LeBron considering Chicago - OK it is only Vecsey but .......

I love where there is smoke you may find a fire routine. Here it is - Peter Vecsey from the November 8th, 2009 NY Post

What's more, according to someone in the know, LeBron is viewing the Bulls as a wild card challenger; no other suitor need apply.

That explains why rising restricted free agent Tyrus Thomas, who suffered a forearm fracture in the weight room Friday that required surgery (out six weeks minimum), wasn't given an extension. Chicago definitely believes it has a shot at luring LeBron. As talented as Thomas is, the Bulls secured two excellent rookie forwards -- Brooklyn's Taj Jami Gibson and James Johnson -- in the draft and figure to have roughly $20 million in cap room in case LeBron feels the urge to replicate Air Jordan's Windy City flight plan.

over 2 years ago chgobr 28 comments 0 recs |

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Great, this is all I need, to start daydreaming about LeBron

I’m gonna file this under “No chance” and everyone can wake me when it’s over.

"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro

by Juiceboxjerry on Nov 8, 2009 9:34 AM CST reply actions

Peter put down the bottle.

by SoulEater7 on Nov 8, 2009 10:01 AM CST reply actions

"Two excellent rookie forwards"

Yes, Johnson is so excellent that he hasn’t been able to crack the rotation of a team with little depth.

And where is he coming up with that $20 million figure? The only way they’ll have that much is if they trade Hinrich for an expiring contract. And why would any team want to trade an expiring contract for Kirk Hinrich? They could probably get a better player than Hinrich for a $10 million expiring contract.

by Big D on Nov 8, 2009 10:31 AM CST reply actions

Miller comes off the books. And if Salmons plays well he will opt out of his current contractl

by silentpete on Nov 8, 2009 10:43 AM CST up reply actions

That's never got me to $20 million in cap space. Show your math, please.

People should remember that while they have the right to their opinion, they are not entitled to be taken seriously. --Bruce Bartlett

by tyger1147 on Nov 8, 2009 5:25 PM CST up reply actions

If Salmons opts out and they renounce everyone else, that leaves them

with $31.85 mm committed. They’d be way under the minimum roster slots, but I’m not sure when that begins to matter as far as cap holds go. Additionally, they’ll presumably have another draft pick coming in this year which would be a little more salary to add. Assuming all of that doesn’t matter, just for the sake of argument, they’d still only be $18.15mm under the forecasted $50mm salary cap of doom. After you account for likely cap holds, etc. I don’t think there’s going to be enough room for a max FA unless the Bulls make a move at the deadline. So, in essence, based on what happens at the trade deadline this year you’ll be able to tell whether they were serious about landing a superstar FA in 2010 (and thus whether their reasons for letting BG go were even slightly defensible) or whether they just used it as an excuse to dump salary so JR could laugh his way to the bank.

1. Cut a hole in a box
2. Put your Kirk in that box
3. Make some team open that box

by fundamentallysound on Nov 8, 2009 7:25 PM CST up reply actions

I thought the cap was projected at $52-53mm...

but I could be wrong. Isn’t it at ~54.5mm now?

"This is not Vietnam, Smokey, there are rules here." - Walter Sobchak

by Rose Colored Goggles on Nov 9, 2009 5:30 PM CST up reply actions

Nobody knows, $50-55 million is reported as possible.

People should remember that while they have the right to their opinion, they are not entitled to be taken seriously. --Bruce Bartlett

by tyger1147 on Nov 9, 2009 6:18 PM CST up reply actions

Last projection I read (wish I had a link)

I think it was a Marc Stein article…mentioned that low-end was $50 mil and high-end was $53. Meh.

by Illini15 on Nov 9, 2009 9:34 PM CST up reply actions

That's about where I am, too.

the rookie willb e about a million, the minimum roster slots are minimum salary, or about $400,000, I think. But five of them…

People should remember that while they have the right to their opinion, they are not entitled to be taken seriously. --Bruce Bartlett

by tyger1147 on Nov 9, 2009 6:19 PM CST up reply actions

Rose, Hinrich, Deng, LeBron, and Noah.

Plus Taj, JJ, and Omer Asik. Plus, maybe Miller for the MLE if he wants to come back for a chance at a title. Plus some cheap backcourt filler and I think that team probably wins it all. Especially if Rose makes the leap to superstardom.

1. Cut a hole in a box
2. Put your Kirk in that box
3. Make some team open that box

by fundamentallysound on Nov 8, 2009 1:04 PM CST reply actions

So you have Lu starting at the 4?

Don’t know if we can win a chip that way. I’d be more interested in seeing what we can grab via trade for him. Maybe Chris Kaman or something

"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro

by Juiceboxjerry on Nov 8, 2009 1:17 PM CST up reply actions

I just assumed it for the sake of argument. Trading might make more sense, but there would

have to be a PF worth trading a guy who’s currently averaging 17 pts / 10 rebs for. I don’t know how many of those guys there are out there and realistically whether their teams would want to give up said PF for Luol.

1. Cut a hole in a box
2. Put your Kirk in that box
3. Make some team open that box

by fundamentallysound on Nov 8, 2009 2:07 PM CST up reply actions

i'd think

it would be lebron at the 4, not deng. deng may have an inch on him but lebron has 30 lbs the other way.

"They should. They better. I'm Vinny Del Negro!"

by Jaina on Nov 8, 2009 2:14 PM CST up reply actions

i would think it makes more sense to play lebron at the 4. at least on defense.

"What is going on up here?"
"I never know, man."

by TheMoon on Nov 8, 2009 2:10 PM CST up reply actions

the most interesting thing about this article

is that Taj’s middle name is “Jami”. What?

by Basketball Smurf on Nov 8, 2009 1:50 PM CST reply actions

I don't understand the LeBron to Miami thing.

One I doubt thats good for the league to have the best two players on the same team. Two why would Wade or LeBron wanna team up? Who would be the man? I just think it’s stupid.
If that happens I quit something!

by SoulEater7 on Nov 8, 2009 10:14 PM CST reply actions

how is it stupid

the league worked great when pippen and jordan were on the same team
the league worked great when kobe and shaq were on the same team

why would wade and lebron team up? championships obviously
who would be the man? i would think wade would do more scoring and lebron would do the distributing as point forward much like a pippen type player just as their roles were on the usa team

i think if this happens all bulls fans will finally get a taste of what it was like to be on the other team facing jordan/pippen only now its wade/lebron

by sin on Nov 9, 2009 12:05 PM CST up reply actions

no way.

Jordan and Pippen were different players. Pippen was unselfish and wasn’t the best player in the league.He didn’t need to be the man. Plus that was a different time. Thats like Jordan and Magic Johnson on the same team. Who wants to watch that?

The Shaq and Kobe thing was before Kobe was even the best player at his position. He was just a few years in the league. The NBA was full of young and old talent. It was a transition period. I think the best player in those days might have been Tim Duncan.

I just think Wade and LeBron on the same team is bad for the league. You might was well just bring in coach K while your at it. I just don’t think you would wanna have the two best players in the league on one team. I think the league wants some parity. With NBATV and League pass I just don’t think people wanna watch the two best players win year after year together.

by SoulEater7 on Nov 9, 2009 1:27 PM CST up reply actions

That piece might as well stop after the first sentence.

Everything written after that is applicable to any free agent, as the Bulls could be clearing cap space for Amare, Wade, Johnson, Bosh, etc…. And I’m with Smurf, what the hell is Mahi, and even if it is his middle name, why even include it?

Metal sharpens metal.

And this guy right here understands and knows what leadership is all about: The coach, the hall of famer......... Dick Butka! George Ryan

by dakoose on Nov 8, 2009 11:43 PM CST reply actions

Sam Smith writes a column based off of Vecsey's article!

It must be true! link

You're my assistant! You're supposed to back me up and go get me juiceboxes whenever I want. Now go get me a juicebox!

by chibullsfan03 on Nov 9, 2009 10:29 AM CST reply actions 1 recs

What!?

I’ve long dismissed the possibility of James choosing the Bulls because I’ve never thought James—unlike Kobe Bryant—would want to challenge the shadow and legend of Michael Jordan’s accomplishments. Sort of if you win one, what’s the big deal. MJ had six.

Does Sam know that James wears # 23? Since when did Sam dismiss it?http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/smith_081201.html When he wrote that?

ok.

by SoulEater7 on Nov 9, 2009 11:14 AM CST up reply actions