I just don't want to get into such a deep hole early if nothing happens. I mean the players HAVE to be thinking about being traded even during the game, I think it showed early in the game today. If we keep bringing up rumors or proposed deals maybe a guy like Deng or Gordon will completely suck and LA won't want either one anymore. I'd like to know now or never if this deal is going to happen.

If I were Pax if this deal doesn't get completed by Sunday night I'd tell the team there will be no Kobe trades atleast until the deadline to relieve some stress on their minds. Although I still think something gets done tomorrow afternoon

We only have to send out 14.6 million. So Gordon and Thomas, along with crap like Thabo and Viktor, and you're pretty close.

I've recreated a thread so that we can keep all the recent talks going in one thread. The other one was first off a initial report so this one can start with everything recent until the day he is traded, hopefully soon.

Cuban says NO!



Initial trade that fell through



Keeping everyone up to date on all the latest!

Probably could just merge this with the thread below it...do we have admins around here?

This is for all the latest info. I thought we may need a more current thread now that everyone knows a trade is likely.

why were they screwing around trying to make this trade work while they should have been talking to Deng's agent?

because kobe bryants the bes tFUCKING player in the NBA?

the deadline to trade for kobe wasn't tonight... the deadline for keeping deng at a somewhat reasonable price was.

OK i merged these topics bc they are covering the exact same thing, but I think Kobe-gate has gotten big enough that multiple topics on the subject are acceptable at this point

Dan Bernstein is talking about this right now. I'll try to keep up.

He still says "Kobe Bryant to become a Bull" by tomorrow afternoon still a 90% possibility.

He says Kobe is in charge of this. Deals are talked about that are put in front of Kobe and he has rejected them all... they have already agreed on deals and Kobe has turned them down.

The player mentioned the most by "people who know what's going on" is Kirk Hinrich.

Kirk is young, desirable, defends, and under contract for a reasonable amount. Kobe knows that Kirk dominates the ball, moreso than any other Bull (amount of time on shotclock with ball in hands, not necessarily shots).

The Deng stuff is purely Bryant. The Bulls are more than willing to deal Deng but Bryant refuses to move without Deng staying in Chicago. All names are on the table.

Kobe wants to be a Bull, Bulls want Kobe, Kobe wants to be a Bull entirely on his own terms.

There are a lot of people who want this deal to get done, but its incredibly complicated involving a 3rd team. A deal proposed yesterday would have involved a player going to the Lakers who was then sent to the Cavaliers (Bibby to the Cavs).

Paxson stayed home yesterday to work on this deal, but the game actually being played delayed negotiations. Until John Paxson says this thing is over, it is very active right now.

This is from Bernstein, who has very reliable connections with the Bulls.

I wonder if the lack movement on a contract extention was the sign we all should have been looking for that Pax was willing to deal Ben and/or Deng? That makes a lot more sense.

I recently heard the possibility of a Kirk and Ben Wallace package...

you're about 24 hours late on breaking that news.

Hmm well Pax did what I thought he should, he put these talks to rest.



Though it could be likely that he is just saying this just to say it.. There has been so many rumors over the last 24 hours, maybe its his way of telling Kobe "Accept any trade or screw you" because of his trade clause Kobe doesn't want to lose Deng to the Lakers. I wish we got Kobe but of course nothing is going to happen...

John Paxon will be remembered in one of two ways

1) Genius.... he skipped on Kobe and the Bulls core led them to a championship

2) The GM who could have traded for the Next Jordan.... didnt.... and kept a mediocre team together that ultimately didnt have a superstar and never won a title

I'll be honest - I think there is a greater chance the latter of the two will happen.