The Utah Jazz will match Portland's four-year, $32 million offer to restricted free agent Paul Millsap, ESPN.com reports.
Adding Millsap's new deal to their ledger puts Utah's payroll at approximately $80 million -- well over the luxury tax threshold of $71.15 million. But Utah can avoid paying the dollar-for-dollar penalty on salaries above the luxury tax limit by moving players between now and next February's trade deadline. There are a number of suitors interested in acquiring forward Carlos Boozer, who is attractive both for his all-star ability and his contract, which expires after the season. The problem will be moving Boozer without taking salaries back... which will require some... creativity.
A number of teams have shown interest in acquiring Boozer, including the Bulls, Heat and Knicks.
Portland's Next Move
This makes two strikes for Portland, who swung-and-missed on Hedo Turkoglu early in the free agent signing period. Their next move could be an offer to David Lee of the Knicks, but they might be wary of tying up their available cap space for another ten-day waiting period while Knick general manager Donnie Walsh decides whether or not to match. Free agent forward Lamar Odom could be another option. Or, the Blazers could explore the trade market -- the fact that they have salary cap space and are able to take back salaries in a deal gives them more flexibility to make trades than any other team.- Charlie Zegers
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