Adrian Wojnarowski @WojYahooNBA 2m Bulls pursuing Mike Dunleavy Jr., with mini mid-level, sources tell Y! Sports. If Rockets snare Dwight Howard, Dunleavy major target there.
Re: Bulls interested in Mike Dunleavy Jr Chicago has emerged as a frontrunner to sign free agent Mike Dunleavy, Jr., league sources tell Y! Sides discussing two-year, $6M deal. https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/351846020226875395
Re: Bulls interested in Mike Dunleavy Jr Told Dunleavy enticed by chance to play with DRose. https://twitter.com/KCJHoop/status/351848838690127872
Mike Dunleavy has gone ahead and verbally committed to sign two-year, $6M deal with Bulls, according to sources with knowledge of the deal https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/351857319463759872
Aggrey Sam @CSNBullsInsider 46s League source said Dunleavy was offered upward of full MLE by at least 1 team, turned it down.
Sources told ESPN.com that Dunleavy quickly narrowed his long list of suitors to five teams Monday and chose to take the Bulls’ two-year offer worth $6 million. The deal can’t be signed until after July 10, when the league’s annual moratorium on signings and trades is lifted, but teams and players are allowed to enter into verbal agreements during the freeze. Sources said Dunleavy also gave strong consideration to the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves after spending the past two seasons in Milwaukee. http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2013/07/01/dunleavy-bulls-agree-on-two-year-deal/
I haven't been a huge fan. Maybe it's just that I like my 6-9+ guys to be able to do some bidness inside. This said, once he becomes a Bull, I'll become a fan. Also, it's good to see that, contrary to several media reports from Bulls' "insiders," they're using the MMLE (not just minimum contracts) fo fill out the roster. It's evidence that the organization is committed to winning now. Assuming that they keep Malcolm Thomas and that Murphy makes the team, Dunleavy would give them 12 signed players. Barring a trade, the 2013-14 roster construction work may be just about done.
One not-so-good thing triggered by the proposed Dunleavy signing is that, adding Dunleavy's $3mil, the Bulls salaries for 2013-14 would be about $76mil. At this level, they cannot receive a player in a sign and trade (S&T) deal. This means that, if there's a free agent you were hoping to get in a S&T, you can forget it. Source
Dunleavy allows us to play small ball at the end of some games. Put Deng at pf, Butler at Sg. He really spreads the floor. Yes it messes up 2014. Two things are clear, they want to win now, and Deng being resigned is huge for them as well. to fill out the team, we resign Nazr, and another big and win with vet min. We are set. Dunleavy has the potential to score a lot of points on the second team.
A solid if unspectacular signing. I'm guessing Dunleavy will fill the Marco/Korver role. He shot over 4 3's a game last year and made 43% of them, so he'll be a nice catch and shoot option for Kirk and DRose. I'm guessing this signing means Marco isn't coming back. I'm not sure what this signing means for the Bulls' plans for Deng and/or 2014. 3m isn't much, but it does cut into our FA capabilities quite a bit if we have no other moves planned. I also find it interesting that the emphasis in FA so far has been focused entirely on finding playmaking/shooting, while adding more size has been an afterthought.
It depends on where the salaries end up after the trade, no? Sure seems like a case of "ready, fire, aim!" to me.
