prepared to leave the Utah Jazz, he's willing to forsake the remaining $63 million of his contract to play overseas.
According to a translation by The Salt Lake Tribune, Kirilenko said in an interview with the Russian newspaper Sport Express that he is prepared to go without the money remaining on his NBA contract to get away from the Jazz.
According to the Tribune, Kirilenko is quoted in the Russian newspaper as saying: "I just want to explain to everybody what I think and feel and that I could sacrifice my career with the NBA. The only thing I'm not prepared for is if I'm told, 'Andrei, we want you to stay anyway.' I'm sure then the next season would be a repe ion of the previous one, and what will the fans say then? How could you possibly rely on a player who wants to leave?"
Kirilenko, who is under contract through the 2010-11 season, told Sport Express he thinks the chances of his contract being voided are small. But he remains steadfast in his desire to leave Utah, even if it means playing on a worse team, NBA or otherwise.
"I have never been unfair and I don't want to enjoy something that I don't deserve," Kirilenko told Sport Express. "Big money is obviously good, but I am prepared to make less. The size of my salary doesn't mean that much for me. The main thing is to play with a spark."
He says he would like to play in Russia, although as long as he is under contract with Utah, that cannot happen as NBA and FIBA teams must honor each other's contracts. Kirilenko starred for CSKA Moscow in the Euroleague before coming to the NBA, but he says he'd also consider other European teams.
"I would like to be where I am needed and right now I feel that my country needs me," Kirilenko told Sport Express. "But I cannot exclude some European clubs. Trust me, I really am prepared to leave NBA. It certainly does not mean that I'm dying to go to Europe. I'm just ready."
Kirilenko could face a fine or suspension by the Jazz if he fails to report to camp on Oct. 1.
He contrasted his displeasure with Jazz coach Jerry Sloan with the experience he had with Russian coach David Blatt during the recent European Basketball Tournament. Russia won the tournament and Kirilenko was named MVP.
"Last year, we had a conversation with him," Kirilenko told Sport Express "and Sloan said, 'Andrei, if you don't like something about the way I conduct training you could always break the contract with the Jazz.' So that's exactly what I want to do now!"
Kirilenko doesn't want to lose another year or two playing for Sloan and told Sport Express he talked with Jazz owner Larry Miller while he was in Spain for the European Basketball Tournament.
"It seems like Larry understood me," Kirilenko said. "But he will make the final decision himself, obviously."
Well if he does that it would be a fair thing. The club saves a lot of money an can look for players who are better suited for their system and Kirilenko is able to play somewhere else. It is pretty much a win-win situation.
That said, Kirilenko to the Spurs for a reasonable contract would be great in my opinion. He is a good player. Of course no max player but he can help most of the teams in the NBA. His only problem was the huge contract he signed. He is more comfortable at the 4 and would work next to TD. Both are very good shot blockers and help defenders. A lineup of:
TD
Kirilenko
Bowen
Udoka
Parker
would be deadly defensively. I don't think it will happen though. It will be interesting where he lands.
Kirilenko would be a good long 3 for us, but he would have to be bought out, like StreakyShooter said. If he is bought out, he may get a pretty good deal again due to the ensuing bidding war (the Spurs would probably not enter that war).
edit: Kirilenko would be a good long 3 for us if he could stay in front of his man and never let his man slash through the middle.
Kirilenko's international game doesn't translate to the NBA. On the Russia NT he's the go-to-guy. But on the NBA he's too slow to defend SF's and too weak for PF's. I see him as a career backup PF playing 10-15 MPG and giving 3-4 rbs, 3-4 good fouls.
might be said the same thing of scola
You are right to a certain degree but I think that it is also a matter of how you use him. He had 3 great season between 03 and 06 where his averages were about: 16 PPG, 7,5 RPG, 3,5 APG AND about 3 BPG so I think he has the talent and the skill to do it in the NBA he was just overpaid and had a bad season. If you use him right and give him some confidence back I think he might really help a lot of teams. He is also just 26 years old. His main problem is to stay healthy and he does not have a good outside shot but other than that he is a good player.
It would be pretty ironic if Utah agreed to rescind the contract and he signs with Cleveland...
I would bet utah would make sure he would not be able to sign in the nba
I don't know the whole story between Kirilenko and Utah and that's why I won't put the crybaby label on Kirilenko before reasons why Kirilenko act like this are known.
Kirilenko main problem in Utah is that he doesn't play at his position. Kirilenko is a PF, not a SF. Just put Kirilenko at the PF spot and you will solve a lot of his troubles.
Where do you put Boozer?
That's why Kirilenko should be traded.
Kirilenko is the perfect Small ball 4.
Too bad he makes that much and has the mental strength of Rasho.
He's still trying to get out. He'll take anything.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....ap/index.html
Kirilenko still wants trade
Jazz forward has three years left on contract
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Disgruntled forward Andrei Kirilenko is apparently willing to accept any option that will get him away from Utah.
Whether he really has any choices will be up to the Jazz.
Kirilenko repeated his trade request to a Russian newspaper, saying he is unhappy playing the structured style Utah coach Jerry Sloan demands. Unfortunately for Kirilenko, the $86 million deal he signed three years ago has him under contract with the Jazz through 2011.
"For the past two years I've been going on the court and acting like a robot," Kirilenko told Russia's Sport-Express in a story published Friday. "When I signed my contract the future looked completely different -- I thought I would play, win and get pleasure from it. Unfortunately, this is out of the question now -- even in successful games. This is the worst feeling."
Kirilenko, who just led Russia to the European championship, said he is even considering leaving the NBA and signing with a European team. But he can't do that while Utah still holds his rights.
And the Jazz may not be very agreeable when Kirilenko's request is based primarily on his deteriorated relationship with Sloan, who is entering his 20th season as Utah's coach. The team's only comment since Kirilenko went public this week has been that he is under contract and expected to be there when practice begins on Oct. 2.
Even team owner Larry Miller, who is openly critical when he's not happy with a player, is not commenting on Kirilenko's request.
Unless Kirilenko and agent Marc Fleisher, who did not return messages Friday, can work out a buyout or persuade the Jazz to trade him, Kirilenko's only options will be to sit out or return for a seventh season in Utah.
"Anyway, while my contract with the Jazz is in place, I don't have the right to negotiate," Kirilenko said. "I think there will be offers. But it's meaningless to talk about that now."
Williams not worried about A.K.
By Loren Jorgensen
Deseret Morning News
Published: September 22, 2007
Andrei Kirilenko isn't talking, but one of his teammates was Friday.
In an interview on 1280 The Zone's "Big Show," Jazz point guard Deron Williams made it clear he thinks the Jazz need Kirilenko, but he also directed some criticism at the former All-Star who has made it known he wants out of Utah.
"It would definitely hurt us," Williams said of the possibility of losing Kirilenko. "But at the same time, you don't want to sit across in the locker room from somebody who doesn't want to be there."
Williams did say Kirilenko's recent comments are "just words" and that he expected his teammate to be in camp.
"He can be a special player for us," Williams said. "There's not too many guys in the NBA that can fill up a stat sheet like he can."
The third-year point guard, however, also alluded to Kirilenko's work ethic.
"You see guys, you see Booz (Carlos Boozer) after practice shooting for 25-30 minutes, you see Memo (Mehmet Okur) shooting for 20 minutes, you see all the rookies, the young guys, you see Hafa (Rafael Araujo) in there working, and you see Andrei being the first guy out the door," Williams said. "He's coming off a screen on one side, and Matt Harpring's coming off a screen on one side, who do you think you're gonna pass to? You think you're gonna pass to the guy you see working every day in the gym? Or you gonna pass to the guy who never works on his shot but wants to shoot ... "Kirilenko, apparently told by his agent to avoid any more interviews or controversy for the time being, has gone more than a day now without telling a Russian news agency about his desire to leave the Utah Jazz.
But the damage has been done. Kirilenko, in no uncertain terms, has said he doesn't want to play for the Jazz — or, more specifically, for Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. He would like to be traded to another NBA team, but if that doesn't happen, he told Russian newspaper Sport Express that he would be willing to walk away from his contract — a deal that still has four years and $63 million remaining on it.
Williams, however, doesn't see that happening.
"I don't see anybody walking away from $60 million," he said.
Kirilenko has also said he would be willing to stay and play in Europe, preferably his native Russia. He is a national hero there, especially after earning MVP honors in leading the Russians to their first European championship in 22 years last week. He can't simply walk away from his Jazz contract to play in Russia, however, since European pro teams are bound by FIBA bylaws. For him to play in Europe, there would have to be some sort of buyout or agreement with the Jazz.
Jazz fans' reactions — in comments on the Deseret Morning News' Web site and on other message boards and talk radio — have been mixed. Some blame Kirilenko and say he should grow up, accept his role for the Jazz, keep cashing paychecks and be quiet. Others lay the blame on Sloan for being unable to keep the former all-star happy and productive. Some feel the Jazz should simply let him out of his contract. Others feel the team needs to take a hard line and either have him play here or get value back in the form of a trade with another NBA team.
For now, the Jazz's stance has been that they expect Kirilenko to show up for training camp, which starts with media day Oct. 1 in Salt Lake City and with practices in Boise on Oct. 2. If he doesn't show, he can be fined by the team and/or suspended. If he refuses to show up and the Jazz don't let him out of his contract, they wouldn't have to pay him, but his contract would still count against the Jazz for salary-cap purposes.
While Kirilenko, thanks to his max-money contract, would be tough to trade due to salary cap and salary match concerns, it certainly wouldn't be impossible.
"I'm not looking to trade Andrei Kirilenko," Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor said on Wednesday. "That being said — if we can improve our team, we won't hesitate to make a deal."
http://deseretnews.com/article/conte...212283,00.html
You'll never see SA management on the wrong side of as bad a contract as this.
Dear Deron,
Thanks for lowering Kirilenko's trade value with your comments, it will really help us to get a good deal for him.
Signed : Utah Jazz front office.
ak really helped his trade value by playing like crap in the reg season, shriveling and crying in the PO's, then going to the media over the summer to cry about the coach who had the same job before he was born (hence, when he signed his contract).
and though i agree deron's comments dont help the situation, he is right- if any spur was planning his vacations before a series was over i'd want him off the team, and if your max player isnt setting an example to the rooks you cant expect to improve much.
stories like these make you appreciate our players even more.
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