QUOTE (madisonsmadhouse @ Nov 16 2007, 09:11 AM)
There is no way those unrestricted free agents are walking away from their teams without trades being involved.
I know Corey Maggette will b/c he is underpaid and with the focus likely being on resigning Brand the Clipper likely won't be willing to shell out big $ to Maggette. I wouldn't be shocked if they lost both Brand and Maggette for nothing. There is nothing stopping both of those players from simply walking away. The only other player that I really think is opting out is Shaun Marion. He's been pissed for years about not getting an extension. Plus he's only making around $15 million. He can get that in the open market. The Suns will have a hard time giving him an extension like that next season with Amare/Nash/Diaw/Barbosa already signed to decent contracts. As for AI, & Jermaine O'neal it's not likely with the huge deal they have. However, if Gilbert Arenas has a big year and proves he's healthy there is no way he plays for the $12 million he's due. He could easily command $15 million or more in the open market if not by his own team.
You can't tell me that one of those guys wouldn't be willing to come to Chicago (a big market) and play for the Bulls if the Bulls could get under the cap by enough $. Not only would the contract be good but everything else that comes with Chicago would be good. Plus, we're close to being a great team. They'd be coming to a team that has Tyrus, Noah, Deng, Gordon (unless they are traded), Hinrich & Nocioni. Gilbert Arenas would make the need for either Kirk or Gordon nonexistent. We could easily trade either of them after that deal or we could use one of them off the bench to make use the deepest bench in the league.
As for the restricted free agents, it would be a little harder to get them b/c the Hawks and Sixers have cap room to sign their players. There are very few teams with enough cap room to offer a player like Arenas or Marion a big deal. Atlanta, Charlotte, & Philly are three of those teams. But they all have legit young studs to sign (Josh Smith, Okafor, & Iguodala) meaning they likely won't be able to sign another free agent in the market.
But if the Bulls can unload Ben Wallace's contract and possibly even Nocioni's (both that have value to a playoff contender) for expiring contracts they would have more cap room than any team by far. If they could get rid of those 2 players for expiring contracts, they would have around $30 million in salary cap room before they hit the $55 million and about $40 million before they hit the $65 million luxury cap threshold. And that includes roughly $10 million in salary that is considered qualifying offers for Deng and Gordon.
With that kind of money we could give a $17 million deal to Arenas or Marion, $12 to Deng, & $11 to Gordon if we wanted to keep all 3. Or we could get Maggette, keep Deng, & get a player like Jamison. Either way, I don't see how we could be better off then we are now with an aging veteran and a slightly overpaid Nocioni.
Don't forget. I was the guy that said Rashard Lewis was ending up with the Magic. I think I said that halfway into the season last year? But then again I have been wrong from time to time.