All Entries Tagged With: "Amare Stoudemire"
Bulls standing pat?
Mike McGraw thinks the Bulls will stand pat until 2010. The exception being a trade for a low post player like Chris Bosh or Carlos Boozer. Mc Graw also mentions the Bulls could look for another guard to help Kirk Hinrich off the bench, and maybe bring back Lindsey Hunter as a player or coach.
Tough as it is to lose Gordon’s scoring, the Bulls decided they would get only so far with a small backcourt. An argument could be made that Hinrich is a more valuable player, considering he can defend, score and handle the ball. Derrick Rose already began to take on some of the late-game scoring duties during his rookie season and that will continue.
The Bulls have 12 players under contract at $67.54 million. This includes center Aaron Gray, who received a qualifying offer from the Bulls, and both draft picks.
The Bulls are required to add a 13th player, which will probably be a backup point guard. Anthony Roberson and Demarcus Nelson might battle for that job in summer league, while the Bulls are very interested in bringing back veteran Lindsey Hunter as a player or coach.
Nothing says the Bulls can’t pay a small amount of luxury tax next season. But obviously, they’re not going to add much more to the payroll. So even low-priced free agents such as Rodney Carney or Kareem Rush are a long shot.
Cap room arrives in 2010: The No. 1 benefit to letting Gordon leave for Detroit is it opens salary-cap room for the summer of 2010, when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Joe Johnson and many others are expected to be on the open market.
Since the Bulls have roughly $23 million in expiring contracts between Brad Miller, Tim Thomas and Jerome James, they can keep the current roster intact and free up roughly $10 million-$12 million for next summer. That figure could rise or fall, depending on what the Bulls do with Tyrus Thomas. He’s eligible to sign a contract extension later this summer or can become a restricted free agent next year. Talk that the Bulls were desperate to unload Thomas on draft night was false.
Is Boozer available? The Bulls wouldn’t turn away Wade next summer, but their greatest need is a talented big man, and Toronto’s Bosh is their dream acquisition, either in a trade or as a free agent next year.
The Raptors seem set on keeping Bosh this summer, with the hope they’ll add a free agent such as Hedo Turkoglu, return to playoff contention next season and convince Bosh to stay long term.
Rather than wait on Bosh, the Bulls might try to get a jump on 2010 by targeting Boozer in a trade. Both Salt Lake City papers have suggested the Jazz plans to re-sign restricted free agent Paul Millsap this summer.
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Bulls replacing Gordon with Henderson?
K.C. Johnson’s sources insist the Bulls are trying to trade up to secure Duke guard Gerald Henderson. Henderson was the name that we speculated on earlier, could it be a move to replace Ben Gordon? Gordon has been linked to Detroit and an 11mil. per year offer on the table.
The Bulls have held trade talks with several teams about packaging the 16th and 26th picks into one higher selection, with two league sources insisting the target is Duke shooting guard Gerald Henderson.
Forman said trade talk involving potential 2010 free agents such as the Suns’ Amare Stoudemire and the Raptors’ Chris Bosh has been minimal. ESPN.com resurrected an old rumor in which Portland could target guard Kirk Hinrich in a draft-day deal.
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Stoudemire loves Vinny
Amare Stoudemire visited with the “Waddle and Silvy Show” today and said the chances of him being dealt is about 50/50. Amare also said he loves Vinny DelNegro.
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Boozer a fit for Bulls?
Mike McGraw poitns out an alternative for the Bulls to Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire, in free agent Carlos Boozer.
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Amare out for year?
Are the Suns kicking themselves today? The day after deciding to keep Amare Stoudemire, and see how far the current team could take them under a new coach, Stoudemire suffered a potential season-ending eye injury. ESPN has the story.
A day after deciding to let the trade deadline pass without making a major money-saving move, the inactivity seemingly has turned incredibly costly for the Phoenix Suns. The Suns have announced that Amare Stoudemire was forced to undergo surgery Friday to repair a partially detached retina in his right eye suffered in a Wednesday night rout of the Los Angeles Clippers. It is Stoudemire’s second injury in that eye since October and threatens to sideline the All-Star forward for the rest of the regular season.
It’s believed that the Suns were planning to revisit the idea of trading Stoudemire in conjunction with the June draft because of a payroll projected to more than $5 million over the luxury-tax threshold next season. The financial concerns that prompted Phoenix to shop Stoudemire in the first place only became more serious with the coaching change, since Sarver was forced to eat an estimated $4 million in guaranteed salary due to Porter over the next two seasons. The list of teams with which Phoenix exchanged Stoudemire trade proposals, according to NBA front-office sources, includes Chicago, Golden State, Cleveland, Memphis, Sacramento and Detroit.
Yet sources say the Suns were never close to landing the desired combination of salary-cap relief, young talent and draft picks to convince them to part with Stoudemire, who just played in his fourth All-Star Game and ranks as the league’s most successful comeback case from microfracture knee surgery
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Bulls still looking
The Raptors deny they are going to move Chris Bosh. The Suns have been reported to be holding on to Amare Stoudemire. WSCR reports the Bulls will try to “sweeten the pot” to entice a deal. Terry Boers’ sources say Brad Miller could be an option. Other names like Chris Kaman could be the back up plan according to Mike McGraw.
As I’ve written before, the best hope for a Bulls trade may be the bad economy. Sports Business Journal reported that 15 teams are looking to borrow money from the league to help cover operating losses. As long as teams are losing money, the Bulls may be able to pick up a bargain in a salary dump.
The most attractive option is probably Clippers center Chris Kaman, who is signed for three more years at $10.4, $11.3 and $12.2 million. Kaman’s been out since November with plantar fascitis, but is a strong defender and averaged 15.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks last season.
Philadelphia’s Sam Dalembert is available and Washington’s Antawn Jamison has come up in rumors. There are bound to be more players mentioned before the deadline expires on Thursday at 2 p.m. Central time.
I saw a rumor tonight about the Bulls talking with Minnesota about Kirk Hinrich. I can almost guarantee they will not trade Hinrich for expiring contracts, though.
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Stoudemire staying in Phoenix?
ESPN’s Marc Stein reports Amare Stoudemire will likely stay in Phoenix, unless they are blown away by an offer. Would this end the Chris Bosh to the Bulls possibilty as well?
There are suddenly strong signals emanating from the desert that the coaching change announced Monday by the Phoenix Suns will be the only big personnel change they make this week.
After the Suns spent several days taking and making phone calls on potential trades for Amare Stoudemire and Shaquille O’Neal, NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that Phoenix — having received a series of underwhelming proposals for Stoudemire — now prefers to leave its core intact for the rest of the season to see if new coach Alvin Gentry can do more with this group than the outgoing Terry Porter.
“I got the impression today that [the Suns] are standing pat,” said one source with knowledge of the team’s thinking. Officials from two other teams who spoke Monday with Phoenix told ESPN.com that the Suns’ willingness to consider offers for Stoudemire has been scaled back considerably from last week, when Stoudemire himself seemed resigned to being sent elsewhere, telling reporters: “I know for sure, wherever I go, we’re going to definitely be playoff contenders.”
Several teams contacted Monday night by ESPN.com were unanimous in the belief that the Suns are serious about taking Stoudemire off the market — at least until the draft in June when he is likely to be available again — in spite of the potential financial benefit to Sarver were Stoudemire or O’Neal to be exchanged for a large expiring contract. The initial leaguewide reaction suggests that this has not been received as a ploy from the Suns to generate better offers.
The Chicago Bulls were widely considered the favorites to land Stoudemire, but sources say Phoenix is not as high on Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas — who would have been packaged with Drew Gooden’s $7.2 million expiring contract — as media reports have suggested. The Detroit Pistons have a much larger expiring contract to offer but don’t have nearly as many movable young players to add to Rasheed Wallace’s $13.9 million ending salary as the Bulls do.
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Focus shifts to Bosh?
Brian Hanley reports the Bulls could be involved in a three-way deal that would send Amare Stoudemire to Toronto, Tyrus Thomas, Drew Gooden, and #1 to Phoenix, and Chris Bosh to Chicago.
The Amare Stoudemire trade talk still has the Bulls among the teams most involved, but a new scenario making the rounds has the Bulls taking part in a three-team deal that would bring Toronto Raptors star Chris Bosh to Chicago.
The rumored swap would send Stoudemire to Toronto and land the Phoenix Suns a package of players and draft picks from the Bulls, likely to include Drew Gooden and his expiring $7.2 million contract, Tyrus Thomas and a first-round pick. Gar Forman, the Bulls’ director of player personnel who’s expected to become general manager once John Paxson gives up day-to-day duties, reportedly has taken the lead in the talks with the Suns.
Other teams said to be interested in Stoudemire are Detroit, Cleveland, Sacramento, Houston and (less likely) Portland. Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry was quoted on NBA.com as saying he doubted he would make any trades by the league deadline Thursday. The 6-10, 230-pound Bosh, also a four-time All-Star, turns 24 next month. He makes $14 million this season and $15.8 million next season, with a player option of $17.1 million in 2010-11.
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Camby, Kaman as plan b?
K.C. Johnson’s people tell him the Bulls are looking into the Clipper’s Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman. Johnson’s sources say it’s less likely the Bulls will acquire Amare Stoudemire?
The Bulls, meanwhile, continue to debate the pros and cons of Stoudemire. According to NBA sources, they also are monitoring the Clippers’ situation to see if Chris Kaman or Marcus Camby can be pried loose. Two league executives said Sunday it appears less likely Stoudemire will become a Bull, if he is traded at all.
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Bulls and Cavs in lead for Amare?
A scary thought for the Bulls is Amare Stoudemire playing with LeBron James, even more incentive to get a deal done with Phoenix.
According to league sources, Chicago and Cleveland are among the contenders for Amare Stoudemire. The Bulls would send Drew Gooden and his expiring contract ($7.1 million), Tyrus Thomas (this season at $3.7 million, next season at $4.7 million) and Thabo Sefolosha ($1.9 million and $2.7 million this season and next, respectively) to the Suns. The Cavaliers are believed to be offering a package including the expiring contract of Wally Szczerbiak ($13 million), Anderson Varejao($5.7 million this season with player option worth $6.2 million for next season) and rookie forward J.J. Hickson ($1.3 million this season and $1.4 million next), although more pieces would need to be included to make that deal work.
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Pax out!
Peter Vecsey of the NY Post says his sources say the move is forthcoming. Sun-Times confirms.
Do I know this to be fact? No. But two people in the know maintain John Paxson will resign as Bulls GM soon after Thursday’s trade deadline expires. Assistant GM Gar Foreman is expected to take over for the remainder of the season.
Chicago is contemplating numerous trades – Amare Stoudemire, Jermaine O’Neal, Zach Randolph, Chris Kamen – in an effort to acquire an inside threat offensively and defensively, and, at the same time, deport Larry Hughes.
One of the above sources said he wouldn’t be surprised if Doug Collins were approached again at the season regarding the coaching job (currently held by Vinny Del Negro) and as GM, or both. Collins and managing partner Jerry Reinsdorf couldn’t agree on money last May.
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Bulls not just talking Amare?
Mike McGraw’s latest has additional options for the Bulls, besides Amare Stoudemire.
With a week left before the NBA’s trade deadline strikes on Feb. 19, it’s tough to predict what will happen with the Bulls.
Phoenix power forward Amare Stoudemire remains a possibility. But I keep hearing and reading that there will be a flurry of activity in the final days because so many teams are losing money in this poor economy and are becoming increasingly anxious to dump salaries.
That stinks for most of the country, but could be an opportunity for the Bulls. The salary structure is the same everywhere in the league, but the Bulls have a much easier time filling the stadium in a metropolitan area of 8 million than they do in the smaller markets.
Among the players widely believed to be available are New Orleans’ Tyson Chandler, Philadelphia’s Sam Dalembert and the Clippers’ Chris Kaman. I wouldn’t be surprised if Washington’s Antawn Jamison joins the list.
Of the above list, Kaman would be the most attractive, although he hasn’t played since Nov. 26 because of an arch problem. But Kaman is a good defender and last season, he averaged an impressive 15.7 points, 12.7 boards and 2.8 blocks. When the Bulls were out in L.A. a few weeks ago, Clippers boss Mike Dunleavy insisted there were no thoughts of trading Kaman, but owner Donald Sterling pays the bills.
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