Recent comments by Jazz owner Larry Miller have apparently created the perception around the league that Andrei Kirilenko is available, resulting in numerous teams around the league calling the team's front office this week to inquire. Enough already, says Kevin O'Connor, the team's basketball operations senior vice president. From the Deseret News: "It's totally unwarranted," said O'Connor, the Jazz's basketball operations senior vice president. "So, let's put this to bed: We are not looking to trade Andrei Kirilenko. Period." ...So does this mean that AK-47 is unavailable? Maybe, maybe not. At the risk of splitting hairs, O'Connor said the team isn't "looking" to trade him, not that they won't should the right deal come along. So, hypothetically speaking, should a pro-active GM come along and put an offer on the table, the team could accept it without making O'Connor into a bold-faced liar. I don't necessarily believe that will happen, especially given the team's four-game winning stream, but anything is possible.
"I think the comments that Larry made - if you read the whole thing, I don't think it talked about trading him," O'Connor said. "It talked about him getting better and improving and playing up to the level that he's capable of."
The fact calls came, O'Connor added, only served to boost the Jazz's belief that their trust in the well-compensated Kirilenko is well-placed.
"It shows you interest level," he said. "It shows you what people think of him, too. So, that should tell us something."
(via utahjazzblog.net)
