Marc Stein ✔ @ESPNSteinLine ESPN has learned, meanwhile, that Bulls officials are headed to LA on Thursday for sitdown with their top target after Melo: Pau Gasol
Here, Pau, take this really low offer that Melo wouldn't take. I'm not feeling it. I actually like Pau, but he's really old. Getting him is like a minor league team getting an aging ex major leaguer on his way out.
Rumor is Gasol and Melo could be in the works. If Melo comes, Gibson has to be traded to give Melo more money...then we have the MLE and if Pau agrees to that we have both guys. On the other hand...Stein says bulls talking to Pau indicates they dont feel confident about any commitment from Melo. So they are moving on.
Me neither. Right now Gibson brings more to the Bulls at this time than Pau would. Gasol would, however, make a good back up for PF and center. Sure as hell beats out Boozer and Mohammad. I dont see Gasol coming here without another player coming first. Especially for the MLE. Rumor is the Thunder are the favorites to get him.
I posted this in the Melo thread, it needs to be in here as well. K.C. Johnson @KCJHoop 1h Bulls' visit with Gasol in LA indication of more realistic option than Anthony. Bulls connected with Anthony but Knicks considered faves.
Agreed. Denny. Best case is sign Pau for PF and back up center. Keep Taj. That, however, does not solve our need for a real back up PG or a good shooting SG.
The Bulls don't want him this season. They think they can get him cheaper if they don't have to pay his buyout.
I think Taj is probably the best player on the roster, so I'm probably not approaching this impartially. Still removing are feelings about Taj from the mix, does anybody like how Pay would fit on this roster? I don't think he has the range to play well next to Noah. I also don't think he has the foot speed to flourish in Thibodeau's defensive schemes. Where does that leave you? I can't really make sense of any of this. Maybe Reinsdorf likes Gasol. I think he had that mother who is a nurse, and is pretty active in the community right? Maybe that's it.
If Taj is our best player, the rest of the roster must not be very good. That might be fair, actually. Gasol was arguably the best big man in the game not long ago. He was quite productive last season, so he appears to have some gas left in the tank.
We need wing and SG help more than anything. So yes. Pau helps that out by ..... Something. We sign him to a three or four year contract, it will be Ben Wallace and Carlos Boozer all over again
Woj on Fox Sports Thinks Gasol is done in LA. Not getting big money offers. Will have to lower price.
As I said early, Pau is much better than NAZR as a back up center. Will be a little better than Boozer as Gibson's back up. So it improves the team considerably, however, his price will have to be MLE or below. Allows us to save Noah for the playoffs so he won't be injured yet again.
Pau put up 17.4/9.7/3.4 in 31 minutes last season, and a 19.3 PER. Those are much bigger/better numbers than Taj did. He would be an upgrade as our starting PF over Taj or Boozer. Why don't we want to play the best players we can get? Taj was no slouch as 6th man. I think he deserved 6MOY.
I don't know how this will turn out, with Anthony, Love, Gasol, heck the Miami 3 (doubt a single one here but....) It takes 2 to tango. One thing for certain is the Bulls are active. Definitely not a cobweb phone situation. There are positives-- a good core, a big market, financial ability. There are negatives that never change. State tax, weather. Shadow of MJ/ dynasty cuts both ways. Bad years are a negative. Jerry's wallet cuts both ways. LT adverse which does make sense if LT spending isn't a sound bet for a ring but does invite facile criticism. He has overpayed players in the past. He has paid JWill when he didn't have to. He offered Curry a golden parachute. He has made the Bulls a powerhouse and while that means profits it can't hurt the marketing prospects of players.
Cobweb phone is a trade deadline thing. Tmac Wrigley, Bennygate, Ben Wallace signing, striking out on Lebron / Wade / Bosh and getting Boozer. Cap Space into bad / overpaid players is more of a strikeout.
