Boozer Still Wants to Play for Team USA

DENVER -- Chris Bosh said his contract situation could prevent him from playing for Team USA in next year's World Championships. But another big man off the 2008 gold-medal winning Olympic team has no such reservations.

Utah forward Carlos Boozer told FanHouse on Wednesday morning he wants to play for Team USA in Turkey, and his contract situation has no bearing on it.

"I definitely would love to play if I get invited,'' said Boozer, a free agent next summer. "Not at all (will Boozer's contract situation affect his decision to play). If I've got a chance to put USA on my chest again, I'll do it in a heartbeat. The contract stuff will take care of itself.''

Boozer, whose Jazz open the season Wednesday night at Denver, is the second Jazz player off the Olympic team to express his desire to return. Guard Deron Williams did so publicly last month.

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo has said he will be talking to all the holdovers from the 2008 Olympic team this fall to gauge their interest in returning. Even though Boozer, who averaged 3.3 points in limited minutes in Beijing, wants to play, it is not a slam dunk he eventually will be selected for Turkey.

"If the top seven or eight players from the Olympic team all committed (to the Worlds), you're looking at Tayshaun (Prince) and (Carlos) Boozer... and Michael Redd. Those guys will have competition,'' Colangelo recently told FanHouse.

However, there's a chance some of the top players won't be available. Toronto's Bosh, who can become a free agent next summer, says his contract situation could take him out of the running. Cleveland's LeBron James and Miami's Dwyane Wade, who also can become free agents next summer, also are wavering in their commitments.

"Bosh, D. Wade, LeBron, you don't know what they're going to do. It's a big summer for them,'' said Williams, who welcomed the news Boozer wants to return to Team USA and said he hadn't talked to him about it.

Colengelo has said he plans to draw up a 25-man roster by late fall for the World Championships, although there could be some additions and deletions by next spring. Then, between 14 and 16 players from that roster will be invited to a training camp next July in Las Vegas, with 12 being picked for Turkey.

"I have no idea,'' said Boozer, who missed more than half of last season due to a knee injury, of there being a chance he wants to play but isn't selected. "If I've got the chance, I would love to do it again. ... Obviously, we'd love to win the gold medal. I'd love to go out there (to Turkey).''

Boozer said he hasn't spoken to Colangelo about his intentions. However, such a discussion is soon expected to occur.

Extension for Brewer?

While Boozer will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, Utah officials are focusing now on whether guard Ronnie Brewer will become a restricted free agent. If Brewer doesn't sign a contract extension by Saturday's deadline, that's what will happen.

Brewer said he's "definitely hopeful,'' a deal will get done, but he didn't want to put a percentage on the chances. He said his agent, Henry Thomas, is continuing to talk with Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor.

"Who knows?'' Brewer said about whether negotiations will go right up to Saturday's deadline. "They might not even have come up with a number yet. Who knows? But right now I'm focusing on the start of the season.''

Brewer said the process hasn't been a distraction. He was asked whether it's more important for get security now or, with the possibility of having a top season, perhaps making more money on a deal next summer.

"Both,'' said Brewer, entering his fourth season after averaging 13.7 points in 2008-09. "Either way. Security is cool. It allows you to play stress-free. But, at the same time, as a player you want to improve every year, and that's what I think I've been doing. And that's what I'm doing this year. If they don't (extend Brewer), I'm just going to have a better season than I had last year.''

In this tough economy, only four members of the 2006 draft class (Toronto's Andrea Bargnani, LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy of Portland and Oklahoma City's Thabo Sefolosha) so far have signed extensions. A agent representing a 2006 first-round pick told FanHouse earlier this week that Brewer, Memphis' Rudy Gay and Boston's Rajon Rondo are the only three players from the class still involved in serious negotiations.

"But I think a lot of guys, even if they don't get extensions now, their team is looking to re-up them at the end of the year because a lot of guys are key parts of (team's) plans,'' Brewer said. "Rudy Gay with Memphis and Rondo and Randy Foye. He got traded (from Minnesota to Washington last summer), but he's been having a pretty good career.''

O'Connor declined comment to FanHouse on how Brewer's negotiations are going. Thomas did not return a message.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com.