According to Espn.com, the Utah Jazz will match the four-year, $32 million offer the Portland Trail Blazers Paul Millsap. The information was posted on the team’s Web site and a league source confirmed to ESPN.com Thursday evening.
Under the terms of the contract, the Jazz, which stated all summer that it would match any offer Millsap received, will have to pay the 24-year-old forward $10.3 million this weekend. Portland had front-loaded the contract to discourage Utah from matching.
A formal announcement is scheduled for today (Fri., Jul. 17), the last day Utah can match the Portland offer.
Utah’s decision is likely to set in motion a string of moves by both teams. The Jazz, whose payroll will balloon to roughly $80 million, will continue trying to trade All-Star forward Carlos Boozer. If the Jazz don’t move Boozer before next season’s February trade deadline, they will have to pay a luxury tax of about $11 million.
The team recently told Boozer, who will make $12.7 million this season, that he is not in its long-term plans, and Boozer responded by telling the Jazz to trade him. Chicago, Miami and New York are among the most interested teams.
Information from Espn.com and the Associated Press contributed to this report.