WrigleyField 22

What are the contract situations of those players? I don't think Alexander is an expiring....I think he's only been in the NBA for 2 seasons. Aren't rookie contracts 3 years guaranteed? First round contracts are 2 years guaranteed with two option years. They didn't pick up Alexander's option: http://www.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/bucks.jsp

I'll go Steelers, but would definitely be open to others joining up and creating a war room

Oh no...

Okay the answer was bugging me so here is the max salary right from the CBA documents:

Off the top of my head its: <=4 years experience: larger of 20% of the salary cap or 105% of previous salary >4, =<8, years experience: larger of 25% of salary cap or 105% of previous salary >8, =<10 years experience: larger of 30% of salary cap or 105% of previous salary >10 years experience: larger of 33% of salary cap or 105% of previous salary (Kind of a guess, but its something really similar to this) For pretty much any of the guys getting a max raise this year, that number is the 105% since the cap has dropped. So Lebron, Wade, and Bosh will actually make more than 30% of the salary cap. And that is for the first season of a new deal. After that, the player gets 10.5% of the first year salary as raises. If he signs with a new team, thus has no bird rights, its an 8% raise. Note that it isn't a compounding raise. To calculate the max raise you just take that percent of the first year, and that dollar value is the max raise (as opposed to increasing 10.5% each year) Google "Larry Coon", "NBA", "CBA" and use his FAQ website. He's pretty clear about any rules (although you can always check the actual CBA for best accuracy which you can also find online.

if the bulls can trade for free agent like stoudamire or bosh, then sign lebron or wade quickly in the offseason, they can use the bird rights of one of the other guys to go over the cap legally. this is all contingent upon being able to clear enough room to sign not only one max free agent but make signing two free agnets economically feasible, especially since reinsdorf hates the bulls and doesn't care if they do well or not. This is also highly contingent on the other teams agreeing to sign and trades in which they are willing to take back our resigned players.

The rectangular granite slabs... does it mean this: http://blog.aia.org/mt-static/plugins/Ajaxify/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/imagemanager/images/favorite_architecture_images/wrigley_600_x_376.jpg Like to the left of the Marquee? If so, that sounds good. It had never even occurred to me. If that's not what it means, what are they talking about? Oh and I am alright with all of these things, even the advertising in the bleachers. I think it means Rickets wants to spend and will look for ways to increase revenue. Bring it on.

Heard a rumor of Thomas and James Johnson for Brendan Haywood, but I have no idea about how legit the source is.

I sympathize for Prior and have no hate for him, but we can give a minor league contract to any average baseball player in his early to mid twenties, and he has a better chance of helping the team than Prior. We could just keep giving him minor league contracts until he's like 40 as an apology though. I'd be okay with that.

I will say that if we decide to move Hinrich for expirings, one revolving around Hinrich for Allen is the best I've heard. I really hope that it is Jerome James and not Thomas, although you really need one of Thomas or Salmons because of luxury tax concerns. Possible deal: Hinrich, James, Thomas for Allen, Daniels, Shelden Williams (save $625,757) The rumored Salmons deal was Salmons for Reddick and Anthony Johnson, but Orlando would have to include a little more salary... not sure about that one....

Here's another thing to think about: We lose both Hinrich and Salmons. That both goes towards a max FA. The rest goes to another high priced FA with a contract of at least 4 years. Both of these are backloaded deals that increase the maximum 8% each year. Now this organization is notoriously cheap. Deng is getting class to his max raise of 10.5% each year. After next year Noah will require a sizable contract, probably at 10.5% raises, and the next year Rose will require a max contract with 10.5% rasies. And there is talk about a 2011 lockout that will result in significantly lower salaries going forward. Are we gonna pay for all of this? If not, where is that money going to come from. Not Rose or the MAX guy we get this season. Not Noah because center is a valuable position. Then you have Deng or the other FA that we sign, both of who are likely overpaid and difficult to move. Financially it makes more sense to allow Kirk to expire just as we extend Rose. I know fans don't want to consider finances, but the fact of the matter is that teams need to and they do. This particular organization also happens to be one of the stingiest around. It just doesn't seem to work.

Yeah, I don't know why anyone wouldn't be enthusiastic for getting rid of Hinrich's contract, especially for Ray Allen. Because we can get a max FA just by moving Salmons and if we get that max FA guy we want as many defensive minded players around him as possible. That's not to say there aren't other defensive minded players you can acquire, but Kirk is a great role player that we have already and seems to be well respected by his teammates. We would miss Kirk's defense, and not just this year. I'd have my reservations about it, but a deal for Ray Allen would be tons better than an older rumor of Kirk to LA for Morrison and Sasha.

So it seems that there is some serious talk about a trade centered around Hinrich for Ray Allen, with expiring fillers thrown in. Also a less talked about rumor of something involving Salmons for JJ Redick. What do you all think of these rumors? I'd do the Salmons one. The Hinrich one, I'm less enthusiastic about, but might be persuaded based on who else is involved and what other moves we make as a follow up.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/snetsrak43/jimmyedmonds.png

For what it's worth: Maybe we get one decent last year out of him. We probably can sign one good FA, and maybe draft another guy, but that would be a 3rd rounder at the highest. Could use any help we can. And if he does come back even worse maybe we let him go. One thing, if Beekman is the "center of the future" than he better be playing guard all year if Olin is around.

The only way we will get two max free agents is to move Deng fwiw. Besides there aren't that many free agents available worth the max. Despite all the hype there is a great possibility that Bosh, Wade, and Lebron all stay put. And even if one leaves, we will be in competition with other teams still. I wouldn't waste my time having cap space for more than one max guy. Now, if I could give myself a little extra cap space so I can fill out the roster with better than minimum contract guys, I'd be pleased. Wouldn't we have enough to sign 2 max deals if we move Kirk (9.5mil) and Salmon's options out (6.5) with Miller (12.25) and James (6.6) coming off the books. We wouldn't have enough to also resign Tyrus, I don't believe, but wouldn't we have enough for Joe Johnson and either Bosh or Amare? Okay without Salmons and Kirk, the Bulls are sitting at $22,850,976 for 5 players. They will have a cap hold for their first round pick that I'll estimate at 1.6M. For the remaining spots, they will need a minumum salary cap hold. I'll estimate each of those at $460K times 6 (to meet the 12 player minimum). That leaves them with a cap commitment of $27,210,976. The first year of Bosh is $16,568,908. Amare $17,197,241. JJ's is a bit harder, because we need to establish what the cap will be. Recent projections are actually more optimistic than before, so I'll use $55M. That would make JJ's max $16.5M. I'm going to use Bosh as he is cheaper and a better player than Amare, and JJ. So take: _27,210,976 +16,568,908 +16,500,000 $60,279,884 That is well over any possible cap number. At best, the cap number will be equal to this year $57,700,000. With current projections it looks like between 54 - 56.7M. Now it would be possible to do this and go for something like Wade/Lee or Bosh/Morrow or something like that, which you could make an argument for. Two max contracts are not happening without trading Deng. Even if you move Gibson and Johnson for cap space and sell off the first rounder, the cap would need to be $57,228,604 to fit JJ and Bosh. It makes so very little difference, but I found the exact numbers for different holds: The minimum cap hold will actually be $473,604, adding an additional $13K per cap hold. Not a huge difference in the long run, but a little. On the other hand I overestimated a little on our rookie cap hold, which is we make the playoffs will be at most $1,443,300 and as low as $1,181,800 for the 19th pick (can't imagine much lower than that). Rookie Scale/Holds Click on #41 for Min Salaries

That's awesome but random. I can't believe he was the 2nd best kick returner in the NFC this year. The Bears special teams is amazing if you consider the fact that it hasn't been just one or two guys that have excelled for them. It's Ayenbadejo, it's Hester, it's Manning, it's Knox, etc. You forgot Tim Shaw. [-X

Well you need to be under the salary cap to be a player in 2010 Free Agency, so there is no way for them to end up in the tax next season with the Max FA plan. Now if we do get a star and become a top team in the East you would have to pay the tax eventually, possibly as soon as 2011/12. If Reinsdorf doesn't do it at that point, I will be mad.

The only way we will get two max free agents is to move Deng fwiw. Besides there aren't that many free agents available worth the max. Despite all the hype there is a great possibility that Bosh, Wade, and Lebron all stay put. And even if one leaves, we will be in competition with other teams still. I wouldn't waste my time having cap space for more than one max guy. Now, if I could give myself a little extra cap space so I can fill out the roster with better than minimum contract guys, I'd be pleased. Wouldn't we have enough to sign 2 max deals if we move Kirk (9.5mil) and Salmon's options out (6.5) with Miller (12.25) and James (6.6) coming off the books. We wouldn't have enough to also resign Tyrus, I don't believe, but wouldn't we have enough for Joe Johnson and either Bosh or Amare? Okay without Salmons and Kirk, the Bulls are sitting at $22,850,976 for 5 players. They will have a cap hold for their first round pick that I'll estimate at 1.6M. For the remaining spots, they will need a minumum salary cap hold. I'll estimate each of those at $460K times 6 (to meet the 12 player minimum). That leaves them with a cap commitment of $27,210,976. The first year of Bosh is $16,568,908. Amare $17,197,241. JJ's is a bit harder, because we need to establish what the cap will be. Recent projections are actually more optimistic than before, so I'll use $55M. That would make JJ's max $16.5M. I'm going to use Bosh as he is cheaper and a better player than Amare, and JJ. So take: _27,210,976 +16,568,908 +16,500,000 $60,279,884 That is well over any possible cap number. At best, the cap number will be equal to this year $57,700,000. With current projections it looks like between 54 - 56.7M. Now it would be possible to do this and go for something like Wade/Lee or Bosh/Morrow or something like that, which you could make an argument for. Two max contracts are not happening without trading Deng. Even if you move Gibson and Johnson for cap space and sell off the first rounder, the cap would need to be $57,228,604 to fit JJ and Bosh.

The only way we will get two max free agents is to move Deng fwiw. Besides there aren't that many free agents available worth the max. Despite all the hype there is a great possibility that Bosh, Wade, and Lebron all stay put. And even if one leaves, we will be in competition with other teams still. I wouldn't waste my time having cap space for more than one max guy. Now, if I could give myself a little extra cap space so I can fill out the roster with better than minimum contract guys, I'd be pleased.

http://i49.tinypic.com/j939e9.gif

Rose made me cream my pants tonight with that dunk.

The Celtics just retire a lot of #s because they have a [expletive] load of good players in their history. Well, that and Reggie Lewis. They have some great players, but not that many great players. Granted its a very simple view, but here are some career averages for some of their retired number players (PPG, RPG, APG, FG%) 9.6, 6.3, 1.1, .428 12.6, 3.2, 6.4, .446 6.2, 5.6, 0.7, .345 11.4, 5.2, 1.6, .484 13.7, 6.6, 2.3, .559 There are some other really bad stat lines I left off too, but the players are in the Basketball Hall of Fame, so I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt and assume there was something redeeming about them. And yea just the stat lines don't tell the whole story, but shouldn't we be honoring excellence. I also am not too fond of retiring the number of a player just because he died during a season. I mean, yea its tragic, but there are other ways of honoring a teammate.

He's been touted by some as the guy who coaxed one great year out of Anderson in Cleveland. MY roommate is a Brown's fan and when I asked him about him, his answer was, "He's real good." So for what it's worth, one Browns fan endorses the hiring of Chudzinski.

So we've heard at least a half dozen candidates for OC, and only one for DC, who isn't coming here. What are they up to?