Yardbarker: Chicago Bulls

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Lots of Signings Edition

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:16:08 -0500

Former Celtic Sebastian Telfair isn't the only player who plays with guns. Hornets' guard Rasual Butler was arrested June 23 after witnesses told Miami Beach police a man holding a firearm had made threats. Based on the arrest report, when police arrived at the scene, Butler was seated in the back seat of a sport utility vehicle. When officers asked Butler if he had any weapons, he told them he didn't, but that his gun was in the car. The police found an automatic weapon that was cocked and had a bullet in the chamber on the floor of the car. Butler was scheduled to enter a plea on Wednesday, but the hearing was reset for Aug. 4. First, the Clippers signed Baron Davis away from the Warriors. Then, the Warriors signed Corey Maggette away from the Clippers. But the Warriors were not about to let the Clippers get another of their players if they could help it. They have matched the offer that the Clippers made last week to Kelenna Azubuike. The Warriors also signed Ronny Turiaf away from the Lakers, who chose not to match the offer, and they signed their second round draft pick, forward Richard Hendrix. The Warriors then completed a very busy day by re-signing their free agent guard Monta Ellis to a six-year, $67 million contract. Ellis got quite a raise in that as the 40th player selected in the 2005 draft, Ellis was paid just $770,610 last season. He will earn $11 million in 2008-2009. Ellis was the Warriors' shooting guard last season, playing next to Baron Davis, but with Davis' departure, he is expected to move to point guard this season. By keeping Azubuike, the Warriors will no longer pursue free agent swingman Maurice Evans who was reported to have signed with the Warriors. But, a Warriors source told Bay Area News Group that Evans spurned their three-year, $6.4 million looking for more money, and so the Warriors changed direction and matched the Azubuike offer. There have been rumors that the Celtics have contacted Evans and it seems that he would be a nice fit for the Celtics who could use an athletic swingman like Evans who's known as a solid defender and good three-point shooter (sound like anyone the Celtics just lost?). The Warriors still have unfinished business though as they haven't re-signed free agent Andris Biedrins. Biedrins' top choice is to stay with the Warriors. He is looking for a salary somewhere in the ballpark of the five-year, $50-plus million. With the other signings for the Warriors, it looks like that kind of a deal is out for Biedrins, however. He could reject any Warriors' offer and accept the $3.6 million qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next offseason or he could accept any of several lucrative contracts being offered by European teams. Just hours after bringing former Nugget Chris Anderson back to the team, the Denver Nuggets agreed to a one-year deal with free agent guard Dahntay Jones. Jones was drafted by Boston in 2003 but sent to Memphis in the trade that brought Kendrick Perkins and Marcus Banks to Botson. Jones was also given a look by the Celtics last season in training camp. After a good showing in Summer League, the Nuggets gave Jones a one-year fully guaranteed deal for the NBA minimum of $926,678. Some money details are coming out on a couple of big deals. The Express News reports that The deal that the Spurs gave Kurt Thomas was for a total of $8 million — $4.2 million next season and $3.8 in 2009-10. The Spurs have also signed Anthony Tolliver, who impressed on the Spurs' summer league squad, to a partially guaranteed contract. This is similar to the contract the Celtics signed Brandon Wallace to after his impressive summer league last season. Details on Josh Childress' contract with Olympiakos have emerged. His contract is worth $32.5- million over 3 years. The Hawks had offered five years at $33 million but it wasn't enough to keep Childress from jumping the NBA ship for Europe. After landing the big free agent of the offseason in luring James Posey away from Boston, the Hornets are trying to re-sign their own free agents. They are hoping to resign Jannero Pargo who wants a three-year deal but they lost Chris Andersen to the Nuggets. Word is that they are going to let Bonzi Wells walk but may make an offer to try to keep Ryan Bowen. With the official signing of Anthony Roberson on Wednesday, the Knicks now officially have 16 contracts which is one more than the NBA max and their league high payroll is once again over $100 million at $100,161,287. They need to do something and odds are that with a crowded backcourt, Marbury and his $21.9 million contract may be the one to go. other options may be Malik Rose, or one of the other smaller contracts like Balkman or Collins who have a team option for the 2009-2010 season. Sebastian Telfair's three-year deal with the Wolves is worth $7.5 million with $2.3 million this coming season and an option to stick with the Wolves in 2010-2011 for $2.7 million. Reports are that the Wolves appear to be getting closer to re-signing Ryan Gomes. Their offer will probably be in the $3 million a year range. There aren't many teams who can offer much more than that left in the hunt for free agents. After losing one of their free agents, the Lakers are still trying to come to an agreement with their other free agent, Sasha Vujacic. Vujacic is seeking a multiyear deal from the Lakers averaging about $5 million a year. Vujacic was hoping for a six-year deal, but anticipated it could be a shorter contract. However, word from Vujacic is that he is prepared to leave the team and accept an offer from a European team in the next few days if the Lakers don't make him an offer he considers to be fair. East Valley Tribune suggests that the flexibility that Matt Barnes will give the Suns makes Boris Diaw and Leandro Barbosa expendable and might open the door for them to go after Kirk Hinrich who they have been interested for some time. I still think that Barnes would have been a great pick up for the Celtics, especially since he signed for a minimum contract. It seems as though the Blazers will spare nothing to try to dissuade teams from signing Darius Miles and thus put his $9 million in salary back on their club. First there was the leaking of the details of his suspension to the median. Now, Blazers GM is giving out details of Miles' injury that could land him in hot water. From the Sports Tribune: "Two doctors said Darius had the worst microfracture injury they had ever seen," Pritchard said on an Oregonlive.com blog this week. "They would never have him play basketball and the odds of having knee replacement surgery is high. I hear that, and as a general manager, I didn't want it on my conscience – that I had a kid have to go through a knee replacement surgery. That's a pretty major surgery. They saw (two bones) and replace (the knee). It's a bad deal." In a story posted April 14 on the Portland Tribune's Web site, Pritchard said, "The doctors had actually said, 'If you were my son, I'd never have you pick up a basketball again.' I'm the kind of GM (that) I wouldn't want that on my head that he ever had to have knee replacement." By revealing the specific details of Miles' injury, Prichard is in violation of the privacy provisions in the Health Insurance Portability and Availability Act of 1996. All of the underhanded activity by the Warriors in trying to prevent teams from giving Miles a chance make me really hoping the kid gets his comeback. Besides, I still am angry over the league not giving the Celtics any relief when Reggie Lewis died. I really hope Miles comes back and sticks it to the Warriors. Josh Childress has opened the flood gates for NBA players considering jumping to Europe for lucrative deals when they can't get what they feel they are worth in the NBA. The latest to consider the jump is former Celtic Delonte West. Russian basketball team Dynamo Moscow is discussing a two-year, $10 million offer with Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West, according to source close to West. Delonte is a restricted free agent and he could sign a $2.76 million qualifying offer for the 2008-09 season and become an unrestricted free agent next year if he chooses to stay in the NBA and doesn't feel that the Cavs are offering enough. Delonte has been plagued with various injuries throughout his career so far and so taking the qualifying offer is risky if he is unable to stay healthy and earn a bigger payday next season.

Create The Caption #251

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:03:44 -0500

(Usually) Everyday I'll throw out a photo from the AP or one of the bigger sites and you provide the caption. Hilarity ensues. I'm also adding a handful of links at the bottom of the page that you should check out each day.

Yesterday's Winners....

"This is an absolute disgrace. You should all be ashamed with your performance tonight. You clearly have no idea how to fight."- pickitup

"You all are a complete disgrace to Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball."- G-Money

"Ladies, we're supposed to be just like the NBA, this being the Palace and all one of you better get in those stands and punch a fan."- Frank M.

"Ladies, I said walk off the court just like Isaiah and I did after the Bulls swept us in 1991! Be a rich spoiled coward like me!"- Anon
_______________________________________

Are you funny enough to create a caption for this photo of OJ Mayo chatting up Kobe during a break at Team USA practice?

Daily Links:

Iraq Is Banned From The Olympics (BBC)
ESPN Personality Trivia (Simon on Sports)
You Have To Apply To Protest In China (Steady Burn)
Redskins Players Go Tubbing (DC Sports Bog)
Favre Makes A Comeback Via Madden 2009 (BMDP)
Who's Playing The Halftime Show Of The Super Bowl? (Food Court Lunch)
The MLS Has An All Star Game? (Beautiful Game)
A List Of The Best Sports Bars (Love of Sports)
Parity Isn't A Bad Thing (I'm Writing Sports)
The Cavs To Seattle? (The Money Shot)
All You Can Eat Hockey! (Small White Ball)
Morten Andersen Is Awesome (You Been Blinded)

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Six Degrees of Separation Edition

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:37:01 -0500

On the day that James Posey was introduced in New Orleans and vows to do whatever the coach asks of him for a team he sees poised to make a run at the title, the Celtics officially re-signed Eddie House and Tony Allen. On Sports Tonight, Tony said that the math was simple. If Posey signed, he and Eddie would have had to find a home elsewhere. It was one or the other. Danny said that Doc was worried about letting Tony go because he feels that Tony is going to have a break out year after watching him practice at the end of last season. Another player who would have fit nicely on the Celtics is off the market. The Rocky Mountain News reports that Chris Andersen is returning to the Nuggets. The Birdman had visited Boston for 2 days early in the free agency period and Danny seemed to have interest in him and vice versa. Now, Andersen has agreed to a one year contract with the Nuggets and will continue his NBA comeback in Denver where he was a fan favorite from 2001-2004. I was hoping the Celtics would sign him, even though they already signed Patrick O'Bryant to back up Perk since O'Bryant may be more of a project than immediate help and Andersen would come in with athleticism and energy off the bench at the center position. Good signing by the Nuggets. Denver was reported to be seriously considering signing Francisco Elson to replace the recently departed Marcus Camby. With Andersen signing in Denver, that leaves Elson out and looking for another team that may want him. Depending on how quickly Patrick O'Bryant develops, a one year league minimum contract to Elson might make sense for the Celtics. Although, it would remain to be seen how KG would feel about playing with a guy who called him gay. Another player who had been linked to the Celtics as a possible Posey replacement was Maurice Evans. Mercury News reports that the Warriors have signed Evans to a three-year, $6.4 million deal. This means that the Warriors will not match the offer that their restricted free agent Kelenna Azubuike signed with the Clippers. Evans would have made sense to replace Posey because he is an athletic swingman who's known as a solid defender and good three-point shooter and would have filled those roles left vacant by Posey's departure. The Clippers and Jazz have swapped point guards. The Clippers will receive Jason Hart from the Jazz and will send Brevin Knight to Utah. Last season, when the Celtics were in the market for a back up point guard, Knight was considered a serious candidate but signed with the Clippers instead while Sam Cassell was bought out by the Clippers and ended up signing with the Celtics. This is starting to feel like a game of 6 degrees of separation. In David Thorpe's chat on ESPN.com, he was asked what he thought about JR Giddens and whether he will amount to anything or if Danny wasted a pick on him. Thorpe's response was that his athleticism could be a help off the bench. And when asked which 3rd year guy he sees improving the most from his sophomore season, Thorpe mentioned that Rondo should improve his game overall for next season. The Portland Trail Blazers signed guard-forward Nicolas Batum on Wednesday. Batum played the past three seasons in the French ProA League. He was the 25th overall pick in the draft by Houston who traded his rights to Portland. Leading up to the draft, Batum was a popular choice on the mock drafts for the Celtics with the 30th pick. The OC Register reports that the Lakers are no longer pursuing a trade for Ron Artest. Instead of the Ron Ron rumors in Laker land, there is talk that the Lakers have joined a list of teams interested in signing Luol Deng. The Bulls and Deng are having a hard time coming to an agreement on a deal and so rather than risk losing him, they may resort to a sign and trade and the Lakers are interested in making an offer if it comes to that. I can see a pattern to the players that the Lakers are pursuing this off season. Both Artest and Deng are known for giving Paul Pierce a hard time on defense. One of the problems the Lakers had in the Finals was trying to stop Paul Pierce. Getting either Artest or Deng would assure them of having a player who has given Pierce problems in the past. Now, if they only had an answer for KG, Ray Allen and Leon Powe, they would be all set. The Sixers have reached an agreement with Royal Ivey, who spent last season with the Milwaukee Bucks. Ivey will not officially sign the minimum-salary contract until Monday, which is believed to be for 2 years and include a significant guarantee. Ivey will come off the bench to complement Lou Williams, that is, if the Warriors don't lure Williams away from Philly. That will give the Sixers 9 players under contract. Now that Josh Childress has made the leap to play in Europe next season, there is a lot of talk going around about other's following suit. Perhaps the most interesting is Jason Kidd talking about going to Europe when his contract is up. Playing in Europe could extend a player's career by a few years because they don't play the physical game that is found in the NBA. This is also why many European players have trouble adjusting to the NBA as they aren't used to the physical play that they run into when they come here. Carl Landry is also considering a jump to Europe if he can't get a satisfactory offer from an NBA team. Nenad Krstic is also considering joining fellow Nets free agent Bostjan Nachbar in accepting an offer to play overseas if he can't get the right deal from an NBA team. On the other hand, Bobby Brown, who made a big impression with his summer league play, rejected several offers to play overseas and is set to sign a 2 year deal with the Sacramento Kings. It seems that Brown was in demand as the Hornets pursues him along with Israel's Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Spanish giant Barcelona before he decided to accept the Kings' offer.

Should younger Bulls players look to take over?

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:38:48 -0500

The Chicago Bulls are having a tough time resigning Ben Gordon and Luol Deng to long term deals. One or both may be gone my the next season either via some sort of trade or free agency and Kirk Hinrich is coming off arguably his worst professional season. Over the last couple years the Bulls have continued to pile up some great young talent via the draft by trade and a little luck. So, should this new young talent of players, such as Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose, look to take over the team?

Keep Your Picks: Blazers vs. 76ers (Round One, Game Fourteen)

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:02:12 -0500

In the final game of round one, the Blazers, very similar to their actual team, have a nice collection of young talent. However, it's tough to pass up a lineup of A.I., Larry Hughes and Andre Iguodala with good depth behind them. Someday the Blazers will be a legit contender. Don't expect it to be today, though. Expert Picks: Pickard: Philadelphia 76ers Estimated Game Time: Wednesday July 23 (4 PM EST)

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Options are Dwindling Edition

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:51:04 -0500

Options are dwindling for both teams and free agents as teams continue to make moves. Here is what is going on around the league today: Josh Childress has indeed left the Hawks to play in Greece. The Journal Constitution is reporting that Childress has agreed to a a three-year, fully guaranteed contract worth far more than the $20 million originally proposed. It will remain to be seen how this affects NBA free agency in the future. Any player not getting what they want can flaunt a European contract at their team and will have to be taken seriously. But, there are still many players who want to be in the NBA even if they are making far less than they could in Europe. Josh Smith, the Hawks' other big free agent, was wined and dined by the Sixers and then they signed Brand. Then, he was wined and dined by the Clippers before they got Camby. Now, the only team under the cap that could offer him more than the MLE is the Grizzlies but they are in cost cutting mode. So, it seems that Josh Smith is stuck with the Hawks unless they can work a sign and trade with someone. Sources say that the Hawks are offering Smith a six-year deal worth $60 million. The Journal Constitution is reporting that this isn't true, however and that the Hawks have never offered anything near that. The San Antonio Spurs re-signed 36 year old Kurt Thomas on Tuesday. Thomas joined the Spurs last season in the trade that sent Brent Barry and Francisco Elson. In a rather fishy move, Barry was released by the Sonics and went back to the Spurs to join new teammate Kurt Thomas. Thomas' return could put in question the return of Robert Horry and Michael Finley's to the Spurs. When the Nets acquired Keyon Dooling, Marcus Williams vowed to fight for his job as the Nets' point guard. He may be fighting for his job, but not with the Nets as they traded him to the Warriors for a future first-round pick. The Warriors are going to give Williams a chance to start along side of Monta Ellis, who is more of a shooting guard than a point. First Camby was traded to the Clippers for a second round pick and now Williams traded for a first round pick. Must be nice to be under the cap and able to pick up players for peanuts (and draft picks). The Warriors pick has plenty of strings attached, though. The pick is lottery protected for 2011. If it goes to 2012, the pick is protected 1-11. It's protected 1-10 for 2013. If they still haven't received the pick by 2013, the Nets get second-round picks in 2013 and 2015. ESPN reports that Detroit has offered to trade Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince twice this off season already. The first time was to try to pry Carmelo Anthony away from Denver. The second offer was to Houston for Tracy McGrady. Both offers were rejected. With the rumors that Detroit is considering making a bid for Artest they could be making a 3rd attempt to trade Billups and Prince. There seems to be some smoke here and there may be some fire behind it. It would be interesting to see the crowd react to Ron Ron being introduced to the Palace crowd for the first time as a Piston. Talk about mixed emotions. Personally I wouldn't want Artest for anything. The guy has been a cancer and a distraction everywhere he has gone. Ryan Gomes is such a classy person. The Star Tribune reports that Gomes is participating in the Wolves' summer promotional caravan. He doesn't have a deal with the Wolves but is on their promotional tour. "I made a commitment at the end of the season to do this," Gomes said from Mankato. "They (the team) asked me if I'd like to do this and I'm a community guy, so I said yes. I don't know where I'm going to be yet. I made a commitment and stuck with it." Gomes is looking for the full MLE but chances of getting it are dwindling. It seems unlikely that the Wolves wouldn't match anything less. I would really like to have him back in Celtics Green but all the Celtics could offer is half the MLE and unless Danny has incriminating pictures of McHale, the Wolves would probably match any offer we could afford to give. At this point in his career, he is looking for some security and possibly accepting the qualifying offer and then seeing what he can get as an unrestricted free agent next season could be his best move. As hard as Gomes works, his value should only improve. Mark Bartelstein has said that several teams, including the Celtics have inquired about his client, Devean George. In his interview on WEEI, Danny said that he hasn't had any talks with George. So, either Bartelstein is floating rumors to try to get other teams to make an offer before another team snaps him up or Danny is not wanting to tip his hand. I remember Danny being interviewed on WEEI another time as the trade deadline approached when he said that the Celtics had nothing in the works and nothing even close. Four hours later, the Celtics traded for Wally Szczerbiak. So, you can't trust what an agent says or what Danny tells you for that matter. The News Herald reports that Bartelstein is also in talks with the Cavs concerning George. Now that the Celtics have signed House and Allen, Danny says that he is taking some time off. He may make another deal, or he may roll the dice with the team we have. The Celtics lost Pollard, PJ Brown, Cassell and Posey. The Celtics have 2 promising rookies who could fill in the blanks. Gabe Pruitt should be able to fill in at the Point along with House. Tony, if healthy, can replace Posey's defense. Giddens and Walker may get a chance to prove themselves. Danny may go with what we have now and then save space to pick up someone if there is a need later on. The Charlotte Observer reports that negotiations with Emeka Okafor are at an impasse. He has one more year left and if they don't agree on an extension, he can walk after next season as an unrestricted free agent. Rather than let him walk for nothing next season, the Bobcats may try to arrange a sign and trade. Some possibilities for a sign and trade swap are Shawn Marion, Anderson Varejao, Andris Biedrins, Al Harrington, and Luol Deng. Delonte West is still unsigned. The News Herald reports that the Cavs want to sign him but that they aren't close to an agreement at this point. Other teams are interested but have been scared off by his restricted tag, figuring that since the Cavs do want him, they will just match any offer made. Daniel Gibson signed a 5 year contract with the Cavs that starts at $3.7 million and West is looking for more since he is the starting PG and Gibson is the back up. Of course, if they can't reach an agreement, Delonte could just accept the Cavs' qualifying offer of $2.76 million, play out the year, and the become an unrestricted free agent next year. That could be good or bad for him. If he has a great year, he will demand even more money next season. If he continues to be nagged with little injuries and struggles, then as a restricted free agent, he may not get as much as he would now. It's a gamble that may or may not pay off. The Express News is reporting that it appears that Robert Horry's days with the Spurs are over. Big Shot Bob has won 7 rings in his 16 seasons in the league. He has said that he wants to play another season in the league but the Spurs don't seem inclined to bring him back. Unless he gets an offer from another team, he may be forced to retire. Could Big Shot Bob be the next aging veteran to come on board the Celtics? Danny loves these guys who seem to be on their last legs but who have tremendous experience and can help a team in little ways. Horry fits the profile. The Portland Trail Blazers signed first-round pick Nicolas Batum on Tuesday. Batum was actually drafted by Houston with the 25th overall pick and then traded to the Blazers for two draft picks. This brings the team's roster to 14 players. They still have not made a decision on whether to sign Petteri Koponen. They don't feel he is ready for the NBA this season, but if they don't sign him now, he will likely sign a long term contract in Europe. If they sign him, he could spend some time in the D-League and accelerate his development. The Clippers signed Golden State forward Kelenna Azubuike (8.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg) to a three-year, $9.3 million offer sheet last week and the Warriors have until Friday to match the offer, but according to sources they won't match it because they signed forward Maurice Evans to a three-year, $6.4 million deal. We are about to enter into the quiet (read completely dead) part of the season for Celtics fans. Danny is going to take some time off. He lost one free agent and brought back 2 others. He still has to deal with the Celtics 2 draft picks and possibly pick up another free agent or even make a minor trade. But keep in mind, it wasn't until the end of August that Danny signed Posey last season and so he may wait until the dust settles to make another move. Reports are that Bill Walker is working hard to come back from the knee surgery and depending on how he looks, Danny may not make another move. If ready to contribute, Walker could be the back up at the 3 that the Celtics still need. I like the kid and think he could prove to be the steal of the draft.

Rookie Most Likely To Dissapoint: Hinrich On The Move?

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:58:07 -0500

Sorry Fans of the Chicago Bulls, you made the wrong choice. Derrick Rose the Number One Overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft is the most likely to dissapoint of all the others. Well he does have an advantage right away from being number one but i think you might find after the year is done that Beasley should have been the number one. Think about it a star beast is what they need. They have the most talent from the guard position of anywhere now but that poses a problem because you have great young players already. Sure Benny G might not resign but if he did it would just be too much. Rose, Gordon, Hinrich, and not to mention the highly underrated Hughes. Ok they have alot of people like beasley but no right away stud scorers. To tell you the truth i dont know what they could have done but everywhere seems crowded and just because Rose is a Chicago native doesnt mean he should be picked number one. Did you hear Hinrich could be on the run? Thats whats in right now. They are currently shopping him around and there have been talks between the Nuggets and the Bulls. Hinrich for a pick. They want to clear some salary up. What they plan to do with the salary most likely includes the resigning of Deng or Gordon. Most people are dissapointed in Ben but the guy is the best scorer they have and can shoot almost as good as anybody in the NBA. Deng understand the hype but i'm not entirely convinced. Back to Rose. Reasons why i think he'll dissapoint. Please go watch highlight tapes now he is not the greatest dribbler in the world. Im sorry but if he wants to be succesful he better handle the ball. Second he is a point guard who shoots free throws like Kwame Brown. Third if he can't hit free throws consitently what would make the Bulls Management think he could hit actual shots on the perimeter or mid range. He is pretty good defensively but there are those quicker on there feet who will give him a whole heap of trouble. If he improves all of this i think he has a chance to be good and ill also be the first one to admit i was wrong. I am sorry I am just not convinced.

The Clippers Ruined Restricted Free Agency for Everybody :(

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:31:37 -0500

The Clippers started rocking the boat on Tuesday by trading for Marcus Camby but what began as ripples on the west coast grew into tidal waves on the east. The Clippers may have changed the futures of a handful of players and franchises by snatching up Camby for a second round pick, an IOU for a massage, and a dirty sock...[continued]

Urlacher Signs Contract Extension

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:42:22 -0500

The Chicago Bears put to rest a completely unnecessary distraction in an off-season when signing young stars to long contracts was supposed to be a priority. Monday the Bears signed Brian Urlacher to a one-year extension to end in 2012 for the tune of $18 million with a $6 million signing bonus. Urlacher was already signed with the team until 2011 but decided he wanted an extra year and fat signing bonus now. I can almost hear the clatter of loafers from lawyers running to the court house to re-examine child custody terms. Forget that the Bears are still working on a contract with first round pick Chris Williams, who stands to play the biggest role in solidifying the offensive line. Forget that the Bears are still trying to figure out a dollar amount to sign Devin Hester and keep him from leaving town. Instead the Bears spend $18 million on a middle linebacker, albeit their marque player, that is approaching his peak with an arthritic back. Brian Urlacher was looked up to by everyone in Chicago at a time when the team was at the bottom of the league. The team has reached the Super Bowl and now is trying to figure out how to get back. Urlacher still remains the face of the team but he is struggling to maintain that position of honor. He'll always do the commercials and the ads and all that great stuff that makes us all love him. It's his actions on the field that make you wonder if this is a team struggling to find where Urlacher fits in. The guy still makes amazing plays and I'm happy to keep him here as long as possible as a leader. You just have to wonder if a time will come when Urlacher will no longer be the star on defense and if he will take it well. The Bears have shown an uncanny ability to draft great defensive players and get them on the field quickly to contribute. Guys like Tommie Harris, Lance Briggs, and Mark Anderson have come in making a difference from the first snap. However, young talented guys also want to get paid like young, talented guys. The Bears are struggling right now to figure out how much they can afford to pay Devin Hester, the greatest return man in the game. The front office can't continue to dump money into old players, even the very successful ones, and allow the players of the future to go to another team. The other day I had a moment when I was thinking about teams that have had huge ups and downs in the league. The great teams are the ones that don't have trouble drafting key players and can keep their salary cap down, aka Indianapolis Colts. Then I got to thinking about the Oakland Raiders, a team that made a Super Bowl appearance and immediately dropped to the bottom barrel of the league. They had an MVP quarterback in Rich Gannon, and great veteran receivers in Jerry Rice and Tim Brown. After they lost the big game they also lost all their veteran players and the rest is ugly history. Within two years they were relying on Kerry Collins, Jerry Porter, and Tyrone Wheatley to lead the offense. The moral of the story is you need to know when to keep veteran players and to allow young players to usher in a new age. If it is not handled well you end up with veterans overstaying their welcome and young players that leave town because they are frustrated with the organization that drafted them to sit the bench. Everyone in Chicago still loves Michael Jordan but let's face it, the constant confusion of when he was going to retire prevented the Chicago Bulls from knowing when to rebuild and retarded their growth for the first five years after he retired. A team has to have balance and I hope the Bears know how to keep it. Devin Hester needs to be locked up in the longest term contract possible. When you come across talent that great at such a young age you have to keep it all to yourself. I still think Urlacher can make huge contributions, I'm not saying he still isn't an amazing player. I just worry that in a few years if the Bears want to bring in an understudy to learn his position that he might not take it well. This is a team looking towards the future to a good team with a long time. It just worries me when they become distracted with a veteran wanting more money and forget to sign their key first round draft pick. The Bears need to get focused and stay on the course they have set for being a solid team for a long time.

Luol Deng out of town?

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:07:31 -0500

Luol Deng has given the Chicago Bulls an ultimatum to sign him to a long term deal within the next two weeks or he will move on following the upcoming season.

NBA Teams to look out for in 08-09

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:58:53 -0500

Trailblazers, 76ers, Bulls, Heat, Grizzlies

Beckham pleased as Galaxy draw with Red Bulls

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 03:18:36 -0500

Los Angeles Galaxy captain David Beckham was pleased with the resolve his Major League Soccer side showed in battling back to a 2-2 draw against the New York Red Bulls Saturday. Landon Donovan salvaged a point for the Galaxy at Giants Stadium, his cross [...]

Mad Ballin' : In Daniel "Boobie" Gibson, Cleveland gets its B.J. Armstrong

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:16:16 -0500

We all know that Cleveland, in its quest to build a team around LeBron James so that he re-signs in 2010, retained Daniel "Boobie" Gibson with a five-year deal. In getting Boobie, the Cavs have signed the athletic shooter and running mate that LeBron James needs to pass the ball to when he gets double-teamed or when defenses collapse on him when he charges through the middle. Like Michael Jordan in Chicago before him, LeBron gets his own B.J. Armstrong. ( More after the jump )

Rotoworld vs. RotoEvil (a fantasy hoops comparison)

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:07:28 -0500

Rotoworld.com is a great resource for breaking news, but I often disagree with their NBA analysis. So here are a few examples of how my fantasy basketball opinions differ from Rotoworld's (I will continue to update the original post over the summer). My intentions are not to simply badmouth Rotoworld's fantasy hoops content, but to point out the differences between their analysis and mine. I should first thank them, because if it wasn't for an email that they sent me 5 years ago, I wouldn't be here today. You see, I purchased Rotoworld's "Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide" in 2003, and was very disappointed with their "expert" analysis and stat projections. I sent them an email citing examples of projections that did not seem very logical to me, and they responded by saying something like: Clearly, you are knowledgeable and experienced in fantasy basketball, but our draft guides are geared towards more novice players. I was extremely offended by that email. Why would someone sell a guide (of ANY kind) without putting maximum effort into it in hopes that even the most experienced person could gain some kind of knowledge or insight from it? Since that day, I've been on a mission to create my own Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide to the best of my ability. Over the last 5 years, I've won over $15,000 playing fantasy basketball, which is no easy feat considering the lack of high-stakes hoops leagues. After years of keeping my rankings and projections to myself, I released my first comprehensive Draft Guide last year on 82games.com, to much acclaim (see below). So before you purchase Rotoworld's 2008 NBA Draft Guide, perhaps you should take note of the differences between Rotoworld and RotoEvil. My 1st update includes differences of opinion regarding: Kevin Love & Minnesota's frontcourt, David Lee's trade prospects, Jason Williams' fantasy value, Brandon Rush's player comparisons, and whether or not Chris Duhon is really an NBA player. Click on the link to compare for yourself!

Jags Agree to Terms with 5th Round Pick CB Williams

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:40:48 -0500

The Jags today signed cornerback Trae Williams, their fifth-round draft pick. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Williams was the 159th overall pick in the the 2008 draft. The 23-year-old had 16 interceptions during his career at South Florida. The 5-10, 195-pounder recorded 165 tackles and one sack with the Bulls.