Dwyane Wade recently dropped a mini-bombshell on the Bulls’ free agent dreams: Because Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen aren’t on Chicago’s payroll at the moment, Wade has doubts about the organization’s loyalty.
When a team is in the market for a superstar, that team probably doesn’t want on-the-market superstars openly questioning the organization’s loyalty in the press. It just looks bad. Why not tell everybody that Jerry Reinsdorf bathes in human blood and survives on an all-kitten diet, Dwyane?
To wit, here’s a list of the former players whom the Bulls have hired as front office employees, coaches or broadcasters: John Paxson, Bill Cartwright, Randy Brown, Bill Wennington, Stacey King, Pete Myers and B.J. Armstrong.
And that’s not all. As Michael Gibbons of the Bleacher Report points out: “The late great Johnny ‘Red’ Kerr was the team’s first coach and was a longtime broadcaster. Jerry Sloan, who has his number retired, worked his way up as a scout before becoming the head coach. His coaching tenure lasted less than three seasons. The late Norm Van Lier was connected to the team in many ways, mostly through the broadcasting side. Bob Love, who also has his number hanging from the rafters, can be seen at almost every single Bulls game and helps out greatly with all the Bulls charities.”
And while it’s true that Jordan and Pippen — the two biggest names on the Former Chicago Bulls All-Star Team – aren’t and haven’t been on the Bulls’ payroll since their playing days, it could be argued that role players need loyalty more than superstars do. Plus, last time I checked, the Boston Celtics don’t have Bill Russell or Larry Bird on staff. The Utah Jazz never hired John Stockton or Karl Malone. Isiah Thomas isn’t working for the Detroit Pistons. So on and so forth.
Not that Forman wants to argue about it. He just wants people to know what’s what: ”Anyone who would question our loyalty is obviously misinformed. I think it absolutely ignores our record, which speaks for itself. We have a number of ex-players that are — and have been — employed within our organization within a variety of capacities, ranging from the front office to the coaching staff, in our business office, as part of our broadcasting teams. We take great pride in not only how we treat our current players, but also in how we treat our former players.”
Of course, Forman couldn’t resist making a pitch too: “What I read and what I hear the players say is that winning is the most important thing. And we believe, like I’ve said before, with our talented young nucleus of players and the flexibility that we’ve created to add to that core that we’re set up to have great success here for many years to come.”
Meanwhile, Randy Brown — a former Bulls player and current director of player development — said: ”I was shocked. I talked to D-Rose [Derrick Rose] right after we both saw the article, and he didn’t understand what D-Wade was saying. I told him this thing completely threw me off stride.”
You’re not the only one, Randy.
In fact, Wade himself is trying to distance himself from his comments: ”I’m not taking shots at the Bulls and the organization. I respect the organization. … It’s just my opinion when the question was asked about what’s most important to you, I said one of the most important things is loyalty.”
Uh huh. Suuuuuure, Dwyane.
Henry Thomas, the Chicago-based attorney who represents both Wade and Chris Bosh in partnership with CAA Sports, added: ”No. 1, there were some statements that Dwyane made that were taken out of context. ‘That was why it was very important that clarification was posted as quickly as possible. He made a point to say that he does not know, other than as an outside observer, much about the Bulls’ organization. Growing up here, he, of course, heard some things that were said with regard to how matters were handled with Michael and Scottie and even Phil [Jackson].
”But for him at this point to make an educated judgment about the loyalty that exists between the Bulls and former players, really not positioned to do that.”
No. He’s really not.
Here’s the money shot: when he was asked if Wade has ruled out the Bulls as a possible destination when he becomes a free agent this summer, Thomas said: ”Absolutely not.”
Check this out: According to Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune, Dwyane Wade is planning to meet with some of the other big names in this summer’s free agent bonanza to discuss their future…individually or collectively.
Said Wade: “(Free agency) has been three years coming. We’ve discussed it prematurely, at different times. (But) you don’t know what guys are thinking and where they’re going. I think we’ll all sit down, and before one of us makes a decision, all of us will have spoken to each other and (listened to the) thinking.
“A lot of decisions (will be based on) what other players are willing to do and what other guys want to do. So it’s not just a ‘me’ situation here. We all have to look and see what each other is thinking. … I understand that you have to have a great team, a great supporting cast around you. That’s all I want. My ego is not that big. … I just want to win.”
Actually, winning is one of two things that Dwyane values. The other is loyalty…which makes him feel a little iffy about the Bulls.
Said Wade: “I think the biggest question that you think about has to be loyalty. I know one thing about Miami: It is a very loyal organization. I see what they do with their players when their players get done with the game of basketball … how loyal they are. I don’t know about the Bulls.
“I see Michael Jordan is not there, Scottie Pippen is not there. … You know, these guys are not a part. Things like that. So that is probably one of the biggest things for me, because I am a very loyal person.”
Uh oh.
Anyway, according to one report, Wade, Joe Johnson and LeBron James will all be part of that confab. Additionally, “a source told ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard that the Toronto Raptors’ Chris Bosh also will join Wade, James and Johnson when they get together to discuss free agency.”
What, no Darko Milicic?
Well, if all those players get together, I suppose they could decide to go somewhere together. No team could sign three of them to a max contract. However, the New York Knicks have enough money for two max players. So, if three of them were willing to take a paycut, I suppose that would make the Knicks the best choice, New York the one team capable of providing the three biggest pie pieces.
Or they may talk and decide that all want to go their own ways after all.
The boys at Blogs With Balls got to spend a day hanging out with Joakim Noah, and their video of that day shows once again why Jo is so freaking awesome. And, uh, Joakim, if you ever want to hang out, let me know. I’m a great conversationalist and I can even show you my collection of vintage sporks!
Yeah, anyway, here’s the video. Hat tip to TrueHoop.
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the New Orleans Hornets have made a formal offer to Boston Celtics assistant and defensive mastermind Tom Thibodeau.
And what does that mean for the Bulls?
Stein writes: “Sources say the Bulls, meanwhile, have scheduled an interview this week with [Lawrence] Frank while waiting to see whether Thibodeau takes the New Orleans job or consents to meet with them after Boston’s series with Orlando. Other Bulls candidates besides Frank and Thibodeau, according to the Chicago Tribune, are Houston Rockets assistant coach Elston Turner and Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach Maurice Cheeks.”
Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald adds: “Dallas assistant Dwane Casey will reportedly get a second interview for Atlanta’s opening. Casey is on the Bulls’ list, but trails Tom Thibodeau and Maurice Cheeks at this point. – The Bulls are not expected to have interest in ex-Cleveland coach Mike Brown. LeBron James won’t want to play in the same slow-down offense. New Jersey might add Brown to its list of candidates.”
Despite the fact that his team still hasn’t closed in on a new coach, Joakim Noah is feeling pretty positive. During a recent appearance on “The Waddle & Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000, Noah compared Chicago to New York: “I think the difference is we’re going to win a lot more ballgames over there. The future is really bright in Chicago. It’s really exciting to be a part of it, and things are looking pretty good.”
According to ESPN’s Chris Broussard: “The Chicago Bulls have reached out to Phil Jackson through back channels to gauge his interest in returning to the franchise he won six NBA titles with, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation. There has been no direct contact between Bulls officials and Jackson, according to the sources, but people close to both parties have spoken and come away with the belief that Jackson would be open to a potential reunion in Chicago next season.”
So, let me get this straight: Jerry Reinsdorf — the same man who seemed to ever-so-gently nudge Jackson out of town after the Bulls won their sixth title in 1998 – is willing to pry open up his wallet to bring Phil back? And P-Jax “would be open” to that?
Without going any further, I’m going to go ahead and file this one under “Let’s not get too excited over things just yet.”
After all, as the Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson wrote: “A Bulls source downplayed an ESPN report that claimed the Bulls are working back channels to gauge Phil Jackson’s interest in returning to the franchise he led to six championships.”
Johnson is also quick to remind everybody about what Jackson had to say back on May 4 when somebody asked him if he was interested in the Bulls coaching job: “No, I’m not. I think it’s a wonderful job for whoever takes it. It’s a team on the rise and there’s some young talent that showed their ability to come back after probably a devastating first two months. Then from January on they played pretty well.”
Jackson has hinted at the possibility of retirement – ”It’s really about how I feel about getting into another 82-game season. It’s a commitment.” – but has also said that there’s a “90 percent chance” that if he coaches next season it will be with the Lakers.
In L.A., Phil has a championship contender out of the box. In Chicago, he’s have to build it (not quite from scratch but close) and the Bulls would probably have to sign LeBron James and possibly another significant player without giving up Derrick Rose or Joakim Noah to provide Jackson with the proper motivation to return to the Windy City.
Of course, the situation is also highly dependent on whether Lakers owner Jerry Buss is willing to show Jackson the money. As Broussard pointed out: “Buss reportedly wants Jackson to take a pay cut from the $12 million salary he’s receiving this season.”
Which brings us to what is most likely the real reason Phil “would be open” to what I’m sure would be a tear-filled reunion with the old boss he loves to hate. As Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald: “At the same time, it’s smart for Jackson to show interest in the Bulls because it helps his leverage with the Lakers.”
And there you have it.
The reality is, a lot of circumstances would have to converge for Jackson to coach the Bulls next season. Chicago would probably have to sign LeBron and bring in another solid, possibly All-Star caliber player. Buss would have to demand a significant reduction in Jackson’s salary. And Reinsdorf — a well-noted cheapskate — would have to offer Phil a lot of cash to leave L.A. or opt out of retirement.
In case you haven’t noticed what the Boston Celtics have been up to lately, they’re on a six-game playoff winning streak against the two best regular season teams in the league. During that six-game stretch, the Celtics have held the Cavaliers and Magic to 87, 88, 85, 88, 92 and 71 points.
Mind you, coming into their series against the Celtics, the Magic were 8-0 in the playoffs and averaging 101.0 PPG while shooting almost 50 percent from the field and nearly 40 from downtown. Against the Boston Stranglers, they’re scoring 83.7 PPG while hitting only 39 percent of their field goals and 28 percent of their threes. As Zach Harper of Cowbell Kingdom pointed out: “Their offensive rating is down to 95 points per 100 possessions. For reference, the 12-70 Nets were last in the NBA with 100.6 points per 100 possessions.” And remember: During the regular season, the Magic were ranked 4th in Offensive Rating.
It’s no wonder the Bulls are targeting Boston assistant coach and defensive mastermind Tom Thibodeau.
According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: “League sources confirmed the Bulls have requested permission to interview Thibodeau – who is not permitted to talk to media, a team rule for assistant coaches – for their head coaching vacancy. That interview could take place during the Celtics’ break between the Eastern Conference finals and NBA Finals should they finish off their 3-0 lead over the Magic. … In 18 NBA seasons with the Timberwolves, SuperSonics, Spurs, 76ers, Knicks, Rockets and Celtics, Thibodeau’s teams have finished in the top 10 defensively 15 times.”
On Saturday, Amar’e Stoudemire denied the rumor that he’s leaving the Suns after the season ends: “It’s still 50-50 and it’s still going to be that way until a decision is made. I don’t know where this guy [ESPN's Chad] Ford is getting his information from, but it’s not coming from my agent, my manager or from myself.”
After the game, Stoudemire said: “You can never question my determination, my focus, my dedication. That’s one of the reasons I’ve persevered through injuries and continue to try to improve every summer. My dedication to the game is at an all-time high.”
Isn’t it funny how a player’s “dedication to the game” always seems to hit an all-time high during a contract year? I’m just sayin’…
Here’s more of the latest on this summer’s free-agents-to-be:
LeBron James:
Tired of all the LeBron speculation yet? Don’t worry: You only have about a month and a half to go!
Here’s some more conjecture for you: Chris Broussard of ESPN The Magazine ranked the five most probable destinations for King James…and Chicago topped the list.
Said Broussard: “Of all the clubs with max cap space, the Bulls have the most talent to put around James. He’s never had a teammate the caliber of Derrick Rose, and Joakim Noah is an amped-up, more skilled version of Anderson Varejao (not to mention one of the best rebounders and shot-blockers in the game). The positions are a bit different, but could that trio become reminiscent of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman? The Bulls also have other solid players who might be able to fetch another star-caliber talent in a sign-and-trade. The city of Chicago isn’t New York, but it’s not Cleveland either. The Chi would give LeBron a nice mix of big city excitement and suburban peace.”
Of course, Broussard also points out that signing with the Bulls could cost LeBron $30 million and would force him to play in Michael Jordan’s shadow. To that’s the downside.
By the way, LeBron’s agent, Maverick Carter, has put the kibosh on all those rumors about the King wanting (or demanding) to hand-pick his next coach. Said Carter: “All these rumors out there are absolutely untrue. LeBron just wants to win. He doesn’t want to handpick his next coach.”
Chris Bosh:
Despite all the LeBron buzz, NBA GMs are also talking a lot about Bosh.
According to ESPN’s Chad Ford: “The NBA GMs I spoke with are convinced that Bosh is the most likely top free agent to leave for another destination. They also believe the Raptors will be willing to do a sign-and-trade, potentially putting all 29 other teams in play for his services. That idea wasn’t disputed by two sources close to situation. They told me Thursday that Bosh’s agent has informed the Raptors that he has whittled his potential list down to five teams and has given the list to the Raptors. (See this Bosh news story, published earlier on Friday.) Bosh’s wish list, according to sources, includes the Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat and New York Knicks, in no particular order.”
Despite the “in no particular order part, Ford went on to say: “One of the sources told ESPN.com that Bosh’s ultimate decision will likely be heavily influenced where LeBron decides to play: ‘If LeBron decides to go to either New York or Chicago, I think that’s where you’ll see Chris land. If LeBron stays in Cleveland, I think the process is more wide open.’”
Ford also said that Bosh would likely prefer a sign-and-trade scenario so he could get an extra year on his contract and larger year-to-year raises. The Bulls would probably be more than happy to do a sign-and-trade with Luol Deng and/or Kirk Hinrich — due mostly to their bloated contracts — but the Raptors would probably want a big man in return, say, Taj Gibson or Joakim Noah. Well, there’s no way they’re getting Noah. Deng and Gibson, perhaps?
Joe Johnson:
I’ve made my feelings about Joe Cool pretty clear, but allow me to repeat myself: Don’t want him on the Bulls, no way, no how. Well, Brett LaGree of Hoopinion paints an ugly picture that has hardened my anti-Joe stance to “unbreakable.”
LaGree provides plenty of hard data to suggest that Johnson is — in essence — a player without great athleticism who relies primarily on difficult jump shots, rarely gets to the free throw line, and plays questionable defense. And despite being The Man in Atlanta, his production (though very good) has basically flatlined.
Said LaGree: “Johnson turns 29 this summer. He’s played 25,974 minutes in the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks have enjoyed the prime of his career. That prime may last another couple of years but Joe Johnson isn’t going to sign a two or three-year contract this summer. Some team is going to be on the hook for the next five or six years of Johnson’s career at the cost of at least $15 million per season. I think it’s unlikely Johnson gets any better* but how confident can one be that he’ll remain this good. … However one feels about the validity of Johnson’s current reputation, it’s difficult to see how he will maintain his established level of production into his mid-30s. Buyer beware.”
Amar’e Stoudemire:
Even though the Suns are saying they will pay a hefty sum to re-sign him, ESPN’s Chad Ford quoted a source close to Stoudemire who says Amar’es days in Phoenix may be over: “I don’t think it’s going to happen,” a source close to Stoudemire told ESPN. “Amare feels like the organization disrespected him. Amare loves his teammates and has really enjoyed playing for the team these last few months, but he’s reluctant to commit to Phoenix long-term.”
As noted, Stoudemire is right below Joe Johnson on my “Buyer Beware” anti-wish list.
Prepare for the socks to get blown right off your feet, because I’ve got a real shocker for you: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban would like to have LeBron James on his team…just like everybody else.
According to ESPNDallas.com, Cuban said the following to CNNMoney.com:
“Come July 1st, yeah, of course, anybody would be interested in LeBron James, and if he leaves via free agency, then it’s going to be tough. If he does like I’m guessing, hoping he will, which is say, ‘I’m not going to leave the Cavs high and dry,’ if he decides to leave — there’s still a better chance he stays — then he’ll try to force a sign-and-trade, and that gives us a chance. … What I do know about LeBron in the minimal time I’ve spent talking to him is he just wants to win. Money’s not his issue. He needs to be someplace where he trusts the organization. And look, [owner] Dan Gilbert in Cleveland did everything he possibly could, that’s just the way the game works. If there was a template that we all could follow, we’d all have championship rings.”
Believe it or not, some people are wigging out about what Cuban said, as explained on the ESPN NBA Rumors page: “The NBA doesn’t allow people who work for teams or own teams to talk to or about players on different teams who are under contract. If they do it’s considered tampering and they can be fined by the league.”
All I have to say is: You’ve got to be kidding me. If what Cuban did is tampering, then what the New York Knicks have been doing for the last two years is nothing short of stalking. Last time I checked, LeBron hasn’t filed a restraining order against Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni, so I don’t think Cuban’s comments qualify as tampering.
But hey, what do I know?
However, this situation does highlight something that a lot of people haven’t been considering: Technically speaking, every team is participating in the LeBron Sweepstakes. The Bulls, Clippers, Heat, Knicks and Nets are the only teams with the cap space necessary to sign LeBron as a free agent, but in theory, any team could go after him in a sign-and-trade situation. And just about any team would do it if given the opportunity.