Friday, June 25th, 2010 at 9:30 am  |  88 responses

Bulls and Heat Now With Tons of Cap Space

Chicago and Miami have been busy wheeling and dealing in the last few days, and are now each in position to nab two max players through free agency. The Akron Beacon Journal has the details: “The Hinrich trade, much like any free-agent signings, can’t become official until July 8. But the Bulls are suddenly in position to add any two of James, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Amare Stoudemire or any other premium free agent to a core that already includes Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng. The Cavs’ quest for a title last season might ultimately hinder their chances of re-signing James. The Wizards were able to add Hinrich — and ultimately help the Bulls’ cause — because they unloaded the $13 million-plus owed Antawn Jamison next season to the Cavs. It means the Bulls, New York Knicks and perhaps the Heat will have enough cap space to offer two max contracts when free agency begins July 1. The Heat are inching closer to that status after their unorthodox move earlier this week, trading Daequan Cook and the No. 18 pick to drop down out of the first round and save an additional $3 million in payroll. The Heat are trying to clear enough space to re-sign their own star, Dwyane Wade, and surround him with two more max players. The Cook deal just might make that a possibility.”

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  • Scottie Pimpin’

    john paxson should go to Miami and pick a fight with spoelstra, that will show DWade we mean business……

  • The Philosopher

    I think LeBron will end up in Chicago. Not into predicting, but…

  • http://aspov.blogspot.com Cheryl

    T-Money, his best chance at a ring is in Miami with Wade and a decent post player. It doesn’t have to be Bosh, but someone who can make plays down low and rebound. this is still an inside out game.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    If anyone thinks LeBron resigning in Cleveland is the best option for winning a title then you don’t understand how the salary cap works. There is not one logical basketball reason to resign with Cleveland. NOT 1

  • JTaylor21

    What’s all this talk about bron being scared to play in MJ shadow. Was shaq scared to go play in LA becaus wilt and kareem played there, NO. Was KG scared to go to bos because russell, mchale and bird played there, NO. Was dhoward scared to play in Orl because shaq played there, NO. So why would bron be scared to go to the best place for him to win a chip just because there’s a statue of MJ outside. Cmon.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    And both Miami and Chicago are equally as likely to produce a title if they sign LeBron. Miami would legitametly be able to have Wade LeBron and Bosh on the same team. Like the celtics showed with 3 (already past their primes) superstars, you only need role players and one veteran defensive player after that. And Chicago is no different except Rose is no Wade and Joakim is not your average Role Player.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    So nobody thinks Bron is concerned with playing in the Chi, well I’ll go ahead and concede that argument. I still think it, but I won’t repeat it.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    I definitely think LeBron would rather not play in Chicago. (Solely because of Michael Jordan, not the statue)….but being that we can only take him for his word right now..and his word is that he wants to win they would seem like the 1a. or 1b. on the logical choice meter. But I’m with you, I don’t care what any of you say about other players that played for teams under a similar stars shadow, there is only one Michael Jordan. And his Shadow is vastly different then anyone that played in he NBA before him.

  • cc413

    now that the bulls are shipping hinrich off chicgo has the cap space to sign both bron and bosh n will probably trade deng for a spot shooter after the season begins.. lebron needs better peremiter shooters.. if only james harden could find his to chi town..

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    IMO Ray Allen is going wherever LeBron goes..as a mid-level exception

  • cc413

    imagine a front line of rose, allen, bron, bosh, noah, and deng, gibson, james coming off the bech.. instant success.. if ray ray is willing to sign for mid-level

  • T-Money

    if i were chicago, id throw a lot of money at redick. Hes tough, hé défends and hé shoots. Ray Ray is inconsistent at this point in his career. Another reason why i would like chi: no rebounds, no rings. Bosh and Noah go hard on the glass, stat doesnt.

  • T-Money

    I take that back. They would need a vet that has been there before. Bron bosh noah rose is a really young nucleus. Ray would fit, not sure hé wants to leave beantown tho.

  • cc413

    very true.. redick has a better all around game also n can only get better n ray ray will only be around for a year or two more anyways.. but still chi will need more than one peremiter shooter

  • cc413

    if he wants to add to his legacy he will join bron n bosh in chi town.. if he wants the most money he will stay in beantown.. i believe with that line up the bulls could very possibly threaten the bulls all time greatest single season record of 72-10

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    don’t get ahead of yourself. That team is not nearly defensively strong enough to threaten that record. – the 72-10 bulls had the best defensive 2, 3, & 4 of the decade (arguably of all time) on the same team. Defense breaks records, Chris Bosh and Ray Allen in a starting lineup (or any other 2 available in FA this year for that matter) are a legitimate 15 losses on an 82 game season in and of themselves.

  • cc413

    ok ok i got alil ahead of myself but lebron is one the best defensive 3s of this decade n is only getting better n noah has great energy, hustle, and defense.. bosh not so much but he does play his heart out.. if bron can win 66 wit the cavs then i say this team could win 69 or 70

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    I mean maybe in a 2nd year they can approach 70, but that cavs team was a well established regular season winner. And they were DEEP (regular season they match’d up well with everyone). it was the playoffs where longer minutes for better player enabled teams to exploit the Cavs weaknesses. Like Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison on Defense this Season. Or The Cavs complete inability to hit shots in 07 – Or even their inability to deal with dwight in 08. The Bulls right now only have Rose, Deng, Noah, and Taj Gibson as players that can produce night in and night out. Adding 3 Free Agents only gives them 7 playable players and No Shooters to bring off the bench. Regular Season records are hard to come by on a team that was just built also

  • C-Lo-The-Great

    lebron is overrated on D in chicago taj noah and kirk (not as much) were the reasons the bulls were good on D everyone else was mediocre at best on D if we do get bron and bosh that would be an amazing squad but they would need to buy into thibs defensive philosophy before anybody talks about championships let alone breaking the 72-10 record and imo i believe veterans are only good for when you never made the playoffs lebron went to finals awhile ago and rose and noah have incredible experiences in playoffs and lindsey hunter who is still employeed by chicago i think has a ring right?

  • http://Slamonline.com Nbk

    Lindsey Hunter plays in the liftetime fitness basketball league in Chicago. He might be an assistant or a consultant but he is not an NBA player anymore

  • http://Slamonline.com Nbk

    But yes he got a ring in Detroit

  • C-Lo_The_Great

    yea thats what i meant by employeed but same thing
    that was funny when that guy said john paxson should fight erik spolstra

  • NBA kid

    Bulls win the title next year with a starting 5 of Rose, Bron, Deng, Bosh, and Noah

  • http://www.need4sheed.com Tarzan Cooper

    I see amare and rudy signing with mia, then wade, cuz it has to be in that order, haslem and joel stay, maybe jo. Boozer will prob go to nj, maybe jj too.. Dirk stays. Bron bosh to chi. And ny is left holding their peter, ha. Really, mia and chi will be loaded, nj and ny will get leftovers.

  • http://Slamonline.com Nbk

    I don’t know if it’s true but I read on a few blogs that worldwidewes was quoted yesterday saying bron is “up and out” of Cleveland, and LeBron and Bosh we headed to chi….

  • http://www.need4sheed.com Tarzan Cooper

    I see amare and rudy signing with mia, then wade, cuz it has to be in that order, haslem and joel stay, maybe jo. Bosh will go to nj, joe johnson too.. Dirk stays. Bron to chi. And ny is left holding their peter, ha. Really, mia, nj and chi will be loaded, ny will get leftovers.

  • The Philosopher

    It’s The King’s world, man. It is LeBron’s world right now. No one in the HISTORY… is doing it LIKE THIS.

  • The Philosopher

    In Jordan’s day, every year The Bulls won the championship, they were the talk of the whole off season. Kobe wins back to back championships, and we’re here wondering AND speculating about where the mighty King will play next season. That NEVER happened to Michael Jordan, for Jordan was ALWAYS the talk of the town. Even when he didn’t win.

  • T-Money

    With long athletes like deng bron bosh noah and gibson, i trust thibodeau to côme up w a crazy défense. I think rose has the tools to be great on d’, hé just doesnt know how yet.

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    New York didn’t even draft a guard that could potentially be an All-Star, opting to pass over yet another steal (Lance Stephenson). And then Donnie was talking about trading Douglas and Chandler, the two prospects that have a bright future on the team.
    Knicks, please keep David Lee, or at least sign Carlos freaking Boozer. Please!

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    *Not saying that Lance Stephenson will be an All-Star in the future, just saying: The Knicks suck @ss at every facet of management, from drafting to building rosters to coaching to player rotations to monetary spending. Fackity fack fack why am I a Knicks fan?

  • Chris

    Agreed with Teddy… Knicks front office sucks. They did what they neeeded to do to have a chance at LBJ and another Free Agent. You can’t blame them for that, but this team would sure be more enticing with a player like Brandon Jennings…

    I’m so confused with all of this. I’ve been reading with the trade, the Bulls are still only 30 million under the cap — meaning that they can’t afford two free agents, where the max is projected to be 16+ million. Now that is really close, but I don’t think Bosh or LBJ would be willing to take less than max.

    For 2009-2010 it broke down like this:
    The maximum salary of a player with 6 or fewer years of experience is $9,000,000 or 25% of the total salary cap (2009-10: $14,472,500). For a player with 7–9 years of experience, the maximum is $11,000,000 or 30% of the cap (2009-10: $17,310,000)

    For both Bosh and LBJ, you are looking at about 16 million each. Bulls need to get rid of Luo Deng to make this cut.

    Am I wrong on the Bulls projected salary available?

  • http://www.slamonline.com J

    you know i’m not really in to this free agency hoopla. my feelings of this is a mix. i want lebron to stay yeah. but seriously, there’s no one that’s seriously taking a look at the nets. i think they are the dark horse here. First.. Cap for at least 1 max and could possibly 2 (they’re close) depending on the deals they make, they have a solid core just like the bulls, and better than the Knicks. Lopez we all know what he could do, shooters in Lee and Yi, and i think they will look for more. An all star point in Harris, though not a spot-up shooter, is still legit scorer and a great floor leader, a better defender than rose and can be effective off-ball. a young talented rook in Favors which i think is ready to help, solid rebounder and will be a good defender. they will also have a solid bench if bron comes to town cause CDR will be moved there together with Yi and terrence williams,they could match up with the bulls in terms of talent. a great head coach in Avery. this guy knows how to win and very well respected. (note; bron’s camp says he prefers a proven coach who has experienced playing in the league..) a billionaire owner. possible scenario is HARRIS-JOHNSON-LEBRON-FAVORS-LOPEZ WITH BENCH OF LEE-CDR-WILLIAMS-YI.

  • http://www.slamonline.com J

    forgot to add Rod Thorn

  • http://www.slamonline.com J

    Honestly i can’t see bron teaming up with wade, though it would be great, who’s gonna work off-ball? who’s posting up? neither were great at doing that. THAT IS WADE’s TEAM! bron won’t be 1b. i think MIA is ending up with STAT, and 2-3 great role players(1 defensive center, 2 guards with good shooting). Bosh is.. Knicks? i don’t know! Lebron and Bosh in CHI is great (but of course i don’t want that to happen unless its in Cleveland) and if they add that i think they will get tons of shooters especially that Hinrich is gone.

  • http://www.slamonline.com J

    and.. espn says rod thorn is stepping down as nets president..

  • dutch Rob

    IMO Miami has to best chance of signing the big names just because they have no income tax and Miami is well…. Miami:D.
    But i doubt Lebron will go there.

  • Flash

    Miami doesn’t need lebron. We already have dwade. Sign stoudemire, gay, ridnour, plus another center and we’re ready to rock!

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