O'Connor quiet on Boozer's remarks News Detroit Pistons

Kevin O'Connor doesn't want to engage in a war of words. But the Jazz general manager suggested Saturday he didn't appreciate Carlos Boozer's appearance last week on a Chicago radio station in which he discussed trade prospects, including perhaps playing for the Bulls. "I can't speak for anybody," O'Connor said when asked about comments by Boozer, who is rumored to be on the trade block. "What I can say is if you're under contract, we're an organization that expects you come and fulfill your contract and play hard," he added.

"I'm not gonna get into a he-said, she-said kind of thing. But we expect any player that's under contract ? especially one that decided to opt in ? to come and compete." Boozer opted in late last month for the final year on his Jazz contract. Chicago and Miami remain possible trade destinations for Boozer, with New York an apparent long shot. Detroit, however, now seems out of the running. Yahoo.com reported Saturday that Knicks free agent power forward Chris Wilcox "will join free agents Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon on a remade Pistons roster." Added Yahoo NBA writer Adrian Wojnarowski: "Detroit had been pursued by Utah for a Boozer-Tayshaun Prince deal, but Pistons president Joe Dumars decided against it, sources said. Detroit hasn't been inclined to give Boozer a contract extension ? besides still deeply valuing Prince." Asked Saturday about a possible Boozer trade, O'Connor said, "If we can improve our team, we'll do that. If we can't improve our team, we're not gonna do that." MENDING FENCES: Immediately after he signed the four-year, $32 million offer sheet from Portland that Utah matched Friday, representatives of Jazz power forward Paul Millsap suggested he'd be better off with the Trail Blazers. Millsap, however, went to great lengths to distance himself from those remarks while speaking publicly about the match for the first time Saturday. "That's on them," he said of the business banter. "You know, I do my job on the court ? and I'll leave that to them. "You know, a lot of things were said that are not true. And things like that happen," Millsap added. "But it's also a business, and you have to keep a positive attitude about it." Whatever bridges may have been singed evidently have cooled. "What was said ? the posturing, what was said in between ? I don't think you heard any of it from our side," O'Connor said Saturday. "Business as usual. You move on." "For me it was never everything else (but business)," added Ara Vartanian, one of Millsap's reps. "It's one of those things where (Portland) wasn't ... a bad option. But obviously he fits in Utah." DeAngelo Simmons ? another Millsap rep, and his uncle ? readily concurred. "This is his home. He's been here three years," he said. "It's the known vs. the unknown. So, quite naturally he has mixed feelings. But his goal and intent was to stay here, and it's a good thing the Jazz stepped up and matched it." Added Simmons: "(The process) was more stressful for me than it was for (Millsap). He kept me calm a lot of times, so that was a good thing. He's a good kid that has life's perspective in place." VIVA VEGAS? Millsap on Saturday was waffling about taking part in a USA Basketball mini-camp for young national-team prospects that's scheduled for this week in Las Vegas. "It's not a for-sure for me right now," he said, citing "personal issues." "I would love to go out there and play, but I've got to work out some things over here first and then think about that." BREWER NEXT: One of the Jazz's next orders of business will be discussing a contract extension for starting shooting guard Ronnie Brewer. "We'll evaluate," O'Connor said. "We like what Ronnie's done, and certainly we'll have a conversation. But I think that conversation will be later on this summer. Now the next thing to do is talk about that." e-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com