NBA Rumors: Carlos Boozer to Wait before Signing International Contract
Free agent Carlos Boozer is willing to wait till the start of the NBA season before heading to China, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported.
Earlier reports claimed that Boozer was considering a move to China if he did not get signed to a team in the offseason. Chinese teams, Sichuan Blue Whales and Shandong, are reportedly very interested in the veteran.
Kurt Helin with Pro Basketball Talk believes that Boozer still has a place in the NBA. Helin wrote:
"He can help a team on offense - he averaged 11.8 points while shooting 49.9 percent, and grabbing 6.8 rebounds a game last season for the Lakers. His PER of 16.8 is above the league average. He has value as a scoring big off the bench who can run the pick-and-pop."
His downside, however, is his defense. Boozer's lack of defensive skills can hurt a team, especially if they are playing against the league's best shooters.
"What Boozer scores on the offensive end, he quickly gives back on defense," one general manager said according to Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops.
In this past season with the Los Angeles Lakers, he averaged 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds. Boozer has played for three other teams throughout his career - the Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls. In his 13-year long career, he averaged 16.2 points and 9.5 rebounds.
