Curry, Chandler attracting little interest

[Andrew]

Anyone want two young, talented 7-footers? - Sam Smith

The lack of interest certainly works in Chicago's favour, since Curry and Chandler's market value won't be set by other teams. I'm not sure about the idea of extending the qualifying offer to Curry and risking him walking in a year's time; I understand the risk and potential problems of giving him a longer extension now (be it through matching an offer sheet or simply re-signing him first) but I don't want to see them lose him for nothing after next season.

And as Sam Smith says, they can't afford to lose both of them so getting at least one of them signed long term - most likely Chandler - would be for the best. It's a shame Dalembert has likely set the bar too high, though again perhaps the lack of interest in Chandler will even that out. As much as I'd like to see both of them return it's just not a good idea to overpay potential. Then again, it's not a sound idea to overpay players, period.

I'm not keen on the idea of signing Brian Grant though. Chicago already has Antonio Davis at their disposal and Grant would basically be filling the same role; the Bulls are paying enough already for AD. As for re-signing Pargo, I'm not against it but hopefully he'll come cheaply. Despite his heroics - or near heroics - he's not so much a clutch shooter as he is a player who can score in bunches when his shot is falling because he likes to shoot. Great when it works, ugly when it doesn't.

Still hoping Finley's a possibility, but since matching Duhon's offer sheet will likely eliminate any shot of getting him I'm not counting on it.

[Emiliano]

I really hope the Bulls sign both of them. I doubt Curry will have any problems and Chandler will be certainly better than last season. As for Pargo, I like him but now it seems that every player that does something great in a game thinks that he needs more money. Overpaid players . It would be nice to see Finley in a Bulls uniform. The team would do much better with him in the line-up.

[air gordon]

kudos to smith for putting out a good article

i think a bunch of teams would like to have a player like chandler but these GM's believe that Paxson will match any offer for chandler. they don't want to waste their time/holding up their available cap by offering chandler a contract only to have Paxson wait the maximum amount of days to match it

the eddy curry situation is not as cut and dry. i think eddy really wants to come back but doesn't understand the FA/negotiating process. he should have completed his visit to ATL so the hawks could 'determine' his value by offering him a contract.

but he didn't and since paxson seems intent on going by this type of strategy where he lets other teams determine his FA's value, it further puts the bulls/curry in a messy situation. factor in the heart condition & curry not being to get his contract insured, i think it's really possible that curry will sign for the QO. (from what i remember only 2 other players have done since the advent of it: olowokandi and stromile swift.. both ended up leaving w/o the clips & grizz getting anything in return)

curry wants financial security/stay in chicago but paxson doesn't want to a commit a multi-year contract to curry at this point for obvioius reasons.

i don't want run the risk of losing curry either but the QOseems like the likely scenario if curry can't get his contract insured. if curry proves this year that his heart condition is not career threatening, he will get his big payday next year.. from the bulls or someone else

i agree that grant and AD is redundant. pargo doesnt deserve anything over a million. if gordon continues his development and skiles gives him the freedom for more then just the 4th quarter, i don't think we'll be seeing much of pargo.

getting finley or any other impact type of player will become a pipe dream once Paxson officially matches the toronto offer sheet

malik allen has been reported in town for a visit with Paxson...

[Andrew]

i don't want run the risk of losing curry either but the QOseems like the likely scenario if curry can't get his contract insured. if curry proves this year that his heart condition is not career threatening, he will get his big payday next year.. from the bulls or someone else

That's what I'm concerned about, that someone else offering him big bucks after next season leaving Chicago to watch him walk for nothing when he could have been locked up long-term. Hindsight would be 20/20 of course, I understand the concern that his health problems could resurface leaving the Bulls in another difficult position altogether.

[John WB]

They should resign both.

Nets'd be better off if they signed either of them than Marc Jackson.

[iKe7in]

I hope they resign both so they have nothing left over for Duhon

[Kemp]

Speaking of these 2 players, I wonder why Scott Skiles did not starts them both last season. Curry was the starter C and Chandler just came in to backup the PF/C positions. Anyway, they both should re-sign with the Bulls since there are not many good big men in this league.

[air gordon]

I hope they resign both so they have nothing left over for Duhon

actually since duhon signed an offer sheet, the bulls have 7 days to match it. so of the 3 bulls you mentioned, most likely it's going to be duhon

as far as the money part...

the bulls would be using part of their Mid level exception to sign resign duhon while the money used towards signing the "twin towers" is dervied from their actual salary cap

the amount of money given to duhon will not dictate how much curry & chandler can get and vice versa

Speaking of these 2 players, I wonder why Scott Skiles did not starts them both last season. Curry was the starter C and Chandler just came in to backup the PF/C positions.

because chandler is a hack hehe. chandler played starter minutes and normally was finishing out games anyway

next year better be different- i expect both those guys to be starting[/quote]

andrew: then what do you think the bulls should do if you're worried about curry leaving after next year?

[Andrew]

I feel they should come to an agreement here and now. I know they want to be cautious because of his health and the possibility he'll lose motivation with the security of a long-term deal in place, but with his market value being rather low I think it will be a reasonably priced risk.

But...if Pax really is intent on taking the risk of the QO, then I agree with Smith (yes, really!) that the Bulls must re-sign Chandler. I think they should sign both now but if they insist on taking the risk of letting Curry walk for nothing next year they should definitely lock up Chandler now.

[bullsfan009]

The Bulls should definitely resign both, because they've shown great flashes of potential, are still very young, and could be a formidible tandom in the middle for a long time.

The Bulls lineup of the future should be:

Curry
Chandler
Deng
Gordon
Hinrich

...with Hinrich guarding the 2 and Gordon guarding the 1.

[air gordon]

I feel they should come to an agreement here and now. I know they want to be cautious because of his health and the possibility he'll lose motivation with the security of a long-term deal in place, but with his market value being rather low I think it will be a reasonably priced risk.

But...if Pax really is intent on taking the risk of the QO, then I agree with Smith (yes, really!) that the Bulls must re-sign Chandler. I think they should sign both now but if they insist on taking the risk of letting Curry walk for nothing next year they should definitely lock up Chandler now.

what kind of contract do you think curry should get, if not the QO?

chandler's getting signed. there's no doubting that

EDIT: the bulls reporter on a local sports radio show said the bulls are now working towards a new contract w/chandler. bulls are said to be offering 6yrs/60 mil, while tyson side wants 6yrs/75 mil

also harrington is expected to resigned by the end of the week

and curry's deal will be attended to when tyson's deal is completed

[Andrew]

what kind of contract do you think curry should get, if not the QO?

I would say somewhere in the realm of what Tyson Chandler's getting.

[air gordon]

wow.. that's a tremendous leap of faith towards curry

the chicago papers are reporting 6yrs/60-75 mill for chandler and you think curry should get something like this??!!!

[J@3]

6 years/75 mill sounds a bit excessive to be honest... then again I'm sure there's another team who'd give him the same, so Chicago have a pretty tough decision to make.

[Andrew]

I assume he'd want something in that realm as well. To lock him up for anything other than the QO at this point they would have to go a little way towards giving him what he wants; probably not six years though. I was talking more about the annual figure than the length. I'd gamble 3, maybe 4 years.

[Emiliano]

Id say give curry a 3 year deal and Chandler a long term one such as the 6 year 75 mill one. They'll see if Curry's health problems remain and if they do, expect a trade

[air gordon]

are you guys referring to curry or chandler?? hehe

if it's curry, any multiyear contract is too risky unless curry can get his contract insured.

no insurance = the bulls are stuck paying out that contract if, God forbid, that heart condition prevents him from playing

since no team has given curry any offers, paxson will be left to decide what kind of contract he will get.. which i guess is a blessing in disguise just as long as it's not the QO.

imo they should give him a front loaded contract with a team option after the 1st year- if he can't play after the 1st year, the team can cut him but pay him a small perecentage of his contract (lol if there's such a thing).)

6yrs/~60 mil would be ok for chandler. dalembert got something similar like that and chandler is just as good, if not better then him

[kinokong]

i'd like the contract for curry to be 2yr/10mil with the 2nd year being a team option and chandlers to be around 5yr/44mil range with it being frontloaded like 10mil in the first year... that would give the team flexibility down the road without being handicapped while fielding a good team

[Andrew]

imo they should give him a front loaded contract with a team option after the 1st year- if he can't play after the 1st year, the team can cut him but pay him a small perecentage of his contract (lol if there's such a thing).)

Not a bad idea, so long as it's legal. The last thing the Bulls need to do is Joe Smith the situation. The thing is, Curry doesn't sound like he's willing to do anything like that, rather he's looking for a payday and the security of a longterm deal. If the Bulls wanted to meet him halfway (or some of the way, at least), it would probably have to be around 3 years, perhaps with the final year at the team's option.

To be honest I hadn't given a thought to having a team option. If they can do the front loaded contract with the team option, I'd actually like that idea. Otherwise, something around 3 years with a team option, which should give the Bulls some security in that they can keep Curry but won't be forced to pay him while he sits for the next six years, while Curry gets a bit of a payday and a multiyear deal, albeit half the maximum possible extension.

[Nel]

Who's more valuable Curry or Chandler?

[The X]

talk is of Chandler getting an incentive-laden contract....or at least that's what the Bulls will probably want....

I'm guessing Chandler gets a 6 year, $66 million deal with incentives that could boost it up to the $80 million mark although he probably wouldn't get anymore than about $72 million over the 6....the deal is worth more than Dalembert's as it should be as Chandler is the better prospect IMHO and the 76ers overpaid for him....

as for Curry....hmm....what was his rebounding average....5.6 per game?!? I'm thinking Bulls won't want to offer Curry anything more than a 3 or 4 year deal max....because deal is shorter, they might be willing to offer more money....team option could be in contract, but it would likely be a player option after 2 years I'd say....maybe performance incentives relating to health concerns....so we could be looking at a deal at about $9 million per season plus incentives relating to games played each season....he will take it or he will sign a 1-year deal and try and make the Bulls pay....

what do you guys think of the 2 scenarios that I just made up then?!? any validity or am I completely off-base?!?

[air gordon]

the X: those scenarios make sense.. i agree chandler should get a better contract then dalembert. on a side note i think dalembert probably could have gotten higher contract by visiting other teams before he agreed to terms with PHI

the incentive thing is intruiging. i'd be for incentives such as staying healthy, all defensive team, the team making the playoffs. chandler seems tteam oriented but i don't want to see any incentives involving stats

i really have no clue what kind of contract paxson would give curry

Fuel: i think the organization views chandler as the more valuable player. he seems more of a "paxson/skiles" type of player. but outside of the tricky heart condition, chanlder has just as many question marks as curry does

both players have question marks and pretty much the other player weakness is the other one's strength