Carlos Boozer Announces the Obvious, Makes Utah Fret All the Same

Because of last season, every announcement a player makes with regard to his early termination option will get attention. Gilbert Arenas announced very early on that he'd be invoking his ETO last summer -- he did, and he received an almost no-brainer, big-dollar extension. Elton Brand and Baron Davis, however, kept mum or at least wishy-washy with regards to their own options. Most expected Brand to opt out with a Clippers extension already in place; Davis had been expected to keep his contract and wait a year for free agency. Of course, we all know how that turned out.

Carlos Boozer, who has missed most of the season with a strained quad, took Gil's path Wednesday by telling reporters he would be invoking his ETO this summer. It had been a no-brainer -- Boozer's set for $12.7 million next season, and he'll likely command $16 million or more in starting salary -- but the obviousness didn't stop for wringing a few hands in SLC, according to Ross Siler of the Salt Lake Tribune. Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor was taken aback by the pronouncement.

Did Boozer just state the obvious because he was asked? Or is the whole Paul Millsap emergence making 'Los feel unimportant? Not to hang a long-gone albatross around Boozer's neck, but the whole Gordon Gund fiasco serves as a reminder that this player isn't exactly the shining example of team loyalty.