Woj says and the Nets' Russian owner showed up today and dropped a bombshell, saying So... um... my thinking a few months back was
To add a bit... the Bulls offer doesn't have to, and shouldn't include Noah. Hell, I'm not even inclined to offer Deng at the first blush, especially since the Nuggets seem to want shorter deals. What the Bulls need to beat is 1. The prospect of losing Melo for nothing 2. An offer from the Knicks, which appear to be the only other team the player would sign an extension with.
My first offer to the Nuggets is something along the lines of three first rounders, Asik, Korver, Brewer, JJ and filler for Melo. Like this. Is that unfair? Yes it is! A complete robbery of the Nuggets? Absolutely! That's the whole freaking point. They're going to lose him for nothing, or they're going to get a similarly shitty offer from the Knicks that involves them paying Eddy Curry several million bucks to sit on his ass. So before you go off and tell me how ridiculous it is to offer so little and expect to get him, go back and really think about how the NBA works. This is looking closer and closer to a Pau Gasol moment (the Lakers version, not the Bulls version. They ought to step up, aim high, and take it. Simple as that.
Deng will get his minutes. At power forward, at small forward, felating the head coach, wherever. I don't think we've seen anything (anything) from management, though, that would suggest that we are willing to take on another max contract. This is all WWW-fueled speculation and nothing will come of it.
And what is the possibility that 'Melo even wants to come to Chicago. It seems like he wants to go to NY, and was using NJ to try to leverage them into making Denver a real offer. Now that the Nets have said we're done, he needs to find another party to try to force the Knicks to make a move. I'm guessing 'Melo's intentions of playing for Chicago are the same as his were toward playing for the Nets.
Seems like NYK's shit offer will still be a lot better than anything you guys can offer though right? I mean a package centered around Deng? Adding a 10 mil/year non-star player would be detrimental to a rebuilding effort. The picks are nice but we can only imagine they'll all be in the mid-late 20's. At least NY can offer comparable picks as well as any combo of Galinari, Chandler, Anthony Randolph, Mozgov, etc. who are young, cheap, have potential, and they've got $17 mil in expirings that the Nugz can add to their other expiring contracts to go out and improve the team right away in FA. But lets say NYK is adament about lowballing them. Yes, Chicago is probably the next best destination for Melo. Its another big city and its a place ready to win. But you guys just don't have much to offer. They won't take a package centered around Deng but if its the SF logjam you're thinking of then I don't think it would be a problem to just pull the trigger on the Melo deal and then move Deng for some other pieces. I don't see why a contending team couldn't swoop into this sweepstakes in the 11th hour and pick Melo up even knowing he'll probably walk. The prospect of renting Melo out and possibly winning a ring seems tantalizing and if they're getting dick offers from NYK or Chi or NJ or whoever then why wouldn't a contender try and score Melo? Spurs seems like they've got the balls to do it but they don't have the pieces. Same goes for the Mavs and especially so with Butler out for the year. How about the Hawks though? They're gate keepers in the east and want to get over the hump. They've got enough expiring contracts and throw in Teague and Jordan Crawford plus a number of picks? Does that beat a NYK/Chicago offer? How about New Orleans, maybe they think if they match up Paul and Melo now they'll stay together on the Hornets. They only have about 10 mil in expirings but could offer Marcus Thornton and/or Ariza and I'll bet Denver likes the first rounders they can offer a lot more than NYK or Chicago's. And as for a dark horse how about the Clippers? They're lacking in expiring contracts but flush with talent and perhaps looking to really make a splash and convinced that the glitz and glamour of LA coupled with playing on a talented team could keep Melo around? They've got prospects such as Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Al Farouq Aminu, Eric Bledsoe, Willie Warren. And how about this for a draft pick, Minnesota owes them a first round draft pick that is top 10 protected in 2011 (Minny will likely be drafting top 10 this year) but is UNPROTECTED IN 2011! Lol courtesy of the famed Marko Jaric for Sam Cassell trade. Could Denver really pass up a deal with what little expirings LAC has (about 5 mil) but add to that Eric Gordon and one of Aminu or Jordan plus that Minny first rounder (and perhaps an LAC first rounder or two)? That's pretty sexy for Denver, but the expirings are a big deal too. And LAC would end up with a core of Baron, Melo, Griffin, Kaman plus some pretty decent talent left over.
Three team trade. Deng to Dallas Melo to Bulls Whatever Dallas has that Denver wants Whatever picks we have that Denver wants
It adds no wrinkly to any deal for Melo, because any deal for Melo is not going to include Noah. Denver has just lost leverage here, not gained it. They screwed around and kept angling for more from the Nets by backing away every time a deal got close, so now they've got one less option. There's no reason to give them more than is absolutely necessary to do the deal. And what's necessary is for them to get more from the Bulls than they can get from the Knicks, I guess. Deng's defended the best wing player on the opposing team at key points this year, regardless of position. He shoots the 3 now, better than Melo, and better than Brewer. So the best lineup is Noah, Boozer, Melo, Deng, Rose. Yes, Brewer would be slightly better (at guarding 2s), but the acquisition of Melo would put more pressure, not less, on the remaining wing player to be able to hit the 3 point shot. Which Brewer absolutely can’t do. On net, Deng is obviously the better guy to keep. You don’t lose very much, defensively in that one aspect of guarding twos, and you gain in all the other defensive and offensive areas where Deng is simply better than Brewer.
When you start to look more closely, I think the Bulls offer is better. 1. Expense. Wilson Chandler will be an RFA who you have to pay this summer, or lose. So I don't know if he makes what Deng makes, but he's going to similarly be a non-star player on an expensive, non-rookie contract. 2. Picks. One of the Bulls picks would be from Charlotte, and is likely a lottery pick. If I remember correctly, the Knicks actually can't offer picks at all at the moment, because they've traded away a bunch. They'd have to make some sort of secondary deal like the one they keep saying they can trade Randolph for a pick. I say, if you can do it, why haven't you? I think the sort of pick they get from Anthony Randolph is not going to be a very high one. 3. Because the Knicks "young talent" isn't very good. Randolph has been a flop everywhere he's been. Mozgov is a more expensive, crummier version of Asik. So I don't think these guys have a lot of value. Gallinari is a nice young player, but he's the only one. And I wouldn't consider him much of a blue chip or anything. He's pretty much just a gunner. But he does have one more year on his rookie deal, so that's something. So I think in general, the Knicks assets are just as iffy, and sometimes more iffy than the Bulls assets. The one thing I see that the Knicks can and would offer that the Bulls can't/won't is the ability to take back additional salary. The Knicks could pretty easily take back Harrington and Balkman, for example, and I think that would be a pretty big deal for the Nuggets. I'd try Deng out at SG until the deadline, and see how things are working out. Otherwise, yeah, there are options. All of this is true. And if Melo were a smart dude, I think he'd be right to look at a place like the Clippers, just on a pure talent basis. Or the Magic or Hawks. All I can say is that I don't see him doing it based on the large number of reports we've read. The issue of his extension really gives him a lot of leverage to call his shots. Teams aren't gonna make offers for him unless they think he'll actually re-sign there. And the only places he's reportedly expressed interest in are New York and Chicago. Maybe he'll open his mind to other possibilities if the Nuggets try to hose him? but maybe not...
Mcgraw hinting the Bulls are considering Noah in a package. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/2011 ... 701209972/ Sham is saying this does not mean Noah AND Deng. If reports are true, Denver wants Noah and not Deng. So the Bulls are considering offering a package that starts with Noah. Reasoning is we are 12-6 without him. We are still ranked #1 on defense WITHOUT him and that is a shock to me, no doubt. We are ranked #17 in offense, if we want to really be serious about competing for the ring, then we have to let Noah go. A package of Noah and others would do it. I say this despite the fact that I dont want Noah to leave. With Melo, Boozer and Rose playing, who will the other team double team? Maybe Rose to try and take the ball out of his hands, but he will burn you if we have both Melo and Boozer. Another thing to consider is, Noah seems to be injury prone. Melo is not. Again, I am not for trading Noah, but to get Melo back, yes. What to do with Deng? Either trade him straight up for the SG we need or bring him off of the bench as a pf or sf. We can even start him at PF against some teams with Boozer at center. I dont look for the Bulls to be in any hurry. As Mike insinuated, we will wait until deadline to see if Denver would agree to take Deng instead of Noah.
Again, I ask: What evidence do we have that 'Melo wants to play for the Bulls? Has he ever hinted that he would want to play in Chicago? All I can think of is the posturing of World Wide Wes, and we are very familiar with how much that is worth.
I'm all for trying to get Melo for the least amount possible. That being said, I would not have a problem parting with Noah for Melo. I love Noah, but Rose/Melo/Boozer will be a "big 3" that will keep the Bulls gunning for titles for the next 4 years. We can get a new "energy guy" center. Look at how many times guys like Camby and Chandler have changed teams. Does kinda have the feel of being used for leverage to get Melo to NY tho. Also, I don't want to be messing with Melo/Amare for the foreseeable future along with Mia and Orl.
Good points all around. The only thing I would add is that while Gallinari isn't a bluechipper (I'm in complete agreement here), he seems like easily the best prospect on the table now that Favors is out. Same thing with Chandler, hes probably the best player being offered because hes a) pretty good and b) still young. Hes a FA but I think they'd much prefer a young guy whos heading into free agency where they can choose to re-sign him or not instead of Deng who they're stuck with at a high price and who will detract from their ability to rebuild in the long run and sign FAs in the short term. And why not start Brewer and use Deng as a super 6th man? The starting unit seems to have plenty of firepower. Yes, they could use more 3 pt shooting but I think they'll manage just fine. Deng can come in and gun from either the 3 or 4 plus play pretty decent defense. Correct me if I'm wrong but hes got pretty mediocre speed for a 3 so I'm not sure how he would work at the 2. That's a damn big lineup though. As for Melo going to another contender, I was thinking he would only do so as a rental. That way its beneficial for both sides. The team who trades for him would probably only do so if Denver is getting horrid offers and they can swoop in and justify trading whatever assets for a shot at a ring this season. I think Melo is dead set on NYK. Hes from NY, his wife is from NY, it seems like the whole Bron/Wade/Bosh thing got his panties in a bundle about his turn to have the spotlight and get on a super team with Amare and CP3. There is a big portion of people who believe ultimately Melo will sign the extension no matter where he is because he won't risk going into the CBA offseason without a max deal, hes just posturing to get NY AND get the max deal. I don't buy that personally but its very logical in its own right. IMO hes not bullshitting, he just wants to play in NY and thats it. Maybe if he goes to Chicago and they still have a Rose, Boozer, Noah core or maybe the combination of being in LA and playing with Blake, Baron, Kaman convinces him but IMO he'll keep his options open and ultimately he just wants to be in NY and I think he and CP3 have already colluded about it.
I agree with all of this. Melo' turned down an offer to play for New Jersey in New York, and has stated on the record that his dream is to play for the Knicks. Maybe there's an outside, outside chance that he signs with another franchise, but I'm assuming that this is all just a power play to get NY to move on their deals.
Noah's a fine player and very likable (he's on our team!), when he's not hurt, but geez, Melo's a Ferarri and Noah's a Volkswagon.
Truth be said that is probably what is going on. Today word got out that NY was trading Randolph to the Pacers for a first round pick. So it seems the story has prodded the Knicks to move a little quicker. By the way, when asked a Knicks spokesperson said there was nothing to report. Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/knicks-t ... z1BahWPIgf
