<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">As for Chandler's draft mate, Eddy Curry, consider this the latest installment in an occasional series of Trade Eddy pieces, a series that seems to have been running longer than "Seinfeld." Curry and the Bulls are so far apart in talks and philosophy they seem to need a translator. The Bulls are talking about incentives with limited but generous guarantees?generous for a player who may have a heart condition and cannot get his contract insured. Curry is talking about being among the highest-paid players in the NBA with full guarantees. It's like they're talking in different languages. They cannot even agree on whether Curry has a heart problem, though a trip back through Tribune files reveals an item from Feb. 21, 2003, reporting Curry's mother, Gayle, suffering a "minor" heart attack on Feb. 19. As a result, Curry missed a practice, the story said. Had we heard about family history before? This, surely, is a complicated issue. A sign-and-trade is one possibility, assuming some team is willing to take a risk the Bulls apparently will not or cannot. Who is desperate for a center who may have medical issues? Ask the Nets about that. Hello and goodbye, Alonzo Mourning. Minnesota? The Bulls need a big shooting guard with range ? do you like Wally Szczerbiak? Perhaps Memphis, another team heading backward. Shane Battier can fill several roles, even if he's not a classic shooting guard. The Knicks, of course, take all risks and supposedly would do so for Curry, but good luck if you can find someone on that roster you'd really want for a hard-working, defensive-oriented Bulls team. Larry Brown figures to find that out soon.</div> Chicago Tribune
Another piece of the article:"That might make for an ugly 2005-06 season for Curry here. Some who have seen him say he has let his weight and conditioning return to poor, pre-2004 levels. Bulls coach Scott Skiles, we know, is not a big fan of Curry's. And that was when Curry was in the best shape of his life." If that part about his conditioning is true, i fear the worst for next season. I hate to say it, but if it's true, we will have to start accepting the fact that he doesn't have the heart/discipline to match his (enormous) talent. Very curious to see how this will all play out...
What is Curry thinking? He just had heart surgery, I'm sure a lot of his heart problems are a result of his size and lack of conditioning. Forget the fact he's negotiating a new contract, he needs to focus on what's best for his health at this point. I'm sure the Bulls will have a clause in his contract he has to maintain a certain weight level. The last thing I want to see or hear is Curry having a heart attack during a game. I think Eddy Curry has to realize the organization he's dealing with. The Bulls have always taken care of their players, they honored Jay Williams contract even though he had a possible career-ending injury. I'm sure the Bulls would be more than happy to break the bank on Curry if he proved to them he is healthy enough to play at a high level and disciplined enough to stay in shape.
I know talented 7 footers are hard to find, but Curry is one of those Potential Players, players that you keep talking about their potential and they can become every year, without actually reaching their potential. If I were Paxon, the maximum money I'll give him is 7 Mills/Yr for 3/4 years. Other than that, he's overpaying, because him losing weight and getting in shape in his contract year was not a coinsidence!
Curry deserves to be paid people call him a potential player, but he even at where he is now he is a top five center in the eastern conference. He lost weight got in shape last off-season a lot as been made of his shape this off-season but remember he was not cleared for any physical activity for a period ranging over two and a half months. Curry lead the team in scoring during the regular season, and anchored our offense he by far was the most valuable player on the offensive end. Not just for the points he put on the board, but the double teams he drew that opened things up for Gordon and Hinrich. Resign the guy there is really no position that has a glaring whole we need to address right now so no sign and trade would give us real equal value for a true center.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Best Kept Secret:</div><div class="quote_post">Curry deserves to be paid people call him a potential player, but he even at where he is now he is a top five center in the eastern conference. He lost weight got in shape last off-season a lot as been made of his shape this off-season but remember he was not cleared for any physical activity for a period ranging over two and a half months. Curry lead the team in scoring during the regular season, and anchored our offense he by far was the most valuable player on the offensive end. Not just for the points he put on the board, but the double teams he drew that opened things up for Gordon and Hinrich. Resign the guy there is really no position that has a glaring whole we need to address right now so no sign and trade would give us real equal value for a true center.</div> I totally agree, Curry is already a top 5 center at this point in his career. I don't want to see a whole season with barely any front court scoring.
Is signing Curry for a long term deal worth the risk for the Bulls future? The Bulls young core should only improve this upcoming season, Gordon, Deng, Nocioni, Hinrich, Duhon, and Chandler. The Bulls also added Songalia, Allen, and brought back Harrington. The Bulls are playing it smart, because next summer they will be one of the few teams with a lot of cap space. Even if Curry becomes an unrestricted free agent, the Bulls can still offer him the most money. I think it's possible to do a sign and trade with the Grizzlies for Lorenzen Wright. The Grizzlies were interested in Curry earlier in the summer
I think they should just sign Curry for a 1-year deal and tell him to prove he's worth a big contract and then sign him for a long-term deal.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting J_Ray:</div><div class="quote_post">I think they should just sign Curry for a 1-year deal and tell him to prove he's worth a big contract and then sign him for a long-term deal.</div> Yeah that would be the best deal for Chicago, I think the Bulls need to get tough on Curry here, he doesnt deserve a huge contract, even at his healthiest, hes never really proven himself, hes quite inconsistant too. They need to offer him a one year deal to prove he deserves a big contract, or tell him to hit the road, thats what I would do anyway.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Best Kept Secret:</div><div class="quote_post">Curry deserves to be paid people call him a potential player, but he even at where he is now he is a top five center in the eastern conference. He lost weight got in shape last off-season a lot as been made of his shape this off-season but remember he was not cleared for any physical activity for a period ranging over two and a half months. Curry lead the team in scoring during the regular season, and anchored our offense he by far was the most valuable player on the offensive end. Not just for the points he put on the board, but the double teams he drew that opened things up for Gordon and Hinrich. Resign the guy there is really no position that has a glaring whole we need to address right now so no sign and trade would give us real equal value for a true center.</div> Of course we should resign him, but at what price?? Would you give him the contract he is asking for right now, under the current circumstances, with his heart and his current shape? Its easy to say yes when you're not the one actually paying him the money. The league is filled with overpaid underachievers who got their money after a succesfull contract year. And as much as i love Curry's talent, he hasn't done anything yet to prove he's different than all those wannabees. I would certainly try really hard to sign him, but not at the price he's asking right now (according to the media of course, who knows what they are actually talking about...). Too big of a risk, and if it turns out wrong, it's not just a good Curry we're losing, it's also at least one player of the Hinrich-Gordon-Deng trio, because we won't have the cash to resign all of them (or Reinsdorf would have to dig deep in his pockets).
Noir is right, its too risky at this stage. I hate how players get payed on "potential" its ridiculous, you should earn your pay, like the rest of society. On the other hand if curry does really reach his perceived potential then he'll be unstoppable, they don't call him baby shaq for no reason. I think in the next CBA agreement they need to overhaul the pay system, there should be a sizeable guarenteed amount and then a GOOD proportion should be based on performance. Kind of like a retainer + commision for salespeople.
I think the word potential is misused with Curry. I think he has already proven he will be a good player, but since he has not reached the prime of his career yet, when he will average twenty a game, people believe he is still a guy who will get money because of potential. I think the heart thing is a big concern, but that is the only thing I don?t think there is any risk in terms of him not performing. Chandler is a bigger ?potential? risk then Curry in my mind. His weight is something I feel is being blown way out of proportion. He has not been sighted at any events to judge if he has gained weight, and if he has I would think it is something about maybe ten pounds or so due to three months of no physical activity. I don?t know how our pay role stands after signing Chandler, but before that we had the fourth lowest pay role in the league. So we do have some money to maneuver around with. We also have the early bird rights to Deng, Gordon, and Hinrich (I believe) so we can match there offers anyhow.
