Chicago knows quite well the NBA asset they have in Omer Asik... That's why they had not traded him, they were expecting to cash in on him at some point. But this might be a case they just got greedy, and Morey forced them into a corner!! Remember when the rumor was out the Rockets were offering Lee for Asik! And Chicago said no!! Had they had Lee back then, they would have been more formidable in the playoff run. Now they stand to lose Asik and get nothing in return. Chicago can still match, but as some have pointed out, it will be the equivalent of paying 3 years 39 million dollars, after you calculate the luxury tax. People who poke fun at this signing and talk about Asik as a disaster on offense, need to step back and analyze how important a defensive center is (Chuck at 6'6" was so valuable on defense he started for 2 years at center). Asik in less minutes Asik is putting up better numbers than Marcin Gortat before the trade to Phoenix. Asik is averaging 5.3 rebounds and 1 block a game in only 14 minutes of playing time!!! If Chicago matches more power to them. They are taking a tremendous risk - paying Luxury tax if they can't trade him, and other team would know this too.
Rose is obviously not going anywhere. Boozer's contract is virtually untradeable and there is no way Rein$dorf pays amnesty money (dude will pay tax before he pays amnesty money, and he won't pay tax). Deng and Noah are the pieces they will probably dump even before Houston's offer to Asik. With the way the Bulls have been quietly shopping Deng and Noah around the league, I don't think that they have ever had any intention of keeping all four of them three years from now anyway. They were probably planning on dumping Noah and matching a $20,000,000/4 deal on Asik as Noah's cheap replacement. With Morey throwing a $25,100,000/3 wrench in their plans, they may have to re-evaluate whether matching Asik as Noah's "cheap" replacement is still worth it, as the "cheap" is now in quotes. It may very well be that they will now be forced to decline Asik, keep Noah, and trade Deng (who is no doubt a lot harder to trade than Noah is). If they match, then obviously they will need to find a taker to dump Noah on, which may prove quite difficult as he is owed 11-12-13-14. Their best bet there may be the Rockets and Kevin Martin's expiring, but knowing that the Bulls must dump Noah after matching Asik, Morey may squeeze them hard on that deal.
No way they sign him, he isn't worth 8.4 million for 14 minutes of production. To us it's worth it because he'll play more minutes, but they'd be idiots to do it.
No way they sign him, he isn't worth 8.4 million for 14 minutes of production. To us it's worth it because he'll play more minutes, but they'd be idiots to do it the way they use him now.
If we are dealing with idiots there is nothing we can do about it. I happen to think the Bulls front offices are smarter than that. So we have Omer Asik on the team next year. Now what to do about Goran and that glut at the forward and rookies?? And maybe nobody has mentioned this but what to do about Courtney Lee, Kevin Martin, and Jeremy Lamb?
Chicago sports radio talking heads and beat writers seems to be leaning toward Chicago matching, since they'd only be stuck with the $5/mil a year for the first 2 years and then would have cap space because it's almost a lock that they'll rid themselves of Boozer in the 3rd yr amnesty and can choose whether or not to retain Omer then. The fact remains it's hard to find a 7 ft big man in the league these days. Even with Taj, we'd rather keep Omer and get rid of one of the various useless guards we have coming off the bench.
It would still be stupid logic for them to keep him and Noah for that amount. Its putting their money to bad use. Oh well. If its true we wont be stuck with that huge contract either. It works out either way.
It's a ridiculous contract and looks like a desperate attempt by the Rockets to toss money at anyone that will look their way. It saddens me as a Rockets fan that they're willing to pay that much for a guy that literally is a 4pt, 5reb, 20 min guy who has issues with his hands, foul trouble, stamina. Guess when you're team is full of 6'8 PFs you'll pay for a 7 ft guy but that Dalembert move really backfired now, so did the Jordan Hill. No height on this team. I think Noah, Deng and every bull not named Rose is being shopped currently. This is an awkward year for the Bulls since they wont have Rose til Feb/Mar and may not have Deng til Nov/Dec if he gets the surgery done. They're willing to hear everything and debating whether to play it safe or take big risks depending on whats available. Last year we already paid Asik 1.8 so 5 mil isn't THAT far off. I honestly feel like if Noah doesn't improve this year he's getting moved -- getting paid way too much without bringing equal value to the table.
I guess you failed to read the part where I said I was born, and raised in Chicago - and Ive seen every single game Asik has played in. What you saw in the playoffs is par for course.
It will be interesting to see what the Bulls do, iirc Portland tried somethimg similar with Milsap and Utah matched anyway. We will see who blinks. DD
It works out to about what they paid Dalembert last year, and he's 24. It's a ridiculous contract for Chicago and any other team due to the Arenas rule, not for Houston.
