AK-47 to Utah: I Want Out

After rekindling his love of basketball with the Russian national team at the European championships, Utah forward Andrei "AK-47" Kirilenko wrote a blog entry venting his frustration with coach Jerry Sloan and requesting a trade. Kirilenko, 26, took issue with Sloan's use of guilt as a motivating factor, maintaining the coach had a "negative impact" on him.

The Jazz may have difficulty trading Kirilenko; he is owed $63 million over the next four seasons. However, the athletic forward is determined to go. "I'm really hopeful that Utah Jazz leadership will understand that our relationship is over and it's time for us to part ways," he wrote. (More NBA stories.)