After averaging 11 points, 15 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in summer league, Malcolm Thomas won’t be retained by the Chicago Bulls into next season due to the franchise’s salary situation, a league source told RealGM. As the guarantee date on Thomas’ contract approached, the Bulls weren’t able to keep the 6-foot-8 forward. Thomas had a breakout showing in summer league for the second straight year, highlighted by a record 22-rebound performance. Thomas had been confident about his future with the Bulls, and he has always intrigued the organization. The Bulls remain interested in bringing back Thomas at some point, a source said, but he is expected to draw interest from several NBA teams. Before leaving for Las Vegas, Thomas had spent the offseason working out at the Bulls’ practice facility. “I’ve worked on my strength, a lot of offense and defense,” Thomas told RealGM after the Bulls’ final summer league game. “I’ve worked on pretty much everything. … There’s always stuff that I could have done better, but overall our team played well here and I think I played good.” Thomas, 24, played five games for the Golden State Warriors last season before finishing the season with the Bulls. He averaged 1.7 points and 1.3 rebounds in seven games for Chicago. Source http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/229071/Bulls-Unable-To-Retain-Malcolm-Thomas
You have to wonder if this has anything to do with Camby? The Bulls are going to need another backup big. So let's see, the franchise must carry 13 players (12 + 1 inactive). They have 12 signed as of now: Carlos Boozer Jimmy Butler Luol Deng Mike Dunleavy Taj Gibson Kirk Hinrich Nazr Mohammed Erik Murphy Joakim Noah Derrick Rose Tony Snell Marquis Teague
I think they do like Murphy. This is from Wikipedia: Where 3 refers to Larry Coon's FAQ. Interesting about the need to carry an average of 14. How does the league enforce that?
I couldn't find it in the FAQ. The bulls last season played with a roster of 12, until they gained the flexibility to add Daequan Cook. Belinelli Boozer Butler Deng Gibson Hamilton Hinrich Mohammed Noah Radmanovich Robinson Teague Cook was signed Jan 6
I read those provisions over and over. It is contradictory, at best. If the roster has less than 12 players, cap holds to get the roster to 12 are figured in. The bulls were so close to the apron after signing Kurt that they could not even afford a vet minimum salary and stay under heir hard cap. They had some room, enough to cover Cook's pro-rated vet minimum salary. With $9M in back court players dogged by nagging injuries, they felt they could get a player that Thibs might use.
Looking at team salary pages, Scalabrine is listed, but he quit to be an announcer. I don't see how he could be that 13th guy. Cook's signing was right at the 3 month mark of the season. No 2 week rule there...
Okay, I looked it over a couple of times and I think a minimum roster is 12. You can have 11 active guys and 1 inactive guy, but only for a two week stretch; and you can have 12 active guys and 0 inactive guys, but only for a two week stretch. So it seems like you could basically switch between the two and go 11/1 for two weeks and then 12/0 for two weeks. See Article XXIX of the CBA: See also Article VII, Section 4.
From KC: Here you have another confirmation that the Bulls are still pining for Camby. I think we've settled the 13 players debate. Someone else is going to be signed, we just don't know who, though it seems a big is the first priority.
That is the first thing that came to mind when they let him go. Could be. However, they had to make a decision on him sooner than later or some of his salary would be guaranteed until December. I think today or tomorrow was the deadline. So Camby or not, it opened the the roster spot for a vet player or player. I kinda hated to see him go. He is not bad. But IMO we need a Cambyesque player that can play both positions. Thomas is a PF.
The counterargument to this, and I think it has merit, is that unless you find a decent backup for Noah, Thibs is going to run him into the ground before the playoffs. I'm not sure that Nazr is that guy. Thibs could play Taj at backup five, but then who is the backup four? It seems like the Bulls would have retained Thomas if that was the case. I'm not sure where that leaves things.
Guys, Camby is 40 years old and played like 24 games last season. That's on a team that had Amare out for most of the season. His 8.6 PER makes Kurt look good. I don't think he's going to play much for us.
