Boozer and Okur decide to stay with Jazz

(BOOZER, SEASON, GAMES, ASSISTS, LEVEL, PLAYED)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Utah Jazz starters Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur have decided not to opt out of their contracts to remain with the team for next season, the Jazz said on Tuesday.
Both players had early termination options and could have tested the NBA`s free-agency market, which opens on Wednesday.
Boozer appeared in only 37 games last season after suffering numerous injuries, but averaged 16.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a starting forward.
"We are excited that Carlos has decided to remain with the Jazz," Utah general manager Kevin O`Connor said in a statement on the team`s website (www.nba.com/jazz).
"We are hopeful he can continue to play at an All-Star level and will have an injury-free season."
An NBA All-Star in 2007 and 2008, Boozer also played on the gold-medal winning U.S. basketball team at the Beijing Olympics.
Turkey`s Okur played in 72 games for Utah and averaged 17.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists.
"He has clearly been an integral part of our success since his arrival and we are hopeful that he will continue to perform at such a high level in the future," O`Connor said of Okur.
(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
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