I highly doubt Deng told them to give him $55 and he'd sign. If that is true then the Bulls, Jerry, & Paxson are stupid. You can't tell me that Deng doesn't deserve that type of contract. Kirk got $9.5 and he is definately better and has a higer ceiling than Kirk. I really doubt that Deng laid it out in those terms. The Bulls will be shelling out more than that next summer if they really want to keep him.

Maybe Paxson is banking on the fact that next year will be one of the best free agent classes in recent memory and that not many teams will have enough cap room to offer Deng & Gordon a large contract. They may be able to offer one a large contract but not the other. Paxson might actually turn out to be the smartest guy we know if that is how everything plays out.

I also think that Paxson didn't sign them b/c if he did they become poison pill players (I believe) which makes it harder to trade both of them.

If the number was $55, ok, he probably should have grabbed him.

$60, it doesn't hurt to wait. There's always a 5% chance or so that one of these guys will totally blow apart a knee or something during the season. Guaranteeing their contract now increases the risk to the team...so if the guys wanted them guaranteed now they should take a somewhat reduced value to give the team something back in return.

These guys are going no where, barring a good deal coming along.

He didn't sign them because he needed them in case Kobe was traded, that is the only reason I can think of.