"Chicago was great about everything," Boozer said. "They’re a great organization, first class. They were in touch with me and Rob Pelinka, my agent, along the whole process. So, as they were making their decision for where they were going with the team, they let us know. So we knew we were going to get amnestied, I think, the day before and we went forward."*
Main point of the article is Boozer hated getting benched but as I quoted its pretty clear Boozer thought mgmt hanldled his departure with integrity.
Apparently Thibs believes they will pay for a winner. Apparently Gasol believes it, he turned down a chance to sign with the defending champions to play here. Ben Wallace was the biggest free agent name on the market, he must have believed it. Dwight Howard left the Lakers for LESS money, I guess he didn't think they would pay for a winner? The Lakers also couldn't get LeBron this summer, I guess he thinks they won't pay for a winner? I've seen the Bulls have a $60 million payroll in a $29 million salary cap league to pay for a winner.
By not using amnesty for so long, there were perhaps fewer teams in position to bid on him. LA is a great place to be a 33 year old NBA star with multiple $millions in the bank.
Sager said Carlos said... There's no chance for a miscommunication? And you're willing to buy in to Sager's report because...? FWIW, Boozer recently said the following: Source You believe that the Bulls lied to Boozer. I'm sure you will come up with a plausible reason why he threw kudos at the Bulls here.
Wallace was a use it or lose it cap situation for the Bulls. Slim pickings that year, and Wallace ended up speaking truth to power and got himself traded to a happier place.
Has any team EVER paid enough Luxury Tax that their payroll plus tax was more than double the salary cap, outside of this year's Nets?
I had to laugh at your response since that's what I always say to people who write me notes using all caps and/or exclamation points. Sorry. It won't happen again.
Why should he say anything else? He took the high road. Good for him. The Sager thing is a matter of public record. I don't think any miscommunication. Nobody denied it. Nobody convinced Boozer to go on twitter the next day to correct the record.
I don't know and really don't care. Things have changed with the org since the tax era. They are loathe to venture above the tax line, if they are over it they will try very hard and at times be very clever to get under it again. ( if they signed deng, they would have got under this offseason, just before you write it) I guess my point is that I don't think the example you are bringing up is relevant anymore. But maybe the Bulls in the tax era will be comfortable being one of the high payroll teams given they are one of the high revenue and high Profits! teams. I have not seen it yet. And its been over a decade.
Reinsdorf tore down the old stadium. He built a brand new one next door. And uber training facilities. The formula for profit is income - expenses. The Bulls paid Jordan no more than $4M but for those two years. He was a bargain for 9 of his 11 seasons. For his career with the bulls, he averaged ~$10M per season. The Chairman seems to have taken the "never again" attitude.
