Bulls 09-10

[Dan Michler]

Bulls look pretty solid so far this year and have been fun to watch. We'll see how the circus trip out West goes this month.  Most surprising thing by far has been Joakim Noah. What got into him?  He's like a completely new player who is confident and assertive on the offensive end. His rebounding has been out of this world.  Deng is much improved and so is the team defense.  Looking forward to Salmons/Hinrich/Miller to get it going and solidify us as the #4 team in the East.  Add D.Wade to this team in 2010 and we are a contender, if not the favorite!

[Chainmeister]

Well Lovie and Jerry's prayers have been answered.  A day after their team looks so bad and sports radio is abuzz their failure Vinnie's boys have stolen the headlines with an historic choke job.  They blew a 35 point lead to the Kings this evening.   

[Dan Michler]

Hey, 3 in a row on the road vs. 3 playoff teams in the West.  @PHO, @HOU, @SA.  Things are looking up as Rose has elevated his game to a new level.

[pdga#7648]

this team is very talented. Rose's jump shot looks 100% better than last year, and Noah is turning into a NBA player. I like their chances of getting back into the playoffs, probably better than the #8 seed. Very strong road trip will help matters.

[Dan Michler]

Agreed, we have a great base for a championship team if we pick up a bigtime player in the 2010 free agent class.  Rose is averaging a 20 and 6 in his 2nd year.  This is a future superstar and top 3 point guard in the NBA.  Noah is the most improved player in the NBA, averaging 11 and 12 with great defense.  He's a top 5 center in the East right now.  Deng is a very servicable forward who can do everything well.  His length on defense gives other small forwards a lot of problems.  He can hit open jumpers and get to the rim.

Plug in LeBron, Wade, Bosh, or Joe Johnson onto this squad and I think we're the best team in the East right now.  Even Amare Stoudemire could make us a top 2 team in the East although I'm not quite sure about him.

From what I understand, we need to get rid of a Hinrich or Tyrus Thomas contract in exchange for an expiring contract to make this happen.  There are several contenders who could use another guard who can play defense like Hinrich this season, so I could see that happening.  I'm not extremely hopeful that LeBron or Wade are coming to Chicago, but I could see the Bulls having a realistic shot at Bosh, Johnson, or Amare.  Who knows, it will be entertaining to see how this turns out.  In the meantime I'd love to see the Bulls make at least the 2nd round of the playoffs this year.

[tacimala]

Bad news guys, Aaron Gray got traded.

[dana]

How about that Rose dunk against that white boy on the Suns?

RE: The Gray trade, do the Bulls really need another guard?  Speaking of guards, get rid of Pargo.

[Mike Clark]

RE: The Gray trade, do the Bulls really need another guard?  Speaking of guards, get rid of Pargo.

They do if they are getting ready to trade Hinrich. I hope Tyrus is part of the deal.

[Dan Michler]

Bulls got rid of Salmons' contract last night which clears enough cap room for the Bulls to sign 1 max contract free agent this summer.  This could be huge.  Right now the only teams capable of stealing away a bigtime free agent this summer are the Knicks, Bulls, Clippers, Nets, and Heat.  Possible targets for the Bulls are Wade, Bosh, and Joe Johnson.  Adding Wade or Bosh with Rose and Deng immediately makes the Bulls a top contender in the East alongside Cleveland and Orlando.

Unless Miami gets a top-tier free agent to come play with Wade, I can't understand why he would want to stay in Miami and keep playing for a .500 team in a half-empty stadium every night.  Why not go to Chicago (his hometown) and play for a Finals contender with one of the best point guards in the game for the next decade in front of a sellout crowd every night?  It just makes too much sense.

[Mike Clark]

Bulls got rid of Salmons' contract last night which clears enough cap room for the Bulls to sign 1 max contract free agent this summer.  This could be huge.  Right now the only teams capable of stealing away a bigtime free agent this summer are the Knicks, Bulls, Clippers, Nets, and Heat.  Possible targets for the Bulls are Wade, Bosh, and Joe Johnson.  Adding Wade or Bosh with Rose and Deng immediately makes the Bulls a top contender in the East alongside Cleveland and Orlando.

Unless Miami gets a top-tier free agent to come play with Wade, I can't understand why he would want to stay in Miami and keep playing for a .500 team in a half-empty stadium every night.  Why not go to Chicago (his hometown) and play for a Finals contender with one of the best point guards in the game for the next decade in front of a sellout crowd every night?  It just makes too much sense.

Do you or anyone else understand their math? According to my math they will have 35 million under next years expected cap and 45 million under the luxury tax threshold. Without Salmons and Thomas they only have 25 million under contract next year. A max contract is 18 million, maybe closer to 19 or 20 mil.. What are they going to do with the other 12 million. I think they had plenty of money to keep Salmons, who is very cheap and a good bench player, and sign a big time free agent. Even in a sign and trade they are crazy if they give anyone other than LeBron more than a max contract. No one else in this free agent class is worth the risk of more than a max contract. The others are barely worth the risk of a max contract. To give them more would be stupid.

My only guess is that they are really going after to 2 free agents this off season or they really think they can get LeBron. 2 max contracts would give them another 7 to 9 million to build a team with. Or give Lebron what it takes to get him and build with the rest. Either way is a win I think.

Maybe they are planning on keeping Tyrus Thomas around for 6.5 mil next year.

Help?

[pdga#7648]

Lebron will not go to Chicago, so scratch that thought. If he leaves Cleveland, he will be a Knick!
Wade on the other hand, will be the best fit for the Bulls. I don't think Bosh would fit in as well? Wade has no team in Miami, and like Dan stated, Rose and Wade along with Deng and Noah, they would contend for the East title.  Along with the biggest fact, again mentioned by Dannyboy, Wade's hometown is Chicago, I really think he will be in Chicago next season. Bulls fans can only hope!

[Dan Michler]

Mike, I think you are misunderstanding something based on your numbers.  Currently the Bulls payroll is 11.9 million over next year's salary cap.  Take off their expiring contracts and that gives them 15.5 mill to work with under the cap.  Not enough for a max contract.  Take off Salmons' 6.4 mill, and suddenly you have 21.9 mill of cap space for next season.  The 2nd link below is pretty cool and will give you a very clear picture of where each team stands.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nba/news/story?id=4922618

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine

I agree with Doug, LeBron is probably staying in Cleveland unless either the Nets or the Knicks end up signing a LeBron/Wade or LeBron/Bosh combo, which they both could potentially have the cap space to pull off.  Otherwise, why would LeBron leave Cleveland where he's comfortable and loved for another team that will have the same supporting cast problems he currently has in Cleveland?  If he wins a title with Jamison this year, there is no way LeBron is bolting.  I say he plays out the prime of his career with Cleveland.

[Dan Michler]

I just heard McGrady went to the Knicks.  The Knicks get rid of Jefferies/Hill, which is another 9 mill off their payroll next season.  From what I understand, the Knicks only have like 7 million committed for next season.  It definitely seems they are going all-out to make a big splash this summer.  Houston gets the Knicks next 2 1st round picks.  The way the Knicks looked against the Bulls the last 2 nights, that could end up translating into Evan Turner!  If the Knicks don't get LeBron, they may end up looking even stupider than they did when Isiah Thomas was their GM.

Tyrus Thomas to Charlotte.  Bulls get back a couple bench players with expiring contracts and a 1st round pick next year.  Charlotte is currently in position to make the playoffs, so its doubtful that will end up being a lottery pick.  We've definitely given up talent and depth for any potential playoff run this season.  I see us making a 1st round playoff exit again.  If we land Wade, its worth it.

[Chainmeister]

In 2006 Paxon picked LaMarcus Aldridge and traded him to Portland for Thomas.  A number 2 pick became a bust as it has now been traded to shed salary.  Would Aldridge have been traded for salary?  He has been an above average player but not a superstar. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/stats?playerId=2983  He is certainly worth more than the bag of balls that the Bulls got in return for Thomas.  This off season should either confirm Paxon as a shrewd player or he should be fired. He is on the line and nobody else.  With maximum contracts anybody who is in position to offer a max contract is in play.  A team must do two things. 1) have money available and 2) be attractive.  The Bulls appear to have accomplished number 1.  Now they have to show that they are number 2.  They seem better off than the Knicks.  The Bulls will not get Lebron. However, I cannot believe he would go to such a poorly run organization.  The question is whether the Bulls perceived to be any better of an organization by the players and their agents.  If so, they will be in play for a big time player. If not, they will be like the kid all dressed up for prom holding a corsage in one hand and himself in the other. What have they done in the past dozen years other than trading away Elton Brand, overpaying Heinrich and Deng, and blowing a draft pick on Tyrus Thomas, Eddy Curry and Chandler.  1)They won the lottery and didn't screw it up and bypass Derrick Rose. 2) They made a good pick on Noah in the first round and stuck by him while he slowlly developed. 3)they didn't fire Del Negro while the team floundered. I don't know if he will be the coach if they every become a powerhouse. However, he seems to have figured out how to win more games with the current cast and appears to have the team listening to him.  If I were a player I would be attracted to playing with Rose but would not think much of the organization.

[Mike Clark]

Mike, I think you are misunderstanding something based on your numbers.  Currently the Bulls payroll is 11.9 million over next year's salary cap.  Take off their expiring contracts and that gives them 15.5 mill to work with under the cap.  Not enough for a max contract.  Take off Salmons' 6.4 mill, and suddenly you have 21.9 mill of cap space for next season.  The 2nd link below is pretty cool and will give you a very clear picture of where each team stands.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nba/news/story?id=4922618

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine

I agree with Doug, LeBron is probably staying in Cleveland unless either the Nets or the Knicks end up signing a LeBron/Wade or LeBron/Bosh combo, which they both could potentially have the cap space to pull off.  Otherwise, why would LeBron leave Cleveland where he's comfortable and loved for another team that will have the same supporting cast problems he currently has in Cleveland?  If he wins a title with Jamison this year, there is no way LeBron is bolting.  I say he plays out the prime of his career with Cleveland.

I see where my mistake is now. Anything above the softcap can only be used to resign the teams own free agents. So the second free agent would have to come from a sign and trade more than likely today. During the off season it will cost a lot more in players to match salary. Plus I did not understand that the Bulls have to pay Tyrus the qualifying offer if no one offers him a contract. Salmons salary was not guaranteed but if he was healthy enough to play they have to play him. That is most of the missing money. But even if that is the case they could have kept Salmons and still have 20 million under the cap. They only have 37.7 mil on the books for next year with Salmons. The cap is 57.7mil I thought it was 60.9mil. That would only leave them 2 mil for about 2 or 3 more players but I think it would have been worth the gamble for 2 years. Same team minus Miller and Pargo plus the addition of one of the Big4 free agents. Would have sounded good to me. Maybe they could have brought Miller back for the NBA minimum.

Here is the link to the Bulls salary http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=9193

So the cap is 57.7mil. The math still does not work. I still see only see 37.7mil in salary, w/Salmons. That leaves 20mil. I do not understand the math. Without Salmons I see them at almost 26mil under the cap. Where is the 6mil dollars at? The 11mil that they are over that cap they are paying to players who are not even on the team. Jerome James 6.6mil and Tim Thomas 4.8mil. That cap money is gone next year. Who else do they owe money to?

If LeBron really wants to be the highest paid athlete in sports history or whatever he statement was a few years a go. IMO Chicago is the place to be. Jordan proved that. This is the place to be. There is no competition for the sports dollar in Chicago. The next great Chicago star is going to be treated like a King. LeBron would be an instant success here. My goodness the town is all up in arms about the Blackhawks. I love watching Hockey but in sports market the sport does not even compete. Imagine if Lebron won a NBA championship in Chicago. He will have to compete with all kinds of celebrities in NY not just sports. In Chitown he would instantly be #1. But that is up to him. Youngest of the group.

Wade is good choice. He has a lot of miles on that body at a young age. He night only be worth the money for the first 2 or 3 years at most. But that is true of Joe Johnson as well. His team sucks. The Heat will suck even if they do get 1 big time player. That whole team sucks besides Wade. They will still need to build a team around Wade and whoever they get. The Bulls are a lot closer to winning the Heat are. Probably closer than all of the listed free agent contenders. The Bulls are probably 1 piece away from being a serious contender. Risky for a long term Max contract. 28yo but has taking a beating over the years.

Joe Johnson: Same situation as Wade minus winning a championship. Older but I think Wade is probably playing about the same age. Risky for a long term Max contract. Oldest of the group at 30 going into the season. Stats show that NBA players performance drops pretty significantly after 32yo.

Chris Bosh: My only concern here is Power Forwards do not win NBA championships. Maybe being with Rose and the rest of the supporting cast it would be different. 2nd youngest of the group at 26yo by 6 months. Great investment for a max contract.

[Dan Michler]

All good points Dave!  The Bulls have really debacled things since 1998.

However, when comparing our organization to the Knicks, Nets, and Clippers, we come out looking not so bad!  And the fact remains that Chicago is a great place to play.  The fans are totally into it and the United Center is packed every night.  Don't think the players don't notice and care about that.  Its a hell of a lot more fun to play a home game in front of 25,000 instead of 12,000.  And as Clark said, Jordan proved that you can become a money-making sensation playing in Chicago.

[Mike Clark]

I need to learn to read better. I had thought that the NBA had made the cap official early this year at 57.7mil. After I read Dan's link  more closely I see that the cap can be anywhere from 50 to 53mil. That is stupid. I do not know how a team is supposed to prepare for the future when they do not even know how much money they have to work with. At least the Bulls have put themselves into the best position possible to get one of the top guys available. Maybe 2 with the right sign and trade deal. They have a lot of pieces to work with now.

Glad to see Tyrus went somewhere. What a continuation of a big mistake it would have been to pay him 6mil next year. That frees up money for another good player next year. Expiring contacts plus a draft pick to add to the bench. Not bad.

Paxson has done a good job of getting rid of some bad contracts. It just too bad that he made some of the choices that led to the bad contracts in the first place. He has been average at best. Player's attitudes have been as much of the problem as his decisions. Wallace, Thomas, Gordon come to mind first. At least he has been able to get rid of the garbage.

[Dan Michler]

Snuck into the playoffs.  I predict the Bulls do win 1 game against the Cavs.  I also predict that Orlando takes down Cleveland in the conference finals.  The West is pretty wide open, but I think the Lakers will come out on top.  The Spurs are my dark horse to make the Finals.  Orlando over the Lakers in the Finals, 4-2.

[philvb85]

Despite how much time I have invested this season going to games and watching them on t.v, part of me wanted them to miss the playoffs this year.  I know it is valuable experience for a team with a lot of young guys, but if we would have missed the playoffs we would have had a chance (albeit a small one) to keep our own draft pick.  It also would have made it a lot easier for management to fire Vinny this off season.  However, I also think we can steal a game or two from Cleveland, and I hope we can snag a decent coach and also that top-tier free agent we are going to need to break in to the upper echelon of Eastern Conference teams. 

[pdga#7648]

Snuck into the playoffs.  I predict the Bulls do win 1 game against the Cavs.  I also predict that Orlando takes down Cleveland in the conference finals.  The West is pretty wide open, but I think the Lakers will come out on top.  The Spurs are my dark horse to make the Finals.  Orlando over the Lakers in the Finals, 4-2.

I like your dark horse. Those old guys in San Antonio know how to win, and with Parker back, they could upset the Lakers in the conference finals. I think Lebron gets it done this year though. The Jamison pick up will be what they needed to get by Orlando. And enough to win it all.

The Bulls will win a game, but not more than that unless Lebron gets hurt or blinded somehow. Nice to see 2 years in a row in though. D Rose will get them past a 1st round  soon.