http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/4433 Recent articles about Luol Deng en-us The Draft is done, Derrick Rose is a Bull. All the Rose or Beasley drama is done. Ben Gordon and Luol Deng are both free to test the Free Agent market. So what do the Bulls do now?Rose is reportedly battling tendinitis in his right knee, but it isn't hindering him as he is still participating in the Summer League. So, with most of the questions besides Gordon and Deng answered, what is ahead for the Bulls? www.rawsportsblog.com Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:18:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287297 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287297 You know you've made a fair deal is when both parties think they got screwed. It's that time of year again. Restricted free agents from the class of 2004 (Emeka Okafor, Luol Deng, Josh Smith, etc.) are being wooed by teams that are hoping to make them an offer that their current team won't match. Likewise, players from the class of 2005 (Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Andrew Bogut, etc.) can negotiate extensions with their respective teams that will keep them off the free agent market for the foreseeable future. These negotiations are a battle of will and expectations. The player's job (via his agent) is usually to squeeze as much money out of the team as he can. The team's job is to sign the player to a contract that is a good value for the team. Naturally, the player's camp brings up all the positives about the player while the franchise has to balance this with the player's negatives to try to convince the agent (or the player) that they aren't worth what they're asking. Teams that repeatedly bow to players' demands are sure to find themselves in salary cap hell before too long. So in an effort to predict a market value for these players, I am going to take a look at their total value – performance (John Hollinger's Player Efficiency Rating), age and potential – and try to come up with a yearly salary that fits with what other players of their caliber are making. I'll list comparable players and their average salaries over the spans of their current contracts. Let's start with the class of 2004. These players are free to sign offer sheets from other teams, but their current team can (and usally do) match those offers. These are players that unsuccessfully negotiated extensions last summer, and since many NBA teams are reluctant to extend an offer to a restricted free agent, most of these players are likely to play out the final year of their rookie contract and become unrestricted free agents next summer. Dwight Howard, Devin Harris, Al Jefferson and Kevin Martin took care of their extensions last year, while Beno Udrih just recently re-signed with the Kings. Here are the other big names, in their original draft order… (Read the rest after the jump.) Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:40:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286609 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286609 185 games played, .302 batting average, 29 home runs, 91 RBI's, 115 runs scored, 26 steals, 32 strikeouts. Don't believe me? Check out this card (Only the back is shown below, click on the link to view the front and read the full article). Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:07:30 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286023 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286023 The offer the Goldenstate Warriors, have made to Elton Brand has an interesting ripple effect on the rest of NBA's free agents. Monta Ellis is in a nice position to hold the team hostage should Elton Brand decide to resign elsewhere rumors are he'd be looking for upwards of 10 million per season and the Goldenstate Warriors having just lost out on Baron Davis and Brand, would be face a very tough decision with their young star. Then turn to Corey Maggette he wants to play in Orlando but they have only a mid level exception to offer and are looking to add both a PG and a wing, right now both their targets: Corey Maggette, Chris Duhon are holding out for the whole thing. Then the Philadelphia Seventy Sixers are quietly poised to cause "Offer Sheet" mayhem as they like both the Josh's from the Atlanta Hawks and will offer Josh Smith a 5 year deal over the 42 million that the Hawks have offered him and could go as high as 5 years worth as much as 67 million. This would put alot of pressure on the Hawks as they already have the large contracts of Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby, but supposing they match. The Sixers will just turn their attention to Josh Childress their second target and begin the process again albeit with reduced figures, my guess is one of these Josh's will be a Philadelphia 76er next season. The Knicks are not so quietly looking for a PG, having already offered Chris Duhon slightly more than half their 5.5 mid level veteran exception, and should Duhon sign elsewhere they woulld immediatly turn their attention to others like: Sebastian Telfair, Tyronn Lue, Jannero Pargo and Keyon Dooling all the while embattled former star Stephon Marbury waits in the wings having not benn bought out and currently not part of the teams plans. Stephon Marbury has something to prove and when he is bought out, it will be very interestng to see where he ends up. Last if this drama isn't enough Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng's situation haven't played out yet at all Chicago is in tough as they just have too many guards and players like Kirk Hinrich and Shawn Marion are already being shopped by their teams. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:51:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285609 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285609 The NBA free agency period starts on Tuesday, and we know who will be available this summer. Gilbert Arenas, Baron Davis, Elton Brand and Corey Maggette have opted out of the final years of their respective contracts and have become free agents. Shawn Marion, Allen Iverson, Ron Artest and Jermaine O'Neal decided not to opt out. Below is a list of the top 10 unrestricted and top 10 restricted free agents based on total value, which means I'll take into account each player's production, age, upside and estimated asking price. Unrestricted free agents can sign with any team that makes them an offer. Restricted free agents can sign offer sheets from other teams, but their current team has the right to match that offer, which is usually the case. (See the lists after the jump.) Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:10:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284280 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284280 1. Andre Iguodala, Sixers: Iguodala's decision to turn down a $57 million deal last summer is tough to justify. At the time, the Sixers appeared to be the only team with significant cap room; I'm not sure where he thought his next paycheck would come from. He had a great regular season, but a woeful postseason has put his stock back in check. He's coveted by the Grizzlies, but the chances of them prying him away from Philly look very slim. 2. Josh Smith, Hawks: On talent and potential, Smith should be on top of this list. He's a freakish athlete who can score, rebound and block shots. What holds him back is a questionable attitude. Nonetheless it appears the Hawks have to re-sign him. Given the Hawks' ownership woes, Smith is one of the few restricted free agents a team with cap space may try to pluck away -- the same way the Hawks did with Joe Johnson a few years ago. I could see the Sixers making a run at him. 3. Emeka Okafor, Bobcats: Okafor turned down $13 million per season to hit free agency this summer. He's not the best player on this list, but he's the best young center on the market. Still, there's no guarantee he'll get more money from another team. I'm sure the Grizzlies will be interested, but they know the Bobcats will match. I don't see him going anywhere, but a sign-and-trade isn't out of the question here if the negotiations go on too long. 4. Jose Calderon, Raptors: Calderon played at an All-Star level this past season. When T.J. Ford went down with injuries, he became the leader of the Raptors and proved to be the best true point guard on the free-agent market. The Raptors say they'll match any offer for Calderon and I believe them -- especially now that they've agreed to a trade with the Pacers that will ship T.J. Ford to Indiana. As it stands now, he's their only point guard. Still, don't be shocked if the Sixers make a big offer to him. They need a long-term replacement for Andre Miller and I hear Sixers GM Ed Stefanski is a big fan. 5. Luol Deng, Bulls: Everyone loves Deng's talent, but so do the Bulls. At least they used to. Injuries and a poor season have hurt his value around the league. Still, it's hard to see the Bulls not matching any offer Deng gets next summer. He declined a $57.5 million extension in October, so if he makes more than that he'll come out ahead. It will be interesting to see if the budget-conscious Bulls will take advantage of the market conditions and offer him much less. 6. Andris Biedrins, Warriors: Biedrins didn't get the lucrative contract offer that several others did. He was looking for something in the five-year, $50 million range and got an offer that was reportedly substantially lower. Biedrins falls a little bit into the Anderson Varejao category -- energetic big man whose stats don't tell the whole story in terms of on-court contributions. Given that he continues to improve and he's only 21 years old, it's hard to believe the Warriors wouldn't match an offer. 7. Monta Ellis, Warriors: He's young and he can score. But his restricted status is going to hurt him. No team has the money to offer him more than the midlevel, and he probably feels as though he's worth considerably more than that. He's a player who may be better off taking the one-year tender from the Warriors so that he can be an unrestricted free agent in 2009. 8. Josh Childress, Hawks: Childress doesn't get nearly the respect or hype of many of his teammates in Atlanta, but he's been a devastatingly effective sixth man and who might still be expendable given all of Atlanta's wing talent. He probably can't get more than a midlevel deal on this market, but he'd be a bargain at that price. 9. Ben Gordon, Bulls: Of all the players who turned down lucrative contract extensions last summer, Gordon made the most mind-boggling decision. He turned down a five-year, $50 million deal that seemed above market value on a down season. For him to recoup that money this summer seems almost impossible … and now that the Bulls have added Larry Hughes to the mix, it's no longer clear where Gordon fits into the picture. There isn't a huge market for undersized 2-guards with streaky jump shots. Gordon is most likely to be the top restricted free agent not to have his offer matched, but he's going to struggle to get a huge offer from anyone. Gordon may be better off taking the Bulls' one-year tender offer. 10. Nenad Krstic, Nets: Before his knee injury last season, Krstic looked like he'd be locked up by the Nets. Now the uncertainty over his health could hurt his value. Philadelphia is one team to watch for. Sixers GM Ed Stefanski was a fan while he was back in New Jersey. A sign-and-trade is another possibility for the Nets. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:36:22 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284098 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284098 ESPN's Chad Ford ranks his top NBA free agents for the summer. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:45:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284080 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284080 Yes, the British folk think that Luol Deng is bigger than David Beckham and a household name here in the states. Oof. Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:22:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/276595 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/276595 If Kobe Bryant had been traded to the Bulls… • Jack Nicholson would have taken a sand wedge to the windshield of Kupchak's car. • Carson Daly would have beaten out Jimmy Fallon as the replacement for Conan O'Brien. • O.J. Mayo would not have accepted tickets to a Nuggets/Lakers game from Carmelo Anthony, since the Lakers would have sucked and Mayo don't do sucked. Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:33:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/274953 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/274953 A cautiously positive take on Doug Collins becoming the Bulls new head coach. He did turn Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen into the players they became, and possibly he could do the same for Tyrus Thomas and Luol Deng. Fri, 30 May 2008 13:52:35 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272522 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272522 Starring John Paxson and Doug Collins! Fri, 30 May 2008 01:25:21 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272343 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272343 J.R. Smith, pack your bags. Your time is up in a powder blue uniform. Smith has had a history of un-cooperation with the Nuggets and seems to be dysfunctional when he is not touching the ball or his shots are not falling. His refusal to work as a member of a team and his me-first demeanor as plagued him during his time up North, and has a visible effect on coach George Karl. www.rawsportsblog.com Thu, 29 May 2008 21:22:36 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272289 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272289 And the #1 pick goes to… the Chicago Bulls? The Bulls defied the odds (1.7%) by winning the top pick in the lottery and now, with a good offseason, the team is poised for a big turnaround. The decisions start with Ben Gordon and Luol Deng, who are both restricted free agents this summer. It's pretty clear that the team wants to keep Deng as he was seemingly the only player deemed "untouchable" in all the trade talks the past few seasons. Both players turned down extensions worth in excess of $10 million per year, so neither guy is going to be cheap. So which direction should the team go with the #1 pick? (Read the rest of the article after the jump.) Tue, 27 May 2008 13:13:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271412 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271412 This is the third of five installments of my position-by-position rankings, where I consider the four major factors that affect a player's total value: talent (statistical performance), contract, age and potential. To see a more detailed explanation of my approach, give my point guard rankings a gander. I have also completed the first edition of my shooting guard rankings. To summarize a player's stats, I'll use the NBA Efficiency statistic, which is defined as: EFF = ((Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks) - ((Field Goals Att. - Field Goals Made) + (Free Throws Att. - Free Throws Made) + Turnovers)) Essentially, the order of this list depends on the answer to the question – would you trade Player X for Player Y, assuming the goal is to win a title in the next three seasons, while also building a strong franchise for years to come? On with the rankings... 1. LeBron James, Cavaliers Age: 23 EPG: 30.6 Contract: three years, $47.3 M ($15.8 M per) What's there to say about LeBron that hasn't already been said? He's only 23 and is, at worst, the second-best wing in the NBA. He has some things to work on (i.e. post game, consistent shooting), but the sky is the limit. 2. Kevin Durant, Sonics Age: 19 EPG: 15.2 Contract: four years, $23.3 M ($5.9 M per) ROY probably should have gone to Al Horford, but Durant won it and his game is dripping with potential. I don't think the Sonics would trade Durant away for anyone on this list but LeBron. 3. Rudy Gay, Grizzlies Age: 21 EPG: 18.5 Contract: three years, $10.3 M ($3.4 M per) Gay broke out in a big way, averaging 20/6 in his sophomore season. He's young and talented, and will be the cornerstone to Memphis' rebuilding effort. (See the rest of the list after the jump.) Mon, 26 May 2008 13:00:17 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271057 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271057 Who do you think would be the top free agent of the 2008 off-season that could help the Bulls??? Artest? Jermaine O'Neal? *****See Link***** Fri, 23 May 2008 19:50:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/270447 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/270447