http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AqLj...o&type=lgns <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Unless the Chicago Bulls can reach an agreement for a contract extension with restricted free agent Luol Deng before he departs to join the Great Britain national team in two weeks, he will end talks and tell management that he plans to leave the organization as a free agent next summer, a source close to Deng told Yahoo! Sports. Deng is determined to come to terms on a long-term contract, but he has set an Aug. 4 deadline to reach an agreement. Once Deng, 23, leaves the country for the European Championship qualifying tournament, he will a sign a one-year qualifying offer for $4.5 million and become an unrestricted free agent in 2009. The message to the Bulls promises to be implicit: Unless the two sides come to terms soon, Deng will never again negotiate with them. He will not let the uncertainty over his future hang over another basketball season, and unless a sign-and-trade is worked out, Deng will play out his final season in 2008-09 and sign elsewhere next summer. When reached on Sunday, Deng’s agent, Jason Levien, would only say, “We continue to talk to the Bulls and remain hopeful that something can be accomplished.” Recently, negotiations with the Bulls’ restricted free agents, Deng and guard Ben Gordon, took a dramatic turn when owner Jerry Reinsdorf decided to take over the talks himself. The Bulls made offers of $57.5 million and $50 million to Deng and Gordon last summer, but both players turned down those deals. Deng changed representation and hired Levien, who scored a five-year, $55 million extension for Sacramento’s Kevin Martin last year. So far, the Bulls haven’t returned to that $57.5 million figure and the sides have remained significantly apart. If the Bulls believe Deng is serious about leaving next year, they may have no choice but to broker a sign-and-trade with one of the numerous suitors around the league. The Utah Jazz and Miami Heat are expected to be two of the most aggressive pursuers. After a breakthrough 2006-2007 season, Deng’s production dipped to 17 points per game this past season. After the contract unrest of last summer, Deng and Gordon were part of months of trade talks with the Lakers involving Kobe Bryant, and the Bulls never seemed to be past it all. Nevertheless, Chicago’s basketball executives have long wanted Deng as the franchise’s cornerstone. At 6-foot-9, he’s still considered one of the NBA’s most versatile and skilled young talents. After meeting with new coach Vinny Del Negro, Deng has developed a renewed enthusiasm about staying with the Bulls this summer, the source said. Nevertheless, it appears time is of the essence for Deng’s future in Chicago. Once Deng gets on that flight for England, that could be the beginning of the end for him with the Bulls. Two weeks and counting now.</div> For all the talk about how Gordon was/is the problem guy or the unfavored guy by the org, it sure looks like it's Deng that's gotten fed up more quickly with things. I'm perfectly willing to hear what sort of sign and trade deals the Jazz or Heat are willing to offer. Deng's good, but I'm not even sure a better deal couldn't be had.
http://sportstwo.com/NBA/Story/NBA/2666893 Report: Deng could be leaving Bulls as free agent Monday, July 21, 2008 06:52 PM LAS VEGAS (Ticker) -- Luol Deng and the Chicago Bulls are on course for divorce, according to a report from Yahoo! Sports. The restricted free agent forward has given the Bulls two weeks to come to a contract agreement or else he will leave the team as a free agent after the upcoming season, the report said. The 6-9 Deng is scheduled to join the Great Britain national team, hence the deadline. If the Bulls fail to sign Deng, 23, to a long-term deal he will take a one-year qualifying offer for $4.5 million and test free agency after the season, according to Yahoo! In 63 games last season, Deng averaged 17 points and 6.3 rebounds.
I can see the Bulls are back on that "lets wait around" train again. If we lose Deng, I'll be pissed off.
What's really sad is looking at chicagosports.com and seeing how much foot dragging has been going on. It's been 18 days, and no concrete offer worth consideration by Deng.
I don't know who it is, Pax or Reinsdorf or both, but I see a superstar in Deng. Why would the Bulls put themselves in such a situation? Offer Deng a contract. It is obvious that he cares about this organization because if he didn't, he wouldn't be notifying the Bulls of this two week deadline, he probably wouldn't even give management two weeks to get it together. On top of that, he wouldn't agree to play a whole season on a 4.5 mil and then look for someone else. Pax, Reins...whoever, get off of this slow train because it's going to cost our team. Players do not like to be toyed with like this. I don't want to lose a guy who can do this and develop himself to consistently do this: <div><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/luEtB60UCf4&"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/luEtB60UCf4&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350" /></embed></object></div> and this <div><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/du4iV8vu8C8&"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/du4iV8vu8C8&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350" /></embed></object></div> If we lose Deng over this slow train/dragging their feet BS, Imma be heated. I am sure Ben Gordon is feeling the same vibe as Deng.
Wow, I'm shocked to read this first thing in the morning (Australia). I don't blame Deng though, I'd be annoyed at how long negotiations got drawn out. Just out of curiosity what teams have cap space next year? Would any teams sign Deng to a lucrative deal next season or wait and be patient for the following 2010 FA's? Aug 4th is about 2 weeks away. At the rate negotiations have gone, it looks like Deng won't be coming back. This is catastrophic for the upcoming season. How do you play with someone you know hasn't got his heart in the team and is leaving at the end of the year because of money. What do you do if your running the team? Would you make the player seem like a malcontent and sit him out for the whole season to drop his stock and give others a chance to grow? EDIT: S&T for Josh Smith anyone? He seems pretty peeved at Atlanta as well.
Deng would be playing for his next contract. An audition of sorts. His heart would be in it. The Bulls would probably play him 20 minutes a game tho. Noc! S&T with 2 BYC players is impossible, I'm afraid. Consider both teams sign $4M players to $15M contracts. Bulls send out Deng, at average of $4M + $15M = $9.5M, but receive Smith $15M. Fails the 25% rule. Same thing for Atlanta.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Denny Crane @ Jul 21 2008, 07:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Deng would be playing for his next contract. An audition of sorts. His heart would be in it. The Bulls would probably play him 20 minutes a game tho. Noc! S&T with 2 BYC players is impossible, I'm afraid. Consider both teams sign $4M players to $15M contracts. Bulls send out Deng, at average of $4M + $15M = $9.5M, but receive Smith $15M. Fails the 25% rule. Same thing for Atlanta.</div> Deng was playing for a contract last season. Look how that turned out... Dam these confusing trade rules etc. But surely both Atlanta and us could add to the package to balance it out.
Deng wasn't playing for a contract last season. If someone offered Deng $8M/season and he signed the contract, the Bulls could match and keep him cheap. The only RFA who's moved this season, or even gotten an offer (that I know of) is Turiaf.
The worst part of all this for Bulls fans is not only will Pax and Jerry screw this up, but Pax will also botch any attempts to work out an S&T by asking for too much.
I hope Deng stays there. It would be a shame to see him anywhere else. He's too good for the Bulls to lose anyway, isn't he?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (tim @ Jul 21 2008, 09:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I hope Deng stays there. It would be a shame to see him anywhere else. He's too good for the Bulls to lose anyway, isn't he?</div> When has that stopped Paxson from screwing up before?
No offense, but this kind of amuses me... A year ago, the Bulls were hesitant to part ways with Deng in a Kobe deal (although they eventually concided, but Kobe vetoed), and now it seems like you guys don't even want him back. Weird. Lamar Odom for Luol Deng!!!!!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Brian @ Jul 21 2008, 10:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>No offense, but this kind of amuses me... A year ago, the Bulls were hesitant to part ways with Deng in a Kobe deal (although they eventually concided, but Kobe vetoed), and now it seems like you guys don't even want him back. Weird. Lamar Odom for Luol Deng!!!!!</div> You aren't going back far enough. Pax didn't trade for Gasol because of Deng and Gordon. Karma's a bitch
Money never seemed to be a problem when they signed Ben Wallace over Tyson Chandler either... You guys need a new GM. lol
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (tim @ Jul 21 2008, 09:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I hope Deng stays there. It would be a shame to see him anywhere else. He's too good for the Bulls to lose anyway, isn't he?</div> How good is he? I don't see him as an all-star anytime soon. Looking around the league, I think something in the neighborhood of 5yrs/$51M (or 6/$64M) is a perfectly reasonable amount for those two guys. Start them off about about $8.5M, skirt the tax, and try to unload Hinrich and Nocioni. Maybe that's a hard line stance, but look around the league. Can Deng make a really objective case to being worth more than Caron Butler ($8.9M) or Mike Dunleavy ($9M) or Tayshaun Prince ($9.5M) or Josh Howard ($10.4M)? I don't see it. I think the Bulls can win with those players at that price, but every penny more than that they get will, with this ownership, be a penny pinched somewhere else, and that will eventually screw us.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Brian @ Jul 21 2008, 10:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Money never seemed to be a problem when they signed Ben Wallace over Tyson Chandler either... You guys need a new GM. lol</div> Penny wise and pound foolish.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MikeDC @ Jul 21 2008, 10:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (tim @ Jul 21 2008, 09:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I hope Deng stays there. It would be a shame to see him anywhere else. He's too good for the Bulls to lose anyway, isn't he?</div> How good is he? I don't see him as an all-star anytime soon. Looking around the league, I think something in the neighborhood of 5yrs/$51M (or 6/$64M) is a perfectly reasonable amount for those two guys. Start them off about about $8.5M, skirt the tax, and try to unload Hinrich and Nocioni. Maybe that's a hard line stance, but look around the league. Can Deng make a really objective case to being worth more than Caron Butler ($8.9M) or Mike Dunleavy ($9M) or Tayshaun Prince ($9.5M) or Josh Howard ($10.4M)? I don't see it. I think the Bulls can win with those players at that price, but every penny more than that they get will, with this ownership, be a penny pinched somewhere else, and that will eventually screw us. </div> Obviously living in Nap-town has clouded your judgment. Deng is a hell of a lot better than Mike Dunleavy. As for the others on your list, Butler and Prince are underpaid and took under-market deals
