chicago bulls - inspired by rollie fingaz

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cranrab

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i'm not a bulls fan. but i have no problem admitting that i admire some aspects of their style of play.

with the young nucleus they have and the 9th pick, they could make a large stride this off season.

here are the core players i would keep and try to build around:

1) kirk hinrich
2) luol deng
3) tyrus thomas
4) chris duhon
5) thabo sefolosha (yes, i know he's a euro)
6) andres nocioni (yes, he's a transplanted italian)

here are the players i consider expendable and non-vital to the bulls success. this is NOT a condemnation of their abilities, just my opinion that the bulls wouldn't miss a blink if they packaged these players in a trade scenario:

a) viktor khryapa (OK, i DO think that this euro DOES suck)
b) andre barrett
c) adrian griffin
d) mike sweetney
e) malik allen

here are the remaining players that could be very attractive trade bait:

pj brown - a solid contributor at PF that deserves a better fate. talented player, but not a good fit in chicago's style.

ben wallace - a known quantity. strong rebounder and decent defender, but offensive liability and poor FT shooter. the pistons could hide him well because they had 4 players on the floor with him at the same time who could score the ball. the bulls can only put 2 legit scoring threats on the floor with ben wallace at any given time. solid contributor, but not a good fit IMO.

ben gordon - undersized euro scorer. aside from scoring, doesn't bring much to the table. i say trade him NOW, while his trade value is high. i'm sure there are plenty of suckers who have bought into his illusion.
 
Wow..I'm glad I could be an inspiration.

Right off top, the Bulls were screaming for scoring out of the post. The name that I heard pop up the most was Rashard Lewis in Seattle. The Bulls have an expiring contracts (in PJ Brown and Nocioni) and a high draft pick.

Peep what I read on the Bulls on Realgm.com:

Unscram-bull-ing Chicago’s Off-Season
Authored by Brent Diggins - 23rd May, 2007 - 8:01 pm

The Chicago Bulls have three primary decisions this off-season: their front line, Andres Nocioni and Ben Gordon. These three concerns tie directly into each other making this off season one of the most critical in franchise history. What the Bulls do this summer will directly factor into the decisions made next year and the path that the team takes going into the future. Making the wrong decisions this off season, has the potential to set the franchise back into the mediocrity that they’ve been familiar with since Michael Jordan’s retirement. Let’s examine this summer’s issues and how they will affect the Chicago Bulls going into next season and, in many ways more importantly, next off-season.

Spending and Salary Cap Overview: Everything that the Bulls will do revolves around their salary cap and spending concerns. It must be said, that the Bulls don’t have the spending power that the Knicks, Mavericks and Lakers do, but are like a majority of teams laying in that 60-70 million dollar range so keep that in mind.

They currently have $46.7 million locked into next year’s salaries, with Michael Sweetney owning a qualifying offer of $3.6 million. Don’t expect them to pick up Sweetney’s contract, a player they have not been high on during his tenure. That will leave them approximately $11 million on the seven remaining open roster spots if they want to come in under the salary cap. The decision of whether to come in under the salary cap for next year is a major decision as they surely won’t enjoy that luxury once they have to resign their marquee free agents next off-season. If they do decide to go over, they will likely ring in around $65-70 million. It would be completely shocking, and unprecedented in Bulls’ history, to see them pursue a major free agent that would bring their payroll over $80 million.

The Front Line: Every basketball aficionado can tell you that the Bulls need to improve their front line. They have little low post offense and are undersized. With P.J. Brown, Andres Nocioni, Malik Allen, Martians Andriuskevicius (yeah, him) and Michael Sweetney entering free agency, they are currently left with only Ben Wallace and Tyrus Thomas, neither of whom are low post scoring threats.

Andres Nocioni and P.J. Brown: To bolster that front line, the Bulls would love to have Brown, if he decides not to retire, and Nocioni back, but only if the price is right. Brown made $8 million last year, and judging by his playoff performance, you can expect teams to throw $4-5 million his way for a one year or two year contract, which is in the Bulls range. However, if Brown is looking for a ring, he might go to a team with better chances and take less money. If, they lose him, he is fairly replaceable.

On the other hand, Nocioni could command anywhere from $6-9 million a year as he is gritty, versatile and can score and play defense, something any team would love, but especially teams looking to push for a ring. If he does get over $7 million a year from any team, the Bulls would have a very tough decision, and would probably have to let him go.

Free Agency: So clearly, the Bulls need to find some size. One way is through free agency. Look for the Bulls to pursue the likes of Melvin Ely, Corliss Williamson, Dale Davis, Marc Jackson, Kelvin Cato and Joe Smith. All of these players could be gotten on the cheap as they are largely in the back end of their careers or have underperformed. Players like Williamson and Smith can even net you ten plus points a game.

The Draft: Another way to address their size need is through the draft. It would be shocking, assuming they don’t make a trade, if the Bulls didn’t draft size in this size-heavy draft. With Hibbert pulling out of the draft, it tightens things up a bit, but at the nine slot they can definitely get some talent. Depending how players’ stocks rise and fall, no-brainers would be Joakim Noah or Al Horford, but most don’t expect them to drop to the ninth pick. Don’t be surprised to see Paxson stick to his M.O. of drafting hard workers from good programs and taking Josh McRoberts. Another option is drafting project players like Spencer Hawes or Yi Jianlian, but Paxson isn’t known to take those chances. He likes players who can come out, work hard and immediately contribute.

Trades: The last, and most difficult way to get pieces is through a trade, most likely involving Ben Gordon or a sign and trade with Nocioni. Gordon will command around $10 million dollars a year next year, and the Bulls have to determine this off-season whether they are willing to match that. If they aren’t going to match that price it is in their best interest to trade him and fill a need before they lose him and get nothing in return. If they don’t trade him this off-season it would be a PR/management nightmare and would hurt the team to peddle him during the regular season. So what can they get for either of those guys? Probably less in true value, but it would be better than nothing.

While trades are hard to gauge, you have to look at teams with an abundance of size. Jeffries or Frye from the Knicks? Brezec, Hermann or May from the Bobcats? Collison from the Supersonics? All of these teams could use either a Nocioni or Gordon. If the Bulls get one of these players and a draft pick or two, it would be hard to frown on the Bulls’ decision.

Or Paxson and Bulls can just go for it all. Would Minnesota take a sign and trade with Nocioni, Gordon and a draft pick for Garnett? The Bulls would immediately address their inside size and scoring problems and would be an immediate NBA Finals contender. This is a long shot, but not out of possibility. They could also go for Zach Randolph, but one must question if the Bulls are willing or can spend that kind of money for a notoriously lazy player that won’t fit into a Skiles/Paxson mentality.

Ben Gordon: Mark these words, “Kirk Hinrich’s contract is going to hurt the Bulls.” And here’s why. Kirk Hinrich is scheduled to make $11 million this year and $10 million next year, and he’s not worth that type of money. Both Gordon and Deng are free agents after next season. Their agents are going to say, “If Hinrich is making $11 million, my client deserves at least that much.” The agents will take this to other teams who will undoubtedly offer Gordon and Deng contracts of $10 million a year, perhaps as high as $12-15 million for Deng depending on his 2007-08 season.

With Ben Wallace on the books for $14.5 and Hinrich for $9.5, and Deng a must-sign at almost any price, Gordon is the odd man out next season. Can or are the Bulls willing to spend $10 million for Gordon? He is undersized and can be very streaky, and he has suspect defense, especially against bigger twos.

On the other hand, 20+ ppg scorers don’t grow on trees, and the Bulls would be hard pressed to score if they were playing without Ben Gordon. Gordon has been clutch and a key in their success. He is well-liked in Chicago and fits into the blue-collar attitude.

What Should the Bulls Do? There is one answer, something the Bulls have explored in the past. They need to trade Ben Gordon or sign and trade Andres Nocioni this off-season for quality size. If they trade one of them and are able to land a Nick Collison or another young low-post scorer that is good, but if they can trade BOTH and get Garnett, they would be poised for a title. Either scenario would also free them up to draft a wing like Corey Brewer, Julian Wright or Brandon Rush. Add in another outside shooter, like Matt Carroll and a couple veteran bigs, and all would be well in the Windy City. If they choose to keep both Gordon and Nocioni this season, they will have too many questions, too small of a pocketbook and perhaps lesser trade value going into next off-season. This off-season, while the players’ values are high, is the time to make a major trade.

What Will the Bulls Do? Paxson will probably keep the Deng, Gordon and Hinrich core intact. What will all this lead to? Unfortunately for Bulls fans, the absence of inside scoring coupled with a likely Nocioni departure will leave the Bulls sliding backwards instead of moving forward.
 
funny that he mentions the "martian".

maybe he didn't know that the "martian" was sent to the NBDL earlier this year, where he was sucker punched BY HIS OWN TEAMMATE. the injury he suffered is reported to have been CAREER-ENDING for the euro, who was only 20 years old.

the 7 foot project was UNABLE TO SPEAK for 3 days after being struck.
 
It was a good article Rollie, but wrong on some parts. Paxson has stated the core group of players is Hinrich, Deng and Gordon. Everything else is expendable. As much as I like nocioni, he is tradeable.

they could go after Kevin Garnett. Doing a sign and trade with Nocioni and shipping Chris Duhon along with the number 9 pick in the draft, Minnesota gets four players for one and they move salary which is important to their rebuilding process and they get some veterant players.

In that move the Bulls address their size and scoring issue up front. Tyrus thomas has anothe veteran PF to learn from and Thabo Sefalosha gets increased minutes. They can take a back up PG in the second round.

C: Ben Walace
PF: Kevin Garnett
SF: Luol Deng
SG: Ben Gordon
PG: Kirk Hinrich

I'd take it.
 
Nocioni is everything I despise about today's game.
Flopper extraordinary. Does more bitching and moaning
is CLEARLY a cheater and a beneficiary of the affirmative
action policies of David Stern

Hinrich carries the ball more than any player in the league.
Is terribly overrated in my eyes. Not a bad player, more
a beneficiary of being Scott Skiles pet

Gordon is streaky, but he is NOT an unselfish player and
he clearly wants to WIN, not just have a good statline.
I would keep him.

Wallace is a key for them in my view. He is a formidable
prsence in the paint (offense notwithstanding). Put him
next to the proper PF/C and you have a damn good front
line. Thonmas has the potential for sure to be that guy

But I hate Skiles, so I could care less about the Bulls.
 
Inside scorer tops Paxson list
BULLS | GM unlikely to trade core player to do it

May 22, 2007
BY BRIAN HANLEY bhanley@suntimes.com

Bulls general manager John Paxson sure sounded Monday like a man who was more apt to tinker with -- rather than substantially change -- the team he has built since taking the job four years ago.

''Continuity means something to me,'' he said. ''Over time an actual trust develops among the players and with the coach. I would like to keep as much of the group together as possible for that reason. You can win and grow that way.
» Click to enlarge image
Bulls General Manager John Paxson.
(Tom Cruze/Sun-Times)

''It was a really good year for us. The improvement we made -- eight more wins in the regular season, getting through the first round, competitive against Detroit -- that's not good enough. I know what everybody wants and expects, but we made some progress this year. Now we go out and try to get better.''

The Bulls begin that process tonight, when they find out where they will pick in the first round of the June 28 draft. They currently hold the No. 9 pick and have only a 1.9 percent chance to jump to No. 1 in the lottery drawing.

''We have resources and assets,'' Paxson said of the tools he can implement to improve the Bulls this summer. ''We have our pick this year. We've got good players.

''But I'm not going to totally dismantle a team on the hope that one guy we bring in at a position we need is going to be the answer. We've done a lot of good things over the last three or four years in terms of developing them. Now they're playing at a very high level. Depending on what scenarios come up, I'll determine what makes sense. If it's too high a price, I'm not going to go there. There will be other ways to address the issues we face.''

The first issue remains trying to find an interior scorer who can complement center Ben Wallace and take some pressure off the perimeter players. Paxson vowed to ''look at all options'' to fill that need but didn't discount the idea that the development of Luol Deng and Tyrus Thomas might be part of the solution. Paxson said Thomas must develop a 15-foot jump shot this summer to improve appreciably.

''But we need some inside players, there's no doubt about that,'' Paxson said. ''We hopefully address that in the draft or through free agency. We are, financially, in a very good situation to add players. So we'll have options.''

Paxson said selecting ninth in this draft should result in ''a very good pick.''

''We'll have to determine if there is a player that can come in right away and play for us,'' Paxson said. ''Or, if I choose to really be aggressive, maybe look to move that pick to find a player on a roster right now that I think can play for us and makes sense for us. I'll certainly explore that.''

Paxson also will try to negotiate contract extensions with Ben Gordon and Deng, both of whom will be restricted free agents next summer. That's something the Bulls were able to do last year with Kirk Hinrich, though the negotiations on the five-year, $47.5 million deal came down to the final hours. By league rule, any such agreement must be concluded by opening day.

Paxson said the Bulls have the financial resources to retain Gordon, Deng and Andres Nocioni, who will be a restricted free agent July 1, meaning the Bulls have the right to match any offer he receives.

Contract talks with Gordon and Deng will begin in August.

''I have no idea what Ben and Lu are going to be looking for,'' Paxson said. ''I'll make a very fair offer to begin with. An extension is not something that is a given. They will be restricted next year, so there has to be some give and take.

''If there is, you usually get a deal done. If not, then we go into the season with no changes. We still have them as players, and we are still in the position to re-sign them next summer. So I don't look at it as a do-or-die thing.''

The only way either Gordon or Deng would not be back is if an impossible-to-turn-down trade presented itself.

''Unless we're talking a top-10 player in the league, or a top-five player ... who lets them go?'' Paxson said. ''To dismantle and take so many of our assets and move them, I'm not sure how much better we would be. What do we replace them with? That's always what becomes the question.''

As for Nocioni, he is back to recovering from the plantar fasciitis in his right foot. The injury cost him 28 regular-season games and severely limited his play in the postseason, when he averaged 8.8 points and 3.5 rebounds.

''We've got some decisions to make with Andres, and he has some decisions to make, too, being a free agent,'' Paxson said. ''But I anticipate that things will work out there.''

Paxson is so committed to keeping the team as intact as possible, he said he told veteran forward P.J. Brown that the Bulls ''would like to be in the conversation'' if Brown, an unrestricted free agent, decides to return for a 15th NBA season.

''I know that everybody wants the quick fix right now,'' Paxson said. ''If there's one to be made, I'll do it. If there's not, then I keep trying to build the team the way I think it should be built. That's the bottom line with me.''
 
I read that article in the paper. I think he might make a move, maybe not for KG but someone who could help.
 
RunawaySlave said:
Nocioni is everything I despise about today's game.
Flopper extraordinary. Does more bitching and moaning
is CLEARLY a cheater and a beneficiary of the affirmative
action policies of David Stern

Hinrich carries the ball more than any player in the league.
Is terribly overrated in my eyes. Not a bad player, more
a beneficiary of being Scott Skiles pet

Gordon is streaky, but he is NOT an unselfish player and
he clearly wants to WIN, not just have a good statline.
I would keep him.

Wallace is a key for them in my view. He is a formidable
prsence in the paint (offense notwithstanding). Put him
next to the proper PF/C and you have a damn good front
line. Thonmas has the potential for sure to be that guy

But I hate Skiles, so I could care less about the Bulls.
Click to expand...
You mad because they got the knicks' pick? it's ok may you get next year and we get 09
 
freaky_1 said:
I read that article in the paper. I think he might make a move, maybe not for KG but someone who could help.
Click to expand...

This may be the beginning of that move:

Sonics forward Lewis opts for free agency

ESPN.com news services

Updated: May 26, 2007, 12:01 AM ET

In late February, Rashard Lewis rejected a two-year, $25 million contract extension from the Seattle SuperSonics. Months later, Lewis has taken his rejection a step further.

Lewis has officially opted out of the final two years of his contract on Friday so he can become an unrestricted free agent, as first reported by KRIV in Houston on Friday.

Tony Dutt, Lewis' agent, has made Seattle aware of his client's decision.

"He has decided to opt out and he'll be an unrestricted free agent July 1st," Dutt said, according to KRIV. "We had to do it in writing which we have done already."

The Sonics have one advantage over the rest of the NBA with Lewis now in free agency: They are the only team who can offer him a six-year contract.

"It was in his contract that he could become a free agent. And you can't blame him for wanting to see what's out there," Sonics president of basketball operations Lenny Wilkens said last month. "But that won't stop us from trying to get it done."

When asked if he has been negotiating with the Sonics, despite Seattle not having a general manager or a coach right now, Dutt said, "We've been in contact [with Wilkens]. We'll probably stay in contact on and off until July 1."

Lewis, who has spent his entire nine-year NBA career with the Sonics, opted out of the seven-year, $60M deal he signed before the 2003-2004 season. That means Lewis is walking away from $21M in guaranteed money over the next two years.

In doing so, he becomes one of the NBA's most attractive free agents this summer. The market will include Chauncey Billups, Gerald Wallace and possibly Vince Carter -- if Carter does what Lewis did and opts of out his contract with the New Jersey Nets.

"He's earned that right to be at the top of the market," Dutt said. "I think teams will move pretty quickly to sign him [after July 1]. He is about the top free agent out there."

The 6-foot-10 forward is coming off a career-best year despite missing 22 games with a hand injury. Lewis averaged 22.4 points and 6.6 rebounds a game last season.

"He's excited. At the same time he wants to win. He puts in the time himself and he wants his teammates to do the same. He's just looking for an opportunity, whether he stays in Seattle or if he was to move, to be in a situation where he has an opportunity to win every night," Dutt said.

"I'm excited about where I stand in the NBA," Lewis said last month, immediately after his ninth season in Seattle ended in a 31-51 mess. He turns 28 in August.

Lewis could get offers of five years for perhaps $15 million per year. He said he will give Seattle first opportunity to give him a sweet deal.

"Oh, yeah. I've been here since the team drafted me [in 1998]. They have faith in me," Lewis said last month.

"My heart will always be here -- even if I play somewhere else."
 
freaky_1 said:
You mad because they got the knicks' pick? it's ok may you get next year and we get 09
Click to expand...


No, I'm not mad. But I didn't like how they did Bill Cartwright.
And Skiles is a coke head that got a head coaching job

btw, that pick probably won't amount to much
 
It could for minnesota, not the Bulls though. Maybe Noah or somebody. What about Cartwright? He was ok, he was just in a bad situation or an impossible situation. But he'll be ok
 
i would give away ben goron because he plays erratic sometimes
hinrich is more of a point guard..which means gordon would be a sg
in the nba...he is to small to be a sg.

ben wallace whould also go..after seeing how he played in the playoffs.
its obvious why he came to chicago
i think once he got that ring with detroit..he kinda said fuck it
ill just play for the money i feel i deserved a long time ago.
i dont see the enthusiasm in him anymore
dont know what his problem is

i was hoping for kg..and it still could happen.
but someone on bgol told me the suns might go after him
and if they do..i think he might go.
i feel he could get closer to winning a championship with chicago than the the suns
i think the west is to strong.
after seeing how the spurs played over da years.. it seems like they wont be shut down anytime soon.

but if kg dont come back close to home...then it wil be plenty of good young free agents that will be available that will probably help the bulls out more than he could anyways.
I also saw video of some chinese dude that the bulls might get
7' 278lbs i think
got way more offense than ben..but dont know about the defense


*KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED FOR SOMETHING GOOD NEXT SEASON*
 
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