Presenting last gives the Bulls time to organize their presentation. Maybe finalize some trades with other clubs, then sell James on their improved roster.
He's going to Chicago last. Being a bull has always been his plan. This way he can say he listened to every teams sales pitch.
I've been saying it ever since news broke he was changing to #6 next season. Chicago would never give him #23.
As the Bulls' meeting with LeBron approaches on Saturday, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune adds a little more detail on their pitch. "Sources said the Bulls are considering bringing local business leaders from Fortune 500 companies to the meeting to appeal to James' business sense," he wrote. "At the very least, ideas on how to market James globally via local businesses will be pitched. But the biggest sales points -- to James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh -- center on basketball, the city, the Bulls' rich history, worldwide brand recognition and a ready-to-win core featuring Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah." --- Even though we noted earlier Wednesday that the Bulls could try and lock up Chris Bosh as an enticement to lure LeBron James, the team, of course, also has its ducks in a row for how it will go about pitching to LeBron. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune has the details. "League sources said the Bulls' traveling party to Ohio is expected to include team Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, Senior Vice President John Paxson, general manager Gar Forman and possibly [new coach Tom] Thibodeau," he wrote. "Those sources did indicate the Bulls plan to discuss global business and marketing opportunities off the court with James, who calls business titans such as Warren Buffet friends. In this manner, the meeting will be about basketball and business." Though James' camp called off his free agency tour because he apparently wanted it to be about basketball, marketing and business are obviously still important to him, so the Bulls are wise to play both cards here. Additionally, ESPN's Marc Stein wrote Monday that ownership is important to LeBron, and Reinsdorf has had a reputation of being rather frugal at times. We noted earlier this week that Reinsdorf has said he'll pay the luxury tax if its an "intelligent expenditure," so it may be important for Reinsdorf to be there and let LeBron know that face-to-face. "The O factor is also what the Bulls presumably can blame if the impressive complementary core they've assembled (Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah) and all the cap space they've cleared (to go after Bosh or Joe Johnson in addition to James) ultimately fail -- amid all this 'done deal' talk -- to lure James to the Cavs' most hated rival. The Bulls were routinely bashed from an organizational standpoint even when they were winning championships, thanks to Michael Jordan's openly dim view of then-GM Jerry Krause. This season, though, criticism of Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and his front-office tag team of John Paxson and Gar Forman reached new levels, prompted by Chicago's mistreatment of since-fired coach Vinny Del Negro and most recently disseminated in a well-publicized critique from Wade about how Chicago treats ex-Bulls. Even if Wade's criticism was a thinly veiled attempt to enhance the Heat's case in free agency, Chicago knows it has some image issues. Reinsdorf's reputation as a reluctant spender? Another issue. Maybe none of that will matter in the end, because the Bulls are otherwise set up so well. It's also true that [William] Wesley has maintained a good working relationship with Reinsdorf for years and is believed to be lobbying hardest for the Bulls, which is where much of LeBron-and-Bosh-to-Chicago chatter originates. Yet you still hear well-connected folks around the league asking -- louder than the many questions Jordan's longtime agent David Falk has raised about James going to the Bulls in recent interviews with Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports -- whether LeBron is indeed prepared to commit to Reinsdorf."
I believe the Bulls are second to last. Cleveland is last in presenting. Even if they weren't he'd still check how they're doing before leaving probably.
Windhorst: Cavs will meet with LeBron tomorrow at 11 a.m. Chris Grant said. I guess that means Bulls are going last. http://twitter.com/PDcavsinsider
Denny posted this to needle the organization a little bit, but I think he's right on the money. ESPN reported (I think it was Brucchler) that the Bulls want an answer on Saturday. This seems to mirror the Org's comments at the beginning of free agency that they wanted a quick decision from him. Is this the first power fight between the two of them or the last?
Well, I think LeBron controls his own schedule. In a perfect world, we'd be in there first and laying out the cards. 1) We'll give you all the money you want 2) If you take MAX, we have to make a trade to free up cap for another MAX 3) Recruit the 2nd MAX player of your choice 4) You'll have a sidekick here who will be the Pippen (Rose) to your Jordan (LeBron). He won't disappear in the playoffs like your Cavs teammates did. 5) Organizations don't win championships, players do. 6) We commit to you right now that if Rose and Noah are physically able to play, we will sign them at all costs. 7) Tour the rest of the pretenders then we want to meet with you again before you make your decision. 8) We'll keep you apprised of any deals we have in the offering that assume you're in the fold
I just wonder if it's a barb at Reinsdorf. You demand I work on your schedule? I'll put you last and then we can see who waits.
