This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Will Andrei Kirilenko play overseas this season?It's an obvious option for Kirilenko, an unrestricted free agent after playing out a six-year, $86 million contract with the Jazz.Kirilenko has talked about playing in Russia, his homeland, or for teams in Europe. According to Marca.com, Kirilenko recently approached Spanish League power Real Madrid about a contract, but the club balked over his $5.8 million salary request.Kirilenko was paid $17.8 million last season, when injuries again limited his contribution to the Jazz. In 64 games, he averaged 11.7 points and 5.1 rebounds.Kirilenko has said all along his No. 1 career choice would be re-signing with Utah. It could happen, too, if he's willing to return for considerably less than what he is used to making in the NBA.On a team as young as the Jazz, a reasonably priced veteran like Kirilenko who knows Utah, knows coach Tyrone Corbin and knows the NBA could be valuable.— Steve Luhm