Is Andrei Kirilenko ready to walk away from the Utah Jazz?

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Andrei Kirilenko said in an interview with a Russian newspaper published Thursday that he is willing to walk away from the $63 million left on his contract with the Utah Jazz.

"I am prepared to go without it,'' Kirilenko told the Sport Express newspaper. "This is a lot of money, even for an NBA club. So what. Maybe this money could go to pay for more players or for something else.

"I have never been unfair and I don't want to enjoy something that I don't deserve. Big money is obviously good, but I am prepared to make less. The size of my salary doesn't mean that much for me. The main thing is to play with a spark."

The interview is available at www.sport-express.ru and was translated from Russian by a Salt Lake Tribune staff member.

Even Kirilenko admits the chances of voiding the contract are small, and the Jazz expect him to report for training camp by Oct. 1.

It is the second time in three days Kirilenko has voiced his desire to move on, this time saying, "I am ready for anything. I just need to leave Utah Jazz." He said he is willing to be traded to any team, even one with a lackluster cast of coach and players.

"The only thing I'm not prepared for is if I'm told, 'Andrei, we want you to stay anyway,'" Kirilenko said. "I'm sure then the next season would be a repetition of the previous one, and what will the fans say then? How could you possibly rely on a player who wants to leave?"