As far as this move signing Wallace, I wasn't on board with it at first. But seeing in the corner, "Ben Wallace to sign w/ Bulls," I couldn't help but rejoice. This is huge for the Bulls. Wallace is just not an ordinary free agent. He is like Nash going to the Suns or like in football when Reggie White signed with the Packers. This makes the Bulls a hot spot for free agents in the future. Basically, once again, Pax did what Krause never could in the summer of 2000. Remember Benny the Bull visiting T-mac? Wallace can now mentor guys like Thomas, Deng, Noce and all the rest of our frontcourt players. I'm starting to believe with Chandler possibly gone, there are more positives than negatives in this deal.

1. Pax is going to be executive of the year in 06-07... we've all felt it for a while now, but lately the media has been bringing up his ability as well. I feel like this summer may have solidified it.
2. I absolutely love that we took the number 1 free agent prize of the summer and even more so that we took him from the Pistons. I have a deep hatred for that club (as I'm sure many of you do) more so than any other team in the league. For me the moment that I can never get out of my head is when that ass Isiah and his crew walked off the court early after getting swept by the Bulls in the 91 conference finals in a complete showing disrespect and plainly no class whatsoever. As a side note: I have taken a little extra pleasure in knowing that it has been Isiah that Pax has completely trounced as a GM... twice... one move of which is a two year long source of satisfaction (can't wait to use NY's pick next year... in the Garden... with a new NY GM in place).
3. I have been against trading Chandler all along. From the lowest points of the rebuilding era he has been one of, if not my single favorite Bull. He had passion for the game and the team when no one else did. But... I think I am starting to agree with some of you that it may be time. I didn't think a player like Wilcox or Gooden would work next to Chandler because I don't think Wilcox, Gooden, or even Chandler should be guarding 5's. But Wallace can and does guard true centers (and presently the truest NBA center) better than anyone else in the entire league. I'm still not entirely sold on trading Ty1... because this move clearly puts him back at the 4 and may light something within him as he won't be the only true low post guy on our team anymore... and maybe Ben can bring something out of him... and more importantly reduce the pressure on him. But... in reference back to initial thought #1... if Pax thinks it's the right move to make... it is... and I can't believe other wise till it happens... period.
4. I think this clearly raises next season's goal. I think any one of us would have said next season's goal was to win a playoff series. I just don't think that's the case any more... at this albeit far too early point... I have to imagine that next season's realistic goal has to be to make it to the conference finals. We'll see... but this is why Pax has stressed getting mentally strong players all along right... because they don't crumble under expectations... well both our front line and our expectations just got a lot stronger... will they?

I can see why some of you might want to keep Chandler for another 1/2 year 'til the trading deadline or a full year so he can learn from Wallace and/or just prove he's worth his contract and to improve his trade stock.
But I don't think Paxson wants to wait at all since he'd be paying 23 mil+ to 2 players who are just there for defense and minimal offense. You saw how Chandler folded up like a blanket in the playoffs last year. With Wallace on the team, playoffs are going to be expected and even conference finals. We can't have any more of Chandler not expecting passes. You can't be encouraged how he continues to work out in California by himself and not at the Berto Center like Hinrich, Gordon, and Deng do. I think he is just useless in a Bulls uniform anymore.

"One option the Pistons were hoping for didn't materialize. They had hoped to maybe get Tyson Chandler back from Chicago as part of a sign-and-trade. However, it appears the Bulls are going to trade Chandler to the New Orleans-Oklahoma City Hornets in exchange for P.J. Brown. While Chandler has five years and $54 million left on his contract, Brown's $8 million will come off the books after next season.

It was that deal that helped pave the way for Wallace's signing."

Wallace will be a great mentor with his work ethic and championship experience.  I cannot believe the Bulls could get any tougher or hardworking. Man I wish I could go watch them practice it is going to be a battle.

Anybody have the top teams odds to win it all next year?

Anyway, I do love the signing and figure that dealing TC would definitely be a must, just to dump his salary and make up for Wallace's.  Hinrich and Nocioni are FA's in 07 (Sweetney too, though less of a priority right now) and need to be re-signed so this team is quickly rounding into shape based on cap limitations.  Still, the Bulls could have some money left next year if they trade TC for PJ Brown since Brown's contract is up in 07 too.  Also, the Bulls can (and will) swap picks with NY next draft which helps even more.  

GREAT JOB PAX!!!!!!!!

As the reports have said, you CLEARLY have to deal Tyson.  Had he played better last year, then maybe they could have kept him, but we can't have two big salaries up front that can't score.  I'm a Tyson defender, and I believe he'll be much better this year.  Don't forget that he was key in many of our victories over the last two seasons (including game-winning blocks against Carmello Anthony and Paul Pierce this season).  But oh well - we've upgraded and need to dump his salary.  Not to mention the fact that he is no mentor for Ty2.

My Piston fan friends are upset for the most part.  They didn't see this coming (neither did I).  Maybe now everyone can stop kissing Joe Dumars' arse.  I think it was his fault for the Pistons playoff failure.  They had no bench and had to play their starters way too many minutes in the regular season.  The only starter that played even moderately well in the playoffs was Tayshaun (the youngest of the bunch).

People who said they hate the Pistons - I've moved on since the early 90s.  I actually like eveyrone on the current Pistons except for Rip Hamilton (he is a b*tch).  Joe Dumars never walked off the court, and he stuck around to congratulate the Bulls.  Besides, if you cheered for Rodman in the late 90s, you must have forgiven him bolting the court as well as shoving Scottie into the basket support late in the third quarter of a Game 4 sweeo blowout.  (By the way, I still hold a grudge against Rodman for that and always thought he was overrated on the Bulls, anyway - but yes, I've moved on.  What I'm trying to say is I'm a hypocrite...)

In any event, this is certainly an exciting day.  Bulls are contenders right now, and that was the goal.  The division is now wide open.  We'll see if Flip can really coach.  Plus, Piston fans will never, ever forgive us for this, even if Ben ends up stinking it up (the renewal of a rivalry is more than likely).  So that's fun, too.

Also, four years from now when Big Ben gets off the books - maybe it will be time to pay another superstar Tyrus or (Ogden)?

Josh McRoberts in 07

a sweetney jersey? wow.....im somewhat pissed...i gotta ditch the chandler jersey....

I guess we could have gotten Boozer, Camby or Murphy as well but decided on the expiring contract of PJ Brown (and perhaps JR Smith thrown in).  Not bad.  PJ is probably the most reliable.

Somewhere in a Detroit gutter lies Joe Dumar's heart...

"last night i was pissed off when i found out ben wallace signed with the bulls and as i look at all of this i was just thinking if darko was still here he could have started in big be place when the piston made the trade for calvin kato it could come bite the pistons in the ass because with that trade we really didnt get anything in return when darko played for the magic he was doing pretty well now that been is gone everything is screwed up this year free agents there arnt any good centers and why would u want to start mcdyess when hes one of r best bench players it is going to b hard to overcome this"

-- HOLY CRAP!  We take Ben away and the fans are reduced to "If only we still had DARKO!"

ROTFLMAO!

... hahahahahahahahahahahaha.

1. I like Ben Wallace's game and how it fits the Bulls with defensive prowess, defensive backbone, and ferocious competitor.
2. Paxson got his man, one of the few diamonds in the Free Agency market this off season. He targeted him, and unlike his predecessor, he landed him. If this blows up in Pax's face, at least he can't make excuses and say he was working with less-than top level talent.
3. Did Chicago just become a valued destination again? Crumbs and the environment were so dismal, no one wnated to be anywhere near the Berto Center.

These are really great days to be a Bulls fan and I can't wait for November to get here.
   

Anyone know how much exactly Nazr signed for?  All the bigs this year will roughly be in Big Ben's salary range.  So yeah, it's okay that we spent 12 mil more than the Pistons offered at first.  Better than a bidding war later in free agency.