Lewis signs with Magic, Darko to be free agent

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 3, 2007 12:25 AM CDT

RealGM (tip o' the hat to SonicsCentral):

Orlando television station WKMG Local 6 is reporting that Rashard Lewis has agreed to sign with the Orlando Magic on July 11.

The deal is reported for 5 years and $75 million.

Sports anchor David Pingalore also reported the Magic will allow restricted free agent forward Darko Milicic to become an unrestricted free agent.

I wonder if Mark Malone breaks stories like these.

I think it's a good move for the Magic to just let Darko go. Sure there's the flak over letting somebody go 'for nothing', but why sign a guy you don't really want for huge money just because of that?

This makes Orlando (and the East) slightly more interesting, if anything. They were dreadful on offense last season and Lewis can fill it up, although tough to say how he'll adapt to being the top option on offense (besides Dwight Howard dunks).

Now all they need is another big man, and a point guard, and a shooting guard. And getting rid of Hedo Turkoglu wouldn't hurt.

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Comments

i think its foolish to let darko go

you said it yourself matt; they need a big man. Darko worked relatively well with Dwight during the year, and clearly there is something there. Furthermore, giving up a late lottery pick for 100 games for a player is too much to give up. I'm not sure if the magic have the MLE but it wouldn't hurt to offer it to darko. At worst, they can make sure they force other teams to pay a premium

I didn't see many magic games, but I know darko can play post better than anyone we have. Clearly he wouldn't be a dwight howard or amare down low, but if it came down to noch vs darko, I wouldn't mind offering him the MLE. However, my only concenrs are passion and defense. He clearly doesn't have passion at all tiems, but how is his defense?

by milesgmsu on Jul 3, 2007 12:36 AM CDT reply actions

considering they need a big man

and don't want him...that should say something.

and again, just because they gave up a lottery pick for him doesn't mean they have to resign him. Why chase a mistake with another one? It's not like they could get Darko on a 3-year deal, he's going to get pretty major money.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 3, 2007 12:43 AM CDT up reply actions

Darko Sucks

So who will be dumb enough to sign him? I'm guessing a Western Conference team who hasn't seen him play as much. Either that or he signs somewhere for the MLE (please not the Bulls!).

Deng 4 MVP, 2008!

by corey williams corey benjamin on Jul 3, 2007 12:54 AM CDT up reply actions

Darko

does suck. He's just too slow on D and can't jump.

I hope for Noah but I expect Hawes.

by joejoeEnglish94bulls4ever on Jul 3, 2007 12:58 AM CDT up reply actions

its not nessecarily that they dont want him

but they cant have him while signing Lewis, who fills a much bigger need. All indications were that they were going to resign him if the lewis thing didnt go through

All I'm saying is that I wouldn't mind resinging noch to about 5M (not with the MLE, just a normal over the salary cap signing of a teams player) and offer the MLE to darko...maybe in the range of 3 years; that way if he does sign and it doesn't pan out we have an attractive another attractive trading chip when wallace's contract is on its last year (which together would total about 13-14M).

by milesgmsu on Jul 3, 2007 1:01 AM CDT up reply actions

I don't think he'll take 3 years anyway

Noah can be just as productive as Darko next year and for much less cost.

I'm not too interested in the Bulls rolling the dice in free agency just to look smart. As I said earlier today, why spend a combined $11-15m on Noc+Darko when you can get one (better) player instead?

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 3, 2007 1:07 AM CDT up reply actions

wha?

First, which free agent is better? Second, who's going to give him more than the MLE now? I see no reason why he wouldn't sign a 3-year deal. His rep just took a huge hit. He'd probably sign for a shorter deal.

And with the 9th pick the Bulls select...

by bullshooter on Jul 3, 2007 9:59 AM CDT up reply actions

Seven footers

Any seven footer with a minimal amount of skill gets more than MLE these days.

by Sambossanova on Jul 3, 2007 10:20 AM CDT up reply actions

not if everybody is over the cap

And with the 9th pick the Bulls select...

by bullshooter on Jul 3, 2007 11:50 AM CDT up reply actions

hollinger comes to my defense

The most interesting question involving the Lewis signing is how it affects Milicic. It appears the Magic will have to renounce his rights to fit Lewis under their salary cap. Considering the Magic sent Detroit a first-round pick for Milicic a year and a half ago, it's surprising that they seem so willing to let him go.

by milesgmsu on Jul 3, 2007 12:06 PM CDT up reply actions

a link would be nice

Again, the 'considering what they gave up' has no merit with me.

If they screwed up by giving up a mid-first rounder for Darko, fine. But that doesn't mean they're compelled to sign him because of that. If they don't think he's that good it's not worth committing the money.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 3, 2007 12:14 PM CDT up reply actions

haha

Following Miles' original logic, why did they ever trade him in the first place? They spent the No. 2 overall and passed up some great talents. They shouldn't have traded him after that.

Yes, of course.

by tyger1147 on Jul 3, 2007 1:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Maybe this is why that newspaper dude...

...went crazy over ESPN's 'reporters'.

Now Marc Stein is 'reporting' the Lewis signing.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 3, 2007 1:10 AM CDT reply actions

Free Agents

You think they could test free agents like they do with draft picks. You know the whole psychological testing etc... It help out a lot with cases like Darko.

by Sambossanova on Jul 3, 2007 1:25 AM CDT reply actions

How this helps the Bulls.

Seatle just lost a small forward. They now have two rookies that can play that position. Maybe they will be up to trading Collison for Noce????

by Jesse07 on Jul 3, 2007 7:09 AM CDT reply actions

wow

i do not see that as a good signing. 15 million for a SF that is deficient defensively?
Of course, the light could go on A La Odom after he signed with the Heat. I doubt it though. Guess it's better than signing a 6'9'' center on the downside of his career for that money, though ... oh, wait.

by CookDing on Jul 3, 2007 8:24 AM CDT reply actions

Pax

sign him. He is 21 and fits with this core, every big does not need to be a defensive stopper Darko would be the best defensive big on the Knicks right now. Being in a city with a big Crotian population will give him a comfort you could pencil him in to be a 10-15 PPG player next year and within in 3 20.

by LD9 on Jul 3, 2007 8:29 AM CDT reply actions

Darko is more of a defensive player

one of his few assets is shotblocking.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 3, 2007 8:32 AM CDT up reply actions

I agree, if

Pax can get him for reasonable $$. But Pax shouldn't get into a bidding war that would go beyond the MLE.

Darko's obviously no Duncan or KG. Yes, it was stupid to draft him over Carmelo, Bosh, Wade, or Hinrich. But that's Dumar's problem, not the Bulls. He's a better low-post scorer than anyone we have now, and if Skiles could light a fire under him, he could give good (not great) production.

by Bayern Munich on Jul 3, 2007 8:52 AM CDT up reply actions

Darko

might agree to a 3 year MLE deal. He would be entering his age 25 season at that point and if can be a 15-20 point a game then he could command a max or near max deal. Heck even if he were to to stay the same he could still get 8 digits likely knowing how teams overpay bigs. If they renouce there restricted's (Noc, Sweets, Barrett, and Marty) that frees up 7 million. Darko is a better fit for us than Noc is.

by LD9 on Jul 3, 2007 9:11 AM CDT reply actions

I disagree

It would make a log jam at the 4; the Bulls need a player that can play the 3 and 4, and Tyrus isn't that player yet. Plus, if something would happen to Deng (knocking on wood), the Bulls would be screwd.

by Jesse07 on Jul 3, 2007 9:17 AM CDT up reply actions

If something happened to

Deng and you didn't have Noc, you'd probably move Sefalosha to the 3 or Viktor (and watch Skiles' forehead vein pulse). I'm not so sure how good a fit Darko actually is though. The compelling thing is his age, but what's incredibly troubling, having seen him numerous times, is that he's never really shown anything that resembles a "break-out" game, let alone a sustained period of good play. I'm also torn as I think we have a tendency to think of Nocioni as the foot problem Nocioni and not the guy who had improved hugely every year since coming on board. We'd feel his loss more than we think.

by EdNealy on Jul 3, 2007 10:06 AM CDT up reply actions

don't forget Griffin

although I wouldn't blame anyone if they did.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 3, 2007 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions

lol

it seemed kinda like the odd man out type of deal with him this past season. Yeah I understand he had the injury issues towards the end and in the playoffs, but I guess I expected to see more.

He didn't have the same impact that he did during his first go-around.

Skiles and Pax kept talking about the "calming influence" that he has when on the floor, but the only problem with that was he barely got on the floor!

I'm really not swayed one way or the other about Griff...nice person to have around, but I don't really think he'd be missed either.

by ScottieCartwright on Jul 3, 2007 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions

Griffin

I wasn't forgetting about Griffin.

by Jesse07 on Jul 3, 2007 11:41 AM CDT up reply actions

Good call EdNealy

This team needs Noc and his skills/fire/size/etc. Deng's been injured before and has a tendency to take nasty spills. Hopefully, the foot thing helps the Bulls resign Noc at a more resonable salary.

In Pax we Trust!

by Jobu on Jul 3, 2007 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions

Nocioni's size???

Did he grow three to four inches these past few weaks?

by Sambossanova on Jul 3, 2007 10:53 AM CDT up reply actions

RE: Nocioni's size???

Yeah, size at the 3 and as a 4 when the Bulls go small. Obviously not as a prototypical PF.

In Pax we Trust!

by Jobu on Jul 3, 2007 1:45 PM CDT up reply actions

chiming in from 24 hour

user name switch limbo to point out Nocioni is the smallest forward on the roster.

The user name switch is due to the glorious return of Taurine Dream. Matt, the sleeveless TD hoodie is in the mail for the ad.

Someone ask Bears' Grand Wizard Jerry Angelo why Kyle Orton is still employed.

by Paxson Jackson @ Blog a Bull on Jul 3, 2007 2:15 PM CDT up reply actions

User name seems the same.

What?

Yes, of course.

by tyger1147 on Jul 3, 2007 3:43 PM CDT up reply actions

Hooray for TD!!!

by paxson43 on Jul 3, 2007 7:10 PM CDT up reply actions

Why Can't We Have Both?

Maybe I'm not understanding the whole cap situation correctly, but why can't we sign Darko with our 5.5 mil exception and still resign Noc? I thought u got some kind of exception for going ova the cap if u were tryin to sign ur own player. Isn't the exception so that u can spend it on FA even if u r up against the cap?

I think that's the best combo we could get. Did u see who our main targets were, Chris Mihm and Joe Smith, ur not gonna make me believe they are better options than Darko, especially if we can get him for about the same price.

by Ceasaleo on Jul 3, 2007 10:54 AM CDT reply actions

yes you can

but now you have 2 more untradeable (in the bad way) guys on your roster in addition to the other untradeables (in the good way)

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 3, 2007 11:07 AM CDT up reply actions

Gotcha

But if we can get both at a decent price and length of deal it may be interesting. How many years until there's another big FA class? Kobe is 2 years away, LeBron can opt out in a couple of years too right? I know Garnett is next summer, but I see him gettin traded and extended.

I say sign Darko to a 3 yr deal and Noce to 4. That means that by the time we're really gonna be making decisions about the true future of the team they will have maybe 2 years left on the contract. And Big Ben will be comin off the books. Aren't expiring contracts attractive in trades?

Or sign Darko to a 1 year, talk him into being a part of a winner and raising his stock for a big contract next year. I can't see him breaking the bank this summer.

by Ceasaleo on Jul 3, 2007 11:23 AM CDT up reply actions

How many years until there's another big FA class?

Ummm...1?

Have you seen the potential 2008 FA list?

by bpa on Jul 4, 2007 1:27 PM CDT up reply actions

I think the Bulls will talk to Darko...

but given the contract he's going to demand, he may not be worth it. The Bulls best option is clearly to make a trade, which would probably require a sign-and-trade of Noc or PJ (or both). Its the trade rumors you're going to want to follow.

by Shawn Domagal-Goldman on Jul 3, 2007 11:11 AM CDT up reply actions

Can't the Magic resign Darko anyway?

If you believe Chad Ford (which is hard enough for me to type as is) then they can still resign him as they still have their bird rights to re-sign him. The only thin they can't do is match any offers (like the bulls with noc cuz of restricted FA blah blah blah). Am I wrong in this?

Michael Jordan is overrated...except for those 6 titles 4 MVP's DPY and other things like Bryon Russell's ankle...

by pookeyguru on Jul 10, 2007 12:50 AM CDT reply actions