<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Derrick Rose was the No. 1 overall pick in last month's NBA draft, but Luol Deng still ranks as the Chicago Bulls' cornerstone player. Luol Deng Deng That status appeared to be slammed home Tuesday night when NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that Deng and the Bulls, after more than a year of slow-moving negotiations, are suddenly on the verge of completing a new contract that will keep the restricted free agent in Chicago. With Deng committed to leaving for England by week's end to join Great Britain's national team -- and insisting to the Bulls that he would not negotiate with them further without a deal by Friday -- sources said that the sides have verbally agreed on a new six-year pact believed to be worth in excess of $70 million. Sources said that Deng's agent, Jason Levien, flew into Chicago to spend Tuesday at the Bulls' offices finalizing the deal, which could be announced as soon as Wednesday. Given his modest background growing up in the Sudan and Egypt before moving to London, Deng stressed to the Bulls that he was not bluffing when he vowed to play next season on a one-year qualifying offer worth about $4.5 million for the right to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2009. The Bulls then gradually raised their offer to a higher annual average that Deng turned down in October, when Chicago was limited to offering him a five-year extension and presented the 6-foot-9 forward with a five-year package worth $57.5 million. As ESPN.com reported earlier this month. Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf chose to personally handle the bulk of the negotiations with Deng's camp as opposed to the standard practice of Bulls general manager John Paxson serving as lead negotiator. Deng, 23, couldn't avoid being dragged down by the Bulls' nightmare season, with Chicago never recovering from the contract extensions that he and teammate Ben Gordon failed to secure in October and smothering speculation about a trade for Kobe Bryant. The Bulls ultimately netted a 33-49 record that cost coach Scott Skiles and interim replacement Jim Boylan their jobs, while Deng played in just 63 games and averaged 17.0 points and 6.3 rebounds, down slightly from his the numbers in his breakout 2006-07 season (18.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 51.7-percent shooting from the floor) when the Bulls went 49-33 and swept the defending champion Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. But Deng is said to be excited by the Bulls' appointment of rookie coach Vinny Del Negro and, with long-term security achieved, can head overseas with no concerns about the future. He's trying to help his new national team -- Deng received a British passport in October 2006 -- qualify for the 2009 European Championships and continue the restoration of Great Britain's basketball program. Team Great Britain is coached by Pennsylvania native Chris Finch, and Deng serves as an official ambassador for the London's 2012 Olympics.</div> http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3510232 11.6 mils/year seems pretty damn high for him IMO.
I think the Europe threat may have pushed this. If they want to avoid the luxury tax, they will have to make a deal now.
Lets hope it is true, the Bulls need him back if they are to be successful in the future. Now go sign Gordon as well.
He and Noah are going to have to be a potent 1-2 scoring punch to make up for the loss of Gordon. Or we can be satisfied to watch Hinrich brick wide open 3's all day.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Denny Crane @ Jul 29 2008, 09:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>He and Noah are going to have to be a potent 1-2 scoring punch to make up for the loss of Gordon. Or we can be satisfied to watch Hinrich brick wide open 3's all day.</div> http://sportstwo.com/NBA/LeagueSalaries#jump_CHI"" target="_blank">It looks to me like</a>, accounting for Gordon and the fact we have to sign one more min salary player (to meet the minimum roster requirement), we've got $7.74M before we hit the tax threshold. That'd get Gordon something like 5yrs and $46M or 6yrs and $58M. Since that's less than the offer that was pulled from last year, I'm guessing Ben starts looking hard at other options. A short-term deal, even for 1 year with a player option, might not kill us, but if I were Gordon I'd rather not put my trust in the Bulls to play him as much as by rights he'd deserve to play if finances weren't a factor.
I don't think we're shocked that the Bulls and Gordon are likely to part ways. We may be really shocked at the ~20 win season we're heading into.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Denny Crane @ Jul 29 2008, 10:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I don't think we're shocked that the Bulls and Gordon are likely to part ways. We may be really shocked at the ~20 win season we're heading into.</div> What are you talking about, we'll still have Larry Hughes around
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Denny Crane @ Jul 29 2008, 09:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>He and Noah are going to have to be a potent 1-2 scoring punch to make up for the loss of Gordon. Or we can be satisfied to watch Hinrich brick wide open 3's all day.</div> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MikeDC @ Jul 30 2008, 09:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Denny Crane @ Jul 29 2008, 10:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I don't think we're shocked that the Bulls and Gordon are likely to part ways. We may be really shocked at the ~20 win season we're heading into.</div> What are you talking about, we'll still have Larry Hughes around </div> Yeah, you could watch Hughes brick wide open 3's, too!
I like it. It must mean that the Bulls felt last year was down due to his injury problems. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MikeDC @ Jul 30 2008, 08:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>What are you talking about, we'll still have Larry Hughes around </div>
OK. So...ideally, we now are set at the 1 and 3 for the next while. Only three more holes to fill! (Still holding out hope for Tyrusauras Rex)
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Vintage @ Jul 30 2008, 09:15 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>OK. So...ideally, we now are set at the 1 and 3 for the next while. Only three more holes to fill! (Still holding out hope for Tyrusauras Rex)</div> That contract does sound kind of high, even for the cornerstone of the franchise. Now here's hoping we pull a S&T wit Gordon and not Deng, lol. I dont trust the organization anymore, can you blame me?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Vintage @ Jul 30 2008, 09:15 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>OK. That contract does sound kind of high, even for the cornerstone of the franchise. Now here's hoping we pull a S&T wit Gordon and not Deng, lol. I dont trust the organization anymore, can you blame me?</div> The really scary thing is that Deng is the corner stone of the franchise. He's no corner stone, IMO. A good 3rd banana, but no cornerstone.
Deng has been our 2nd best or 1st best player all along. He's been THE MAN on the British intl. team. If he steps up and becomes THE MAN for the Bulls, then he's actually underpaid. If he is an 18/6/3 guy on a losing team, he'll be dealt for a sack of peanuts.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan @ Jul 30 2008, 12:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'> Hey wasn't this the guy that was too good to trade away for Gasol?</div> Yep. I guess the question is, how much of a better team are we with Gasol and without Deng?
