This one is from hoopsworld. I don’t know if the source is trustable, but apparently they talked with the Bulls, some league sources and a couple of agents before writting the story. And from what they heard from the league sources, four teams had already contacted Deng: Lakers, Pistons, Heat and Jazz.

The Luol Deng Story: Reports yesterday suggested that Chicago Bulls' forward Luol Deng and his agent were ready to issue an "ultimatum" to the Bulls, basically saying if Luol did not have a deal done by September 1st, that he would back away from negotiations and not negotiate again with the Bulls. The Reports suggested if Luol did not get a deal he's comfortable with, he'd sign the Bulls' $4.4 million qualifying offer sheet and become an unrestricted free agent next year and walk. After spending the bulk of the day on the phone talking with Bulls and league sources and a couple of agents, there is some truth to this stance. First, let's not call it an ultimatum, the parameters of the negotiations have been established. That's how the agents frame it. The Bulls have had several discussions with both Luol Deng and Ben Gordon and are basically offering both players the same kinds of packages they offered last year. In Luol's case, $57 million is not enough for a number of reasons. First other teams are offering sign and trade packages that Chicago seems lukewarm on exploring. Those sign and trade packages could get Luol in the $13 to $14 million a year range, which is substantially more than Chicago's offer - roughly $9 million per year. Some teams are telling the agents of the restricted class to take the qualifying offer this year and get radically paid next year as unrestricted free agents; this includes Ben Gordon and Luol Deng. League sources suggested that the Lakers, Pistons, Heat and Jazz have all had discussions with Luol Deng's camp about the framework of a sign and trade. Luol's camp would not comment on the situation, stating they did not want to negotiate in the media, but did confirm that talks were on going and that Luol, after the first round of talks, wants to remain "loyal" to the Bulls. One veteran agent not involved in talks with the Bulls explained that there are limited things a player can control in this process; one of them is choosing when to talk. The belief in both Ben Gordon and Luol Deng's case is the Bulls have had two years of talks to get to a deal, and if at this point they are not ready to make the kind of investment both players are seeking, then it's not going to happen for them. The question remains will the Bulls get serious in contract talks, or will they look to cash Luol out in a sign and trade and get an asset for him. It will be interesting to see who blinks first in this high stakes game of chicken, it seems Luol's camp is ready to move on if Chicago does not get serious about Lou, the question really is can the Bulls afford to lose a player of Luol Deng's caliber next year without compensation?

This is the first time that I reed something about the Lakers and Jazz being interested in Deng. But a few days ago I read a story in Hoopsworld about the Pistons. The story says that they are thinking trade for Deng and that they are prepared to send Tayshaun Prince to the Bulls.

The Chicago Bulls would ideally love to keep Luol Deng, but with negotiations going the way they're going it's likely the Pistons get serious in talks with Chicago. Tayshaun Prince would come back in trade and he's a veteran who could make life easier for new head coach Vinny Del Negro. Prince isn't exactly a vocal leader, but he knows how to win and he's all business.

Since the discussions with Deng are not doing well, do you think this can happen? And if the Bulls agree to make a sign and trade, what players from those teams do you think could benefit our team?

p.s  Sorry for the grammar mistakes

In the last weeks we’ve been discussing a lot of trades. Some people think the Bulls should get a PF, other that they should get a SG to help Derrick Rose. I think we all already understood that Paxton is not going to get anyone really good from Free Agency, because teams like Atlanta (Josh Smith) or Philadelphia (Iguodala) can match every offer. Right now he’s committed in re-sign Deng and Gordon - which I think is a good idea -, and when finishes that task, won’t be there anyone worthless. So, our last chance to improve the value of the team is definitely trading some peaces.

Sports Ilustrated have a good storie about the possible Market Forces of this off-season. It goes from Vince Carter to Shawn Marion, Michael Redd, Rasheed Wallace, etc, etc, etc…

Vince Carter: The Nets already have sent out two of the Big Three, dealing Jason Kidd (Mavericks) and Richard Jefferson (Bucks) over the past five months. Carter could be next as New Jersey goes about clearing cap space for a possible run at LeBron James in two years. Carter, 31, has a huge contract (three more years, $49 million), but he is also a seven-time All-Star who averaged 21.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists last season.

Shawn Marion: The 30-year-old forward is among the most versatile players in the game and a four-time All-Star. He's also in the final year of a contract that pays him $17.2 million, and is likely going to seek a max-type deal next summer. The Heat might decide to move him now for help at point guard or in the low post rather than risk losing him for nothing. The Lakers and Warriors have been mentioned as possibilities.

Lamar Odom: This year's Finals showed that the Lakers need to get tougher on the interior, and Odom is easier to replace than the 7-foot Pau Gasol. His contract (one more year, $14.6 million) also makes him attractive to other suitors. He could end up back with Pat Riley in Miami, where he spent the 2003-04 season, or up the road in Sacramento.

Ron Artest: The 6-foot-7 swingman is talented, but his volatility has to frighten the rebuilding Kings. It didn't help that Artest recently came out and said he made a mistake by not opting out of his contract that pays him $7.4 million next season. Whether the Kings and Lakers pull the trigger on a long-rumored Odom-for-Artest deal remains to be seen, but Sacramento president Geoff Petrie will surely think about it.

Andrei Kirilenko: Thanks to his strong bounce-back campaign in 2007-08, you don't hear his name mentioned in trade rumors as often as a year ago. But the Jazz can't be too thrilled with the prospect of paying Kirilenko $49 million over the next three years. With Deron Williams due for a contract extension this summer, and Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur eligible to become free agents in '09, Utah could use some payroll relief.

Stephon Marbury: His past three seasons in New York have been a huge disappointment, and he clearly does not fit in the team's plans. The Knicks would rather trade him than buy him out of the last year and $21.9 million on his deal, but they don't want to take back any more bad contracts. Still, some team (the Heat?) might be willing to take a chance on a player who once averaged 20 points and eight assists on a regular basis.

Al Harrington: The versatile Warriors forward fell out of favor with coach Don Nelson last season, and became mostly a role player. Golden State could use Harrington to try to get another big man or to acquire a point guard to help replace the departed Baron Davis.

Rasheed Wallace: Pistons boss Joe Dumars has made no secret that he's looking to make major changes. 'Sheed's reputation will scare off some, but he has only one more year ($13.7 million) left on his contract. How about a reunion with Larry Brown in Charlotte?

Michael Redd: The Bucks were expected to dangle Redd this summer as new general manager John Hammond goes about trying to rebuild the team. But after acquiring Richard Jefferson from the Nets, the likelihood went down. Still, if the Bucks do explore a deal, the Cavs have long been interested in getting the former Ohio State star to help take some of the scoring load off LeBron James.

So, if you were Paxton, which one of this (or others) guys would you really pursue? And what would you offer in return from this package*: Hinrich, Noce, Hughes - I hate him, but I don’t like much this idea, because in 2010 we could get a little more cap space with him - and, why not, Ben Gordon (sign and trade).

Don’t forget that the salaries have to match, and that what you are willing to give in return have to be good to the other team too. This exercise it’s not just what we would like, but also what could benefit both parts.

* I chose those players because they are what people here in BaB have been talking more in the last Weeks

Honestly, if the Nets want so much Lebron James, I don’t understand why they are considering trade for Nocioni. But still, the NJ.com is reporting that the Nets are thinking about getting Noce (please God, make it happen).

The Nets' payroll restrictions are a bit more flexible than agents were led to believe when the free-agent market opened.

For example, the Nets believe they still remain in the running for the likes of Eduardo Najera and Keyon Dooling -- two of the very few players they agree deserve three-year commitments -- but not so much for guys they think are worth only two (Mickael Pietrus, etc.).

"I don't think the two years is a hard and fast rule," one agent said yesterday, remaining anonymous so as not to hurt the Nets' ability to compete in the market. "And that's especially true if they can make a trade."

They are pursuing that as well, with Andres Nocioni being one of their primary targets. The veteran forward is available, GMs throughout the league confirm, for one reason: Chicago needs to slash payroll in order to give Luol Deng the $55-60 million to re-sign.

Though Nocioni has four more years left on his contract, the numbers descend (from $8.0M to $6.6M), and he could be a catalytic practice element the Nets need in their gym.

If it's true, they would make us a favor, because Noce's contract is bad for someone that isn't a starter. So, what could we get from the Nets if they really want to make this trade? Vince Carter, or do you think he’s like McGrady and he’s already OLD (31) for us?

Let’s speculate again…

Here they come... Now that we draft Rose, the rumours about trades envolving our guards already will to increase. The first one was about Hinrich going to Denver. The Rocky Mountain News don't tell who might be envolved besides Hinrich.

There are rumblings that, with Chicago having drafted point guard Derrick Rose with the top pick, Bulls point guard Kirk Hinrich could be on the move, with Denver a possible landing spot.

It's just a possibility, but, what kind of trade would you guys do? Do you think that that this can really happen?

Apparently, Bulls promised Gary Forbes to draft him in the second round. I first hear the rumor on the most recently Bulls Beat . Maybe it’s a little bit early to make this kind of promises, but it seems the bulls liked what Forbes showed in Orlando. And the DraftExpress  say great things about him…

No player has done more for their stock in the pre-draft camps than Gary Forbes. The physically imposing swingman rode on the momentum he picked up from the Portsmouth Invitational to an MVP performance at this year’s Orlando Pre-Draft Camp. While he stood out amongst his peers at both venues, he was one of the few players here that showed an ability to carry his team when it mattered. That won’t be a skill that necessarily will need to translate to the NBA for him, but there is something to be said for stepping up and being a leader in a setting like this one where everyone is trying to earn a job.

There is very little that Gary Forbes didn’t do offensively in Orlando, and he provided one of the most impressive scoring performances in the Camp’s history—averaging nearly a point for every minute he played (21.3 in 23 minutes). In his second game, Forbes put up an incredible 30 in 25 minutes. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Forbes’s performance was the sheer volume of free throws that he accumulated throughout the course of the game, and that Camp for that matter (11 attempts per game). Of the 30 points he scored, 15 came at the line in only 16 tries. He has a knack for attacking angles and getting his man on his shoulder to draw fouls or finish with contact.

Forbes may not be known for his jump shot, but the rotation he puts on the ball is immaculate, and if he can learn to shoot the ball with the same touch from the perimeter as he does from the line, he’ll be a tremendous offensive role player. He only hit 29% of his 3-pointers at UMass, but has definitely shown much more potential in that area at Portsmouth and Orlando. Forbes has already proven himself to be a capable slasher, and while he lacks elite athleticism, he’s got tremendous court savvy and is a very solid ball handler for his size. His instincts are really what separates him from the pack, as he has terrific timing and footwork knowing when and how to attack his matchup, which is how he was able to make a living at the free throw line the way he did in Orlando.

On the other end of the floor, things weren’t quite as pretty for Forbes. His lateral quickness is already underwhelming, and he didn’t do himself many favors with lack of intensity he showed on this end, giving his man too much space and not really getting into any kind of low defensive stance at times. For someone who projects as more of an off the bench type in the NBA, this is something he’ll have to shore up if he wants to get minutes in the league.

Though he’s a year older than many of his counterparts in this year’s draft at 23, Forbes has solidified himself as an early second-round selection, and if he continues to improve his defense and perimeter shooting, may surprise a lot of people with his ability to contribute at the NBA level.

 

So, if this stuff it’s true, what does it mean? That the Bulls aren’t going to sign Gordon? That Hinrich, Hughes and Noce - I surely hope so - are going to be trade? Because, if we draft Rose, for wtf do we need another guard?

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