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Based on the disastrous playoff experience of the Nuggets and the horrid regular season play of the Bulls, it seems fairly obvious that both teams will look to make major off season moves. The Denver Post - "Nuggets have to Change" reported that the Nuggets will likely possibly look to move Carmelo because it seems a) they can no longer maintain the contracts of Marcus Camby, Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, and Kenyon Martin considering the group has proven to be unable to compete in the playoffs (personally I say fire George Karl, but that's just me) and b) are sick of Carmelo's off the court issues.

What are the thoughts about trying to strike a deal with the Nuggets? One of the major criticisms of the Bulls has been that they lack an all star who can make the big plays come crunch time and get the friendly referee calls. It seems like Carmelo might fight that role.

I'm not too knowledgeable about the financial situation over in Denver so I don't know who would be involved in the trade really. Melo is set to make $14.4 million next year, then $15.8, $17.1 over the next two years respectively with a 4th year player option of $18.5 million. I know it's a serious contract, but he is a serious superstar.

Maybe Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich for Carmelo and Linas Kleiza (I don't know if the money works because they'd have to sign and trade Luol, plus Denver might be looking to unload cash). 

Just looking for some thoughts about the idea of pursuing a trade with Denver.

It's not that I hate him or still hold a grudge for the past mistakes he's done, but I was just wondering what you guys think on John Paxson. What are your opinions on him, his decisions, how he leads this team's future? Sure, he's made a few wavery choices in the past that have backfired (i.e. Tyson Chandler, JR Smith, Crawford, Aldridge, etc.) but he has gotten us Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden (not to mention Viktor)!! And although he has passed up many opportunities whether the cause be luxury tax or just being cheap only offering $16 mil compared to NYs $24mil (oh wait, that was Reinsdorf), he has proven to get us in the playoffs several consecutive years. So just comment on how mean I am to him or how much you agree with me, but make sure it's Pax-related. Personally, I vote to see how things turn out next year and if its as disappointing as Mutombo's attempt to play 20 years younger, I will sign up for this. [1st post -- yes, i'm proud.]

sitting here watching ben wallace in the celtics v. cavs game and also reflecting on a recent thread about Chandler I think management messed up by not letting them play together.  The Bulls traded Chandler to free up space both on the floor and in the checkbook.  That summer they also signed Captain Kirk Hinrich to a fat longterm deal (4 year $10.2 million).  Ben Wallace and the success in detroit came with Rasheed Wallace playing next to him.  when on the Bulls Wallace was it down low, except for Joe Smith... and it was too much for him to handle.  he was injured and stunk.  He didnt deliver when we played Detroit in the playoffs.  But BW is playing well for the Cavs and i think him at pf and Z at C is pretty fearsome.  Makes me think what BW at pf and Tyson at 5 coulda been.  I think both would have enabled each other to reach the peak of their games, but alone both were set up to fail.  In many ways this move was also made due to a misplaced overconfidence in the overall guard play.   I don't think too many GMs would disagree that Chandler is more valuable now than Hinrich, dunno what theyd say about wallace v. hinrich, yet we we got rid of both big guys kinda sorta because of kirk, no chandler meant wallace was doomed.  If not for Kirk's contract the bulls may have been able to afford the luxury of 2 amazing bigs. yea offense would be a problem, but kirk's offense isnt the answer or existent or worthy of a starting roster spot on most teams.

not sure if this is chronologically accurate but if the above were true and we had not resigned kirk but invested in both tyson and BW then Ty2 would not have been drafted, but Brandon Roy instead.  This would have given some needed offense to a poor scoring frontcourt.  Ah what could have been...

[ed. note: From the fanposts. This is reported byJack McCallum, who's pretty plugged in to D'Antoni and friends. So it's about as official as it gets. I'll likely have some rationalizing to offer sometime this weekend, but overall I'm pretty disappointed. -Matt]

SI.com reports :

Walsh entered the picture last Monday when he interviewed D'Antoni at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. That talk was sandwiched between D'Antoni's two interviews with Chicago Bulls general manager John Paxson, who spoke with the 2004-05 Coach of the Year on Sunday night and again on Monday morning in Phoenix. On Friday afternoon, at his home in Scottsdale, D'Antoni also talked to Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, who has a home about 200 yards away from D'Antoni's. But in the end, Chicago couldn't match the New York offer. Walsh also interviewed Avery Johnson, early favorite Mark Jackson and Rick Carlisle, who has landed the Dallas Mavericks' opening.

 

Bill Ingram of Hoopsworld writes that they did make an offer.

The Chicago Bulls would love to have him, but their financial package has already earned a "no thanks" from Avery Johnson.

Maybe I missed the reporting on this, but this is first I have read that the Bulls made any contract offer to any potential head coach.

Anyone else see a report of a contract offer or financial terms of any kind to Avery or his agent?

Calderon Wants To Start
Jose Calderon | Raptors
All year long, Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon insisted whether he started 
or not did not matter. With T.J. Ford in and out of Toronto's lineup at point guard, and 
struggling in a reserve role, it was the media-friendly line to take.

With the season over, however, and restricted free agency pending, Calderon has 
changed his tone.

"I want to be a starter and [on] a team that aspires for everything," Calderon said 
on his Web site (www.josemanuelcalderon.com). -- The National Post

Bryan Colangelo said he has yet to have any serious contract discussions with 
Calderon's agents and he hasn't reached out to Ford to see if the issue can be 
resolved.

"I've always said I found it a positive that T.J. felt he was a starter in the NBA," 
Colangelo said yesterday. "Jose has obviously displayed he's capable of having 
that attitude as well as being willing to make sacrifices." -- Toronto Star

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I got reamed a new one by the evil and dictatorial friendlyBullsBlogger last night for having the audacity to even mention something about a playoff game and/or player. "SHUT UP YOU IDIOT!!!" he said. I cried, thought of committing suicide, returned, and attempted to make a snarky comment that would send everyone laughing. I failed miserably.

All that said, I sit here about to watch the Lakers and Jazz (I'm really starting to hate the Lakers) play and thought we might want a dedicated thread for the next month and a half.

Yay!

I don’t now if he was only talking about the team that ended the last, but Nocioni wasn’t happy the way the team performed this year. And he said in a interview to a newspaper in Argentina that the Bulls were the worst team that he had ever played for... 

Despite the guarantees that he’s happy on the Bulls, he wouldn’t mind to be trade and go for… the San Antonio Spurs. I don’t mind trade him plus Gordon for Manu Ginobli. If we could do that, we would get a better player then these two. A player who can decide games…

What are your thoughts about that?????????

p.s. The interview is in Spanish, but I think you could translate that

With reports widely circulating (Charles Barkely on espn1000 this morning—and if that isn’t wide…)  that the D’Antoni hiring is imminent, is it too early to turn to roster speculation?

For the past few months I’ve been strongly of a mind that the Bulls two greatest needs were, in order, front court scoring, and a legit, break-you-down point guard. 

I think I might have to re-order my priorities.  As I understand it, D’Antoni’s offense begins with the man with the ball applying huge pressure to the defense.  This is just about the opposite of what the Bulls did under Skiles, where they passed the ball around and around the perimeter, waiting for a good shot to appear.

What does this mean for the Bulls draft?  Do we move up for…Gallinari?  Do we focus on Augustin? 

Or do we go into the trade market, and try to turn Kirk Hinrich plus anyone but Ben Gordon into TJ Ford?

The roster as currently constituted seeems to have plenty enough athletic, young legs to run up and down the court.  Mid-range and outside shooting seem to be covered.  But it does look like we’ll have to import a player who can take the ball into the lane and force the defense to react.