Today, Gar Foreman confirmed that the Bulls will not match Houston's offer sheet to Omer Asik, making Asik a Rocket. This announcement came in the wake of moves that left Kyle Korver a Hawk, C.J. Watson a Net, and Ronnie Brewer a Knick. Taj Gibson is the only reserve player of note who will be on the team in both 2012 and 2013
Mat is obviously disheartened by the moves, which suggest that the Bulls aren't willing to spend big to surround the current roster with the best supporting pieces . Some say (including Foreman himself) that the Bulls are simply trying to maintain their financial flexibility; in a universe in which the well-over-the-tax Lakers acquired Steve Nash and are the frontrunners for Dwight Howard, that's a hard pill to swallow.
Mat tried justifying these moves as a necessary evil after accepting that hard truth. After all, if Reinsdorf isn't going to pay for a contender, you have to build the best team within those constraints. Watson ended up signing for the minimum once the Bulls waived him. Brewer will also likely sign for the minimum, as that's all the Knicks can offer. Korver, who was traded, had value as an expiring contract, but also probably would have seen a paycut had he hit free agency.
Mat is still upset about the loss of these guys since they were 1) under contract for only one year and 2) expiring contracts, broken into manageable salaries across three players. They're the type of filler used to balance a trade for a Great Player in a deal centered around assets (Nikola Mirotic, Bobcats pick) and rookie-contract players (Taj Gibson). The Bulls didn't create long or short-term flexibility by letting those three go. They actually reduced their flexibility for a one-year financial windfall.
Still, Mat thinks not matching Asik was a move the team had to make considering the Bulls' financial crunch. Asik was a great defender, but unless Foreman and Paxson thought he would be a better overall player than Joakim Noah, they couldn't afford to keep him. You can't set a limit on your spending and then pay a backup $8 million a year. A team that won't spend more than ~$74 million simply cannot spend $20 million on a position at which they do not have a superstar.
Picking up solid, uninspiring guys like Kirk Hinrich, Vladimir Radmanovic, Nazr Mohammed and Marco Belinelli is the road the Bulls have to take. The bench will win fewer games for the team in the regular season, but the Bulls can't afford that luxury. And make no mistakes: it is a luxury. In the postseason, the bench won't be picking apart the Norris Coles and Juwan Howards of the world; when superstars are playing 40+ minutes a game, the strength that is the Bench Mob is all but neutralized.
It was an amazing unit to watch, and in a perfect world, they'd still be in Chicago. It's time to face facts, though: the Bulls have to find a way to best divide their regrettably limited resources. In building a championship contender, Mat believes they're best served concentrating those resources into a tighter, 7-8 man rotation.
Now, if you'll excuse him, Mat will spend the next 24 hours hitting "C.J. Watson", "Gimme the hot sauce", "Chicago's Finest Brew", "Asik and Destroy", and "C.J. Watson (excited)" in a steady loop while sobbing softly to himself.
Showing posts with label C.J. Watson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label C.J. Watson. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
CJ to Nets, JL3 to Raptors
Watson is headed to New Jersey, and it appears as though John Lucas III is close to a deal with the Raptors.
What does this mean to Mat?
We'll be seeing a lot of these guys in the coming years.
Both will fill in backup roles for their respective teams in the Eastern Conference, and both will likely be gunning for the Bulls each and every time they visit.
Mat was impressed with the professionalism both showed when they exited, but he knows deep down both guys would have loved to stay, and both were irked a little bit by the Teague pick.
Mat hates when players have vendettas against the Bulls. All these guys are professional athletes, and are incredibly talented, but when you give them a little more to play for, they can become really dangerous.
Both guys will earn a standing O from Mat when they each return, but from then on, Mat hopes the Bulls are able to bottle them up like the Sixers did last May.
What does this mean to Mat?
We'll be seeing a lot of these guys in the coming years.
Both will fill in backup roles for their respective teams in the Eastern Conference, and both will likely be gunning for the Bulls each and every time they visit.
Mat was impressed with the professionalism both showed when they exited, but he knows deep down both guys would have loved to stay, and both were irked a little bit by the Teague pick.
Mat hates when players have vendettas against the Bulls. All these guys are professional athletes, and are incredibly talented, but when you give them a little more to play for, they can become really dangerous.
Both guys will earn a standing O from Mat when they each return, but from then on, Mat hopes the Bulls are able to bottle them up like the Sixers did last May.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Bye Bye To The Bench Mob
Mat's thoughts recently have been filled with retrospect and nostalgia regarding his beloved, "Bench Mob." Although, the majority of Bulls fans have known for a while this offseason would introduce much change to the bench at the Madhouse, the closer the change comes to reality, the harder it is for Mat to come to grips with the loss.
Salary constraints are to be blamed in this situation in addition to a few other reasons. With the drafting of Teague and reintroduction of Hinrich to the franchise, C.J. Watson and John Lucas III are going to be left searching for a new franchise. Ronnie Brewer is also said to be gone, with Mat seeing a silver lining in Jimmy Butler gobbling up the majority of his minutes.
Kyle Korver is the player who leaves the most to be questioned. While nothing is certain for any of the previously mentioned Bench Mob, the Bulls seem to be waiting till the last second to make a decision on Korver's $5 million option.
Mat doesn't see him staying either. $5 million is a lot for a one dimensional player; keeping in mind the salary cap shadow that is hovering the franchise as it is.
While Mat is definitely sad seeing some of these key role players go, he is also excited to see what GarPax are made of. He knows you won't see any big moves out of the Bulls this offseason, but sometimes the minor moves are the ones that win you championships.
The pressure is on GarPax to rebuild this new Bench Mob with talent. Hopefully surrounding the Bulls core with enough of it to take them to the promise land.
Salary constraints are to be blamed in this situation in addition to a few other reasons. With the drafting of Teague and reintroduction of Hinrich to the franchise, C.J. Watson and John Lucas III are going to be left searching for a new franchise. Ronnie Brewer is also said to be gone, with Mat seeing a silver lining in Jimmy Butler gobbling up the majority of his minutes.
Kyle Korver is the player who leaves the most to be questioned. While nothing is certain for any of the previously mentioned Bench Mob, the Bulls seem to be waiting till the last second to make a decision on Korver's $5 million option.
Mat doesn't see him staying either. $5 million is a lot for a one dimensional player; keeping in mind the salary cap shadow that is hovering the franchise as it is.
While Mat is definitely sad seeing some of these key role players go, he is also excited to see what GarPax are made of. He knows you won't see any big moves out of the Bulls this offseason, but sometimes the minor moves are the ones that win you championships.
The pressure is on GarPax to rebuild this new Bench Mob with talent. Hopefully surrounding the Bulls core with enough of it to take them to the promise land.
Safe Not Sorry
It seemed to make sense to most, and now we know that it made sense to Gar and Pax, Kirk Hinrich will be back in the Bulls back court. Well, sources say.
Mat sees this as the safe move. Smart move, but also safe and somewhat easy.
Kirk is a pro, and he has Mat's trust. He's not going to wow anybody, but he's also not going to make some of the mistakes we saw from C.J. and JL3 while either one of them was running the show.
Hinrich will work hard every day and be an excellent role model to Teague and even Rose.
He'll be able to fill in for Derrick for the time being, and then when Rose does return, Kirk will be a fine fill in when D-Rose needs a breather.
Defensively Hinrich is an upgrade over anything the Bulls have thrown out there since, well, Kirk Hinrich.
Mat just needs to find a way to flush out the memories of Kirk on bad Bulls teams, and see him as an added piece to an already good Bulls team. This will take time.
Mat likes the move. Even if it does seem somewhat obvious and safe.
Mat sees this as the safe move. Smart move, but also safe and somewhat easy.
Kirk is a pro, and he has Mat's trust. He's not going to wow anybody, but he's also not going to make some of the mistakes we saw from C.J. and JL3 while either one of them was running the show.
Hinrich will work hard every day and be an excellent role model to Teague and even Rose.
He'll be able to fill in for Derrick for the time being, and then when Rose does return, Kirk will be a fine fill in when D-Rose needs a breather.
Defensively Hinrich is an upgrade over anything the Bulls have thrown out there since, well, Kirk Hinrich.
Mat just needs to find a way to flush out the memories of Kirk on bad Bulls teams, and see him as an added piece to an already good Bulls team. This will take time.
Mat likes the move. Even if it does seem somewhat obvious and safe.
Friday, July 6, 2012
When $3 Million is Worthless
Roy Hibbert: 4 years, $58 million
Nic Batum: 4 years, $45 million
Gerald Wallace: 4 years, $40 million
Omer Asik: 3 years, $25 million
Landry Fields: 3 years, $19 million
Brandon Roy: 2 years, $10.4 million
A small sampling of contracts agreed to during the first five days of the offseason. Mat was under the impression that, with the new CBA in place, NBA owners were going to control themselves, maybe even seize an opportunity to tell free agents "I'm sorry, but salaries have to come down with all the new rules," even if it wasn't necessarily true for their team.
Expecting responsibility from NBA owners was foolish on Mat's part, obviously, and the contracts signed so far have extinguished any notion that non-superstars would have to expect less money in The New NBA. The free agency period has made it so a 4 year, $30 million deal for Jeremy Lin, he of the 25-or-so good games, seems startlingly reasonable.
What this means for the Bulls is that they're not going to be able to make waves with the $3 million taxpayer mid-level exception. The only player of note who has signed in their price range is Jason Kidd, who signed a three year deal worth $9 million that will make him a Knick through his 58th birthday.
If they're lucky, Kirk Hinrich (who Mat thought might be a contender to take a discount at the veteran's minimum) might take a discount to sign at the full mini-MLE. Maybe Ramon Sessions will be left with nowhere else to sign when the dust of free agency settles. Still, those seem like awfully big maybes.
What this should mean for the Bulls is that C.J. Watson is brought back, because they're almost certainly not going to find a better point guard for less than Watson's $3.2 million salary. Mat thinks Paxson and Foreman should take a hard look at guaranteeing Ronnie Brewer's contract, too, because bench help is going to be difficult to sign.
It also might mean management is right to avoid the luxury tax unless you know you're a contender. With just $3 million to wield in this sort of an environment, making significant moves to upgrade your team without giving up an important piece becomes nearly impossible. The Lakers were able to add Steve Nash, but that's because Nash turned down $11 million more from Toronto and LA happened to have a trade exception from the Lamar Odom deal.
There's a difference between cheapness and maintaining flexibility. If the Bulls let go of Korver, Watson and Brewer with few means to replace them, if they release those guys and add a Kirk Hinrich and call it an offseason? That is cheapness, because they're doing nothing but making the team worse for next season.
If, going forward, they try to avoid the tax for non-significant upgrades so that, when the time comes, they can add a Jason Terry instead of a signing a decaying Jason Kidd to a long-term deal? That might be the price of business in The New NBA.
That, and $40 million over 4 years for Jeff Green. (You're killing Mat, NBA owners.)
Nic Batum: 4 years, $45 million
Gerald Wallace: 4 years, $40 million
Omer Asik: 3 years, $25 million
Landry Fields: 3 years, $19 million
Brandon Roy: 2 years, $10.4 million
A small sampling of contracts agreed to during the first five days of the offseason. Mat was under the impression that, with the new CBA in place, NBA owners were going to control themselves, maybe even seize an opportunity to tell free agents "I'm sorry, but salaries have to come down with all the new rules," even if it wasn't necessarily true for their team.
Expecting responsibility from NBA owners was foolish on Mat's part, obviously, and the contracts signed so far have extinguished any notion that non-superstars would have to expect less money in The New NBA. The free agency period has made it so a 4 year, $30 million deal for Jeremy Lin, he of the 25-or-so good games, seems startlingly reasonable.
What this means for the Bulls is that they're not going to be able to make waves with the $3 million taxpayer mid-level exception. The only player of note who has signed in their price range is Jason Kidd, who signed a three year deal worth $9 million that will make him a Knick through his 58th birthday.
If they're lucky, Kirk Hinrich (who Mat thought might be a contender to take a discount at the veteran's minimum) might take a discount to sign at the full mini-MLE. Maybe Ramon Sessions will be left with nowhere else to sign when the dust of free agency settles. Still, those seem like awfully big maybes.
What this should mean for the Bulls is that C.J. Watson is brought back, because they're almost certainly not going to find a better point guard for less than Watson's $3.2 million salary. Mat thinks Paxson and Foreman should take a hard look at guaranteeing Ronnie Brewer's contract, too, because bench help is going to be difficult to sign.
It also might mean management is right to avoid the luxury tax unless you know you're a contender. With just $3 million to wield in this sort of an environment, making significant moves to upgrade your team without giving up an important piece becomes nearly impossible. The Lakers were able to add Steve Nash, but that's because Nash turned down $11 million more from Toronto and LA happened to have a trade exception from the Lamar Odom deal.
There's a difference between cheapness and maintaining flexibility. If the Bulls let go of Korver, Watson and Brewer with few means to replace them, if they release those guys and add a Kirk Hinrich and call it an offseason? That is cheapness, because they're doing nothing but making the team worse for next season.
If, going forward, they try to avoid the tax for non-significant upgrades so that, when the time comes, they can add a Jason Terry instead of a signing a decaying Jason Kidd to a long-term deal? That might be the price of business in The New NBA.
That, and $40 million over 4 years for Jeff Green. (You're killing Mat, NBA owners.)
Saturday, June 30, 2012
A (Realistic) Free Agency Preview - Part One
While the Bulls aren't expected to make any radical moves this offseason, Free Agency Eve still represents calm before the storm. The Bulls have a number of holes in their roster, and a seemingly infinite number of solutions exist to help fill those holes.
Mat took a look first at the players who were on the team last year who either are or could be free agents this summer. This does not necessarily reflect his opinion of these players; he is merely predicting what the Bulls' front office will do. (All contract information sourced from ShamSports.com.)
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Bye-bye, C.J. Watson. The drafting of Marquis Teague almost certainly guaranteed your demise. John Lucas III will probably be gone too, off making too much money for someone else.
The Bulls' shooting guard situation remains a big question mark, and yet, Mat fully expects Ronnie Brewer to be released from the non-guaranteed final year of his contract. Brewer struggled offensively, an area in which the Bulls are lacking, and they could probably call on Jimmy Butler to help replace Brewer's outstanding defense.
Kyle Korver is the most likely to be brought back of the three bench mob players with non-guaranteed contracts (Watson & Brewer being the other two), but he's also the highest-paid. The Bulls can afford to wait and see how free agency goes before making a move on Korver; Watson and Brewer's contracts are fully guaranteed if they're not cut by July 10, but Korver's contract doesn't have a guaranteed-by date.
Ultimately, Mat thinks the Bulls will be forced to keep Korver. His skillset is too unique on the Bulls' roster and there are too many question marks at the positions he's capable of playing. Mat wouldn't be surprised, though, if Korver is gone should the Bulls find a cheaper replacement in Free Agency.
Omer Asik is the most sought-after Bulls free agent (no offense, JL3). He's a restricted free agent, though, so the Bulls have the ability to match any offers made by other teams to keep him. The team has indicated that they'll match him at all costs, and, as a former second-round draft pick, he falls under the Gilbert Arenas rule. This means he can't be offered more than the mid-level exception for the first two years of his contract, which makes him a great value for the Bulls.
There exists the very realistic possibility that a team like Houston, desperate for a center, offers Asik a back-loaded contract that prices him out of the Bulls' range. The Gilbert Arenas rule limits the amount of money Asik can make in his first two years, but a team under the salary cap can offer him a bigger payday after that. Mat can see a scenario in which Asik is offered a contract worth $28 million over 4 years that pays out $5 million in the first two years and $9 million in the last two; the Bulls might (understandably) balk at a backup center making $9 million.
Still, the Bulls seem to understand Asik's value, both as a player and as a trade chip considering his limited salary. Mat sees no reason not to take management at their word when they say Asik will be brought back.
Mat's final verdict: Korver and Asik retained; Watson, Brewer and Lucas let go.
Mat took a look first at the players who were on the team last year who either are or could be free agents this summer. This does not necessarily reflect his opinion of these players; he is merely predicting what the Bulls' front office will do. (All contract information sourced from ShamSports.com.)
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Bye-bye, C.J. Watson. The drafting of Marquis Teague almost certainly guaranteed your demise. John Lucas III will probably be gone too, off making too much money for someone else.
The Bulls' shooting guard situation remains a big question mark, and yet, Mat fully expects Ronnie Brewer to be released from the non-guaranteed final year of his contract. Brewer struggled offensively, an area in which the Bulls are lacking, and they could probably call on Jimmy Butler to help replace Brewer's outstanding defense.
Kyle Korver is the most likely to be brought back of the three bench mob players with non-guaranteed contracts (Watson & Brewer being the other two), but he's also the highest-paid. The Bulls can afford to wait and see how free agency goes before making a move on Korver; Watson and Brewer's contracts are fully guaranteed if they're not cut by July 10, but Korver's contract doesn't have a guaranteed-by date.
Ultimately, Mat thinks the Bulls will be forced to keep Korver. His skillset is too unique on the Bulls' roster and there are too many question marks at the positions he's capable of playing. Mat wouldn't be surprised, though, if Korver is gone should the Bulls find a cheaper replacement in Free Agency.
Omer Asik is the most sought-after Bulls free agent (no offense, JL3). He's a restricted free agent, though, so the Bulls have the ability to match any offers made by other teams to keep him. The team has indicated that they'll match him at all costs, and, as a former second-round draft pick, he falls under the Gilbert Arenas rule. This means he can't be offered more than the mid-level exception for the first two years of his contract, which makes him a great value for the Bulls.
There exists the very realistic possibility that a team like Houston, desperate for a center, offers Asik a back-loaded contract that prices him out of the Bulls' range. The Gilbert Arenas rule limits the amount of money Asik can make in his first two years, but a team under the salary cap can offer him a bigger payday after that. Mat can see a scenario in which Asik is offered a contract worth $28 million over 4 years that pays out $5 million in the first two years and $9 million in the last two; the Bulls might (understandably) balk at a backup center making $9 million.
Still, the Bulls seem to understand Asik's value, both as a player and as a trade chip considering his limited salary. Mat sees no reason not to take management at their word when they say Asik will be brought back.
Mat's final verdict: Korver and Asik retained; Watson, Brewer and Lucas let go.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
So Long C.J.
Bulls backup/de facto starting point guard C.J. Watson's contract requires the Bulls to pick up a team option worth $3.2 million in order for him to remain in Chicago.
Watson has been heard saying that he would like to remain a Bull, but isn't sure the team has the cap room to make such a thing possible.
Mat likes C.J. Watson and doesn't want Bulls fans' final memory of him being his ill advised pass to Omer in Game 6.
That being said, Mat believes the Bulls would be better served to explore other options. Watson is a solid backup, but the $3.2 million he's owed could probably be spent in a wiser way.
Mat would love for Steve Nash to take a "slight" pay cut and fill in for D-Rose, but he knows this is about as likely as one of the Luvabulls saying yes to his date invitations.
Mat would love to see the Bulls pursue Goran Dragic. He will certainly have a number of suitors, but the Bulls offer an attractive package. Aside from the financial, Dragic would be guaranteed the starting role until D-Rose returns, and then would be an integral piece in what would certainly be a contending team. Seeing as Dragic has not been in the post season in the past few years, and only once in his career, it makes quite a bit of sense for him to consider the Bulls.
There are certain other options out there. Jeremy Lin? Kirk Hinrich? Chauncey Billups and his bum achilles?
Mat wouldn't be sad if C.J. returns to the Bulls, but he believes the Bulls front office brain trust can find a more suitable option at PG until the MVP returns.
Watson has been heard saying that he would like to remain a Bull, but isn't sure the team has the cap room to make such a thing possible.
Mat likes C.J. Watson and doesn't want Bulls fans' final memory of him being his ill advised pass to Omer in Game 6.
That being said, Mat believes the Bulls would be better served to explore other options. Watson is a solid backup, but the $3.2 million he's owed could probably be spent in a wiser way.
Mat would love for Steve Nash to take a "slight" pay cut and fill in for D-Rose, but he knows this is about as likely as one of the Luvabulls saying yes to his date invitations.
Mat would love to see the Bulls pursue Goran Dragic. He will certainly have a number of suitors, but the Bulls offer an attractive package. Aside from the financial, Dragic would be guaranteed the starting role until D-Rose returns, and then would be an integral piece in what would certainly be a contending team. Seeing as Dragic has not been in the post season in the past few years, and only once in his career, it makes quite a bit of sense for him to consider the Bulls.
There are certain other options out there. Jeremy Lin? Kirk Hinrich? Chauncey Billups and his bum achilles?
Mat wouldn't be sad if C.J. returns to the Bulls, but he believes the Bulls front office brain trust can find a more suitable option at PG until the MVP returns.
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