Carlos Boozer Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Carlos Boozer To Play In BIG3

January 25th, 2018 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Another noteworthy former NBA big man is making the transition to the BIG3 this summer, with the league announcing today (via Twitter) that Carlos Boozer will be a co-captain for the Ghost Ballers. That club is currently led by ex-NBA guards Mike Bibby and Ricky Davis.

The news comes just over a month after Boozer officially announced his retirement as an NBA player. Although the 36-year-old hadn’t played an NBA games since suiting up for the Lakers during the 2014/15 season, he had not formally signaled that he was ruling out a comeback until he did so in an ESPN appearance in December.

A two-time All-Star, Boozer played 13 total NBA seasons, averaging 16.2 PPG and 9.5 RPG in 861 total regular season contests for the Cavaliers, Jazz, Bulls, and Lakers. He also appeared in 83 total postseason games for Utah and Chicago. Boozer finished his playing career last season in China with the Guangdong Southern Tigers.

Boozer is the latest in a series of notable offseason player additions this winter by the BIG3, Ice Cube’s 3-on-3 league that played its first season in 2017. In addition to Boozer, former NBAers like Glen Davis, Nate Robinson, Baron Davis, and Jason Maxiell have signed on to play for various BIG3 clubs starting this June.

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Carlos Boozer

Carlos Boozer Announces Retirement

December 18th, 2017 at 4:57pm CST by clarkcrum

Two-time All-Star Carlos Boozer announced his retirement on ESPN this afternoon, per Dan Feldman of NBC Sports.

The Cavaliers drafted Boozer with the No. 35 overall pick in the 2002 draft, where he spent two seasons before controversially signing with the Jazz in the summer of 2004. In Utah, Boozer teamed with Deron Williams to form a potent one-two punch that saw the Jazz make the playoffs for four straight seasons from 2007 to 2010, including a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2007.

Boozer was traded to Chicago in the summer of 2010, where he was eventually released by the Bulls with the amnesty clause before the 2014/15 season. The Lakers claimed Boozer off waivers a couple of days later, leading to Boozer spending his final NBA season in Los Angeles, where he averaged a career-low 23.8 minutes per game.

Boozer then sat out the 2015/16 NBA season before spending the 2016/17 season with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association. Boozer finishes his NBA career with per game averages of 16.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists.

Carlos Boozer

Will The Heat Add To Their Roster?

March 20th, 2017 at 6:01pm CST by Milo Taibi

In the latest edition of his mailbag, Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel broached the subject of Miami adding depth to their shaky roster. As one of Winderman’s readers pointed out, the Heat are within striking distance of a playoff spot, but are missing several players due to injury. What’s more, they’ve committed a roster spot to Udonis Haslem– a great clubhouse presence who isn’t an in-game contributor at this point in his career. In response, Winderman wrote:

“The Heat, for at least another week, not only won’t be able to dress the allowable 13 players, but like Sunday, will only be able to dress 11. Yes, I appreciate the ‘we have enough’ mentality that coaches such as Erik Spoelstra stress. But having enough does not mean having the maximum possible resources in a playoff race that will make every game count. Whether it is signing Carlos Boozer back from China or adding a defensive wing, you raise a legitimate point. This team is hemorrhaging roster spots, and if the mantra is to be all-hands-on-deck, then playing with a full deck would be the best place to start.”

Now tied with Detroit for the eighth seed of the Eastern Conference, the Heat enter a vital stretch of their season without Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters, or Josh McRoberts. While the team could pursue Lance Stephenson, whose second 10-day contract in Minnesota recently expired, he won’t be playoff eligible. Aside from reaching out to Boozer, Winderman lists Okaro White– who is “hardly getting off the bench lately”- as a potential source of production.

Clippers, Heat Interested In Carlos Boozer

March 18th, 2017 at 7:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Veteran forward Carlos Boozer has piqued the interest of some NBA teams by leading his Chinese club to within a game of the league finals, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

A source with connections to basketball in China tells Stein that the Clippers and Heat are among the teams closely following Boozer’s exploits with the Guangdong Southern Tigers. Both teams have fully stocked rosters and would have to waive someone to make room for Boozer. The Heat have an obvious candidate as they are expected to seek a medical retirement for Chris Bosh at some point.

The 34-year-old Boozer last played in the NBA during the 2014/15 season, when he appeared in 71 games with the Lakers. He also spent time with the Cavaliers, Jazz and Bulls during a 13-year career.

Boozer would be eligible for the playoffs because he hasn’t been on another NBA roster this season. However, Guangdong’s success may work against him if the Chinese postseason lasts too long. Boozer must return to the United States and be signed by April 12th, the last day of the regular season, to participate in the playoffs.

International Notes: Boozer, Teodosic, Hollins

March 17th, 2017 at 11:26am CST by Luke Adams

Could a return to the NBA be in the cards for Carlos Boozer? According to ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter), the veteran big man is playing his way into contention for an NBA job. Boozer, who signed a deal last summer to play in China for the 2016/17 season, is a member of the Guangdong Southern Tigers, who are currently just one win away from a spot in the Chinese Basketball Association Finals.

Booazer, who is playing on a team with other former NBA players Donald Sloan and Yi Jianlian, has averaged 17.7 PPG and 10.6 RPG in 45 games for the Tigers this season. Still, it’s hard to imagine a current NBA contender clamoring to sign him when the CBA season ends, unless one of those teams suffers a frontcourt injury or two down the stretch.

Here are a few more updates and notes from international basketball leagues:

Nets general manager Sean Marks is headed overseas to scout a game between CSKA Moscow and Darussafaka Dogus on March 22, according to international basketball journalist David Pick (Twitter link). Standout CSKA guard Milos Teodosic, who has expressed a desire to make the leap to the NBA later this year, is one player Marks will likely have his eye on in that matchup.
Pick also notes (via Twitter) that former Pittsburgh guard Brad Wanamaker, who is currently playing for Darussafaka Dogus, has an NBA out in his deal. Wanamaker tells Pick that he met with Brett Brown last summer and was “real close” to signing with the Sixers.
Former NBA center Ryan Hollins, who was recently cut by CB Gran Canaria in Spain, is headed to Italy after agreeing to terms with Fiat Torino, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. If Hollins remains overseas for the rest of this season, it will be the first year he hasn’t played an NBA game since he entered the league as a second-round pick in 2006.
After receiving a pair of 10-day contracts from the Hornets earlier this year, rookie center Mike Tobey returned to the team’s D-League affiliate. However, Tobey has now left the Greensboro Swarm and signed with Valencia in Spain, as Chris Reichert of The Step Back tweets.

Carlos Boozer To Play In China

July 30th, 2016 at 5:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

NBA veteran Carlos Boozer will play in China next season, tweets international basketball writer David Pick. The 34-year-old power forward recently met with the coach of the Guangdong Tigers, who was visiting the United States.

Boozer had been hoping to return to the NBA, saying he was working out five to six days a week in an attempt to earn an invitation to training camp. He last played in the league in 2014/15, appearing in 71 games with the Lakers. Boozer said he believes his body benefited from a year away from the physical NBA game.

Boozer may try to catch on with an NBA team after his Chinese season is complete. Over his 13-year career, he averaged 16.2 points and 9.5 rebounds in 861 games. In addition to the Lakers, he played for the Cavaliers, Jazz and Bulls.

Carlos Boozer Eyeing NBA Return

June 30th, 2016 at 3:21pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Veteran forward Carlos Boozer is setting his sights on returning to the league next season, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports. Boozer last played in an NBA regular season game during the 2014/15 campaign when he made 71 appearances for the Lakers. The 34-year-old has been working out in Miami over the past year and hopes there’s an opportunity to land a bench role on a team where he can mentor younger players, the scribe adds.

“The previous season with the Lakers was a tough year,” Boozer told Wojnarowski “Kobe Bryant got hurt, Steve Nash went down and we had a young group still learning to win. I ended up taking the next year off, spent time with my kids and family and right now my body feels great. I feel terrific. I have been working out hard all year, and I miss the game. I want to play again.”

Boozer told the Vertical that he’s been working out five to six days a week and believes that his body has benefited from the rest of a year away from the NBA grind. The big man hopes he and his agent, Rob Pelinka, can identify potential contending teams that could use his skill set and experience. “I’ve been in the league for 13 years, and played in All-Star Games and been part of a gold-medal team in the Olympics [in 2008], and I think that I can be a help in a mentoring role,” Boozer continued. “I think I can help some younger guys. I’ve played against Karl Malone and Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan and picked up a lot of things that can be helpful to young guys. I really like the opportunity of having a role on a team where I can give back on the knowledge that I’ve gained through the years.”

In 861 career regular season games Boozer has averaged 16.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists to go along with a shooting line of .521/.071/.722.

Carlos Boozer

Bucks, Carlos Boozer Have Second Meeting

January 5th, 2016 at 3:23pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bucks and Carlos Boozer met again recently, following up on the visit Boozer reportedly had with GM John Hammond and coach Jason Kidd in mid-December, sources told Sam Amico of Amico Hoops. Milwaukee has apparently backed off its interest in trading for Caron Butler, but it seems as though the team remains in the market for a veteran. Boozer has languished in free agency since the summer, despite reports that a litany of NBA teams were eyeing him over the offseason.

Kidd, who’s calling the shots on player personnel for the Bucks, as Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times told us, took a leave of absence to undergo hip surgery shortly after the first meeting with Boozer. It’s unclear how much input he has on the team’s decision-making while he’s away, though interim coach Joe Prunty said recently that he and his staff were in close contact with Kidd. The Bucks have continued to falter since Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reported the original meeting with Boozer on December 17th, going 4-5 since that date. Milwaukee is 14-22 and five and a half games out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Bucks are without much roster flexibility, since they have 15 fully guaranteed contracts, though they have a $1.664MM sliver of the mid-level exception left over if Boozer, a 13-year veteran, demands more than the minimum salary, which for him would be $1,499,187. The Clippers, Knicks, Rockets, Mavericks, Spurs, Raptors, Pelicans, Nuggets, Nets, Lakers and Heat all reportedly had interest in the offseason.

Bucks Meet With Carlos Boozer

December 17th, 2015 at 2:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

Bucks management and Carlos Boozer have met about the possibility of a deal, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Sources who spoke with Charania described the tone of the meeting as positive. Boozer has lingered in free agency since going unsigned over the offseason. The meeting took place in Los Angeles, with GM John Hammond and coach Jason Kidd in attendance, Charania adds (on Twitter).

It’s the latest signal of the organization’s desire to add veterans to the roster a few nights after four Bucks players were observed partying at a Los Angeles strip club in the wee hours of the morning on the day of the team’s loss to the Lakers. Milwaukee is also the likely destination for Wisconsin native Caron Butler, whom the Kings have promised to trade, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported Wednesday.

Boozer, 34, apparently drew interest from no shortage of teams over the summer, with reports citing the Clippers, Knicks, Rockets, Mavericks, Spurs, Raptors, Pelicans, Nuggets, Nets, Lakers and Heat among those eyeing the Rob Pelinka client. Still, Boozer held off, with his market value seemingly having taken a hit since the 2014 offseason, when the Lakers bid $3.251MM to claim him off amnesty waivers from the Bulls.

The Bucks can’t give him any more than the $1.664MM sliver of the room exception left over from signing Chris Copeland to his one-year, $1.15MM deal over the summer, though it would pay Boozer more than a prorated veteran’s minimum deal would. Still, it’s uncommon for any free agent to sign for more than the minimum salary during the season.

A Boozer signing would make it two years in a row that the Bucks picked up a well-known veteran free agent power forward in the middle of the season. Kenyon Martin signed a pair of 10-day contracts last winter and a deal that covered the rest of 2014/15. However, he didn’t last quite that long on the Bucks roster, in spite of his relationship with Kidd, as Milwaukee waived him at the trade deadline.

The team already has 15 players on its roster, and all of them have fully guaranteed contracts, so Milwaukee would have to make a corresponding move to add Boozer. However, the Butler news and Stein’s report from last week that the team is willing to deal Miles Plumlee, one of the players who was later seen at the strip club, indicate that the Bucks are unafraid of a shakeup after a disappointing 10-17 start.

Do you think Boozer could help the Bucks? Leave a comment to let us know.

Carlos Boozer Unlikely To Sign Before Season Starts

August 28th, 2015 at 1:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

Carlos Boozer is likely to remain unsigned for the rest of the offseason and instead seek a deal with a playoff contender after the season starts, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Thus, it appears as though the 13-year veteran simply isn’t seeing an offer that he likes for now, though it casts doubt on the idea that he would bite on apparent interest from the Chinese league, an option that had reportedly intrigued him earlier this month.

Boozer, who turns 34 in November, made $16.8MM combined last season from the Bulls, who waived him via the amnesty clause in July 2014, and the Lakers, who submitted a partial claim of $3.251MM to snag him off waivers. He’d be hard-pressed to make even the amount of that amnesty claim on an NBA contract this season, simply because most teams have no more than the $2.814MM room exception to spend. The Mavericks, one of the latest three NBA teams reported to have interest in him, have only the room exception to use, while the Knicks, another of those interested parties, are limited to the minimum. The Rockets have more than $2.274MM left of their mid-level exception, but using it would impose a hard cap on them, and they still have yet to sign No. 32 overall pick Montrezl Harrell. The Spurs, Raptors, Pelicans, Nuggets, Nets, Lakers and Heat were reportedly interested in the Rob Pelinka client earlier this summer, but none of them have the capacity to give him as much as the Lakers paid for him last year. The Lakers renounced their Bird rights to him last month.

The two-time All-Star put up 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in 2012/13, but his numbers have declined in each of the two seasons since, and his 6.8 boards and 23.8 minutes per contest last season were career lows. Former Nets executive Bobby Marks wouldn’t be surprised if Boozer waited until Christmas to sign (Twitter link). I’d speculate that a decent chance exists that he stays on the market even longer. Ray Allen and Jermaine O’Neal, two other aging former All-Stars, chose to carry on as free agents into the season last year but never wound up signing.

What do you think Boozer will end up doing? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.