http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=raptorsduhonsow&prov=st&type=lgns TORONTO (Ticker) - The Toronto Raptors made a move to improve their point guard situation Tuesday, signing Chris Duhon to an offer sheet. Terms of the offer were not disclosed, but the Chicago Bulls have seven days to match the offer. The 23-year-old Duhon started 73 of 82 games as a rookie last season with the Bulls and averaged 5.9 points and 4.9 assists in 26.5 minutes. He also ranked seventh in the NBA with a 3.34 assist-to-turnover ratio to help lead Chicago into the postseason despite an 0-9 start. Duhon was drafted in the second round after a standout collegiate career at Duke. He helped the Blue Devils win an NCAA title as a freshman in 2001 and was a member of two teams that advanced to the Final Four. "Chris, along with Rafer Alston and Jose Calderon, would give us flexibility in the guard positions," Raptors general manager Rob Babcock said. "Chris was the starting point guard for a playoff team in Chicago and won a national championship with Duke. At just 23 years of age, he offers a lot of potential." Duhon set a Bulls franchise record with eight 3-pointers in a 114-105 win over Atlanta on April 16. Also on Tuesday, the Raptors re-signed forward-center Pape Sow, who became an unrestricted free agent after being extended a qualifying offer on June 24. The 6-10 Sow averaged 2.3 points and 2.1 rebounds in 27 games last season and 7.3 points and 5.3 boards in nine games in the Summer Pro League and Minnesota Summer League. "We are excited to have Pape back with us," Babcock said. "He has worked very hard on his game over the past year, both during the season and throughout the summer.
Chicago should match that offer w/o thinking twice, unless Duhon tells them he wants out a la JJ. Sounds like a chance to have a bigger role is his agenda. Evan
I think the Bulls will most likely match it, and they would be crazy if they didn't. He is a solid part of their young nucleus.
if a player is a restricted FA and his original team matches the other teams offer is it the players choice? or does he have to go back to the original team?
He has to report back to his original team they have say regardless of what the player wants. The player can gripe and complain about going back to the original team so a sign and trade could be worked out but in the end it's up to the original team as to where that player is going to be. The ability of the "original" team to match an offer is what makes a restricted free agent different from an unrestricted free agent.
Without knowing how much the contract is it is impossible to say IF or WHETHER the Bulls should match. If the Raptors penciled him in starting at 4 mil year and going many years it is a big risk for the Bulls to match. I am sure the Raptors picked a number they thought might be too much for Chicago or why else would they have wasted their time.
It is reported that the deal is three years worth about 10 million dollars. The first year will start at around 2.8 million. The Bulls' original offer to Duhon was 3 years 6 mil. So thanks to some excellent agent work, Duhon's got himself an extra few million bucks.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/08/09/sports/s085339D62.DTL Just getting the documentation in that Bulls GM Paxson did indeed say that they were looking to match. Baby Bulls are going to be a nice squad next year, especially with the addition of Eddie Basden and the resigning of Duhon.
The only way he was getting a contract before the end of September was to actively seek out a deal with another team. He signed an offer sheet with Toronto for an extra one-million a year (more than Chicago was offering) knowing full well that Paxson would match without reflex or hesitation. 4-million for a young guard who locks down on D is no biggie, even if he turns out to be a fourth guard for the length of his deal.
4 mil a year for a guy who shoots 35% and only scores 6PPG in 26MPG IS a major stretch. Particularly when they have two better young combo guards who are going to cost a lot of money eventually and who you only need a modest priced back-up for. If the deal is 3 years 10 mil that is more reasonable but have to see what the confirmed numbers were. Was Toronto just trying to stick the Bull with more salary or did they actually really like the player and make a contract the Bulls might not match? If it is 3/10 that is more like the latter because that doesn't put much pressure/risk on the Bulls.
Rosenbaum ranks Duhon as the best defensive PG in the NBA, 4 million a year is worth it if only for his outstanding defense, I wanted him on the Rockets actually. Oh well... http://www.82games.com/rosenbaum3.htm Off Subject: I never thought Steve Francis was any where near as bad of a defender as some people make him out to be and the statistical analysis that guys like Dan Rosenbaum do prove me right. Thanks Dan!
The Bulls have scoring to spare with Gordon in the backcourt. 4-million bucks is nothing these days. If it becomes half of a half-worry, then can ship him in a second -- Duhon wouldn't even carry enough salary to satisfy most teams' trade exceptions. As a Bulls fan who sat through all of Duhon's attempts at hitting the front rim with his jump shot, believe me, he's worth it.
Though I rely a lot of statistics and think they are usefull tools, it is just one composite statistic, and only for 1 year (as Rosenbaum also points out). For instance Mohammed is listed as one of the worst centers but Nesterovic one of the best, but if you watched them once both were on the Spurs clearly Mohammed is better. In sum, despite the report, I very much doubt Duhon is already the best defensive guard in the league, though I take it as Rosenbaum does that he is one his way to be one of the better defensive 1s in the league. Also, Beno Udrih darn sure isn't 6th best in the league either. I don't know. A PG who is great on defense, but subpar on offense, becomes just a real specialty player and of not great (high minute) utility. I'd have no problem paying him 10 mil/3 years, but starting at 4 mil and going four (17mil) or five (22mil) years takes on a whole different level of risk. Just look at the real bad PG signings of last year among Alston, Arroyo and Fisher. All but Fisher were coming off their 1st good years.
The contract starts at $2.5 million (Bulls original offer started at 2), and goes for three years. The Chicago Tribune is reporting that it is for just under ten million. Sounds pretty solid for a 23-year old who had a 45 and 28 record as a starter in his rookie year.
I agree that is reasonable. What is weird is why would Toronto waste their time to just barely outbid what Chicago had already offered. Why be a pawn for Duhon and his agent. Maybe they want another player off Chicago or to keep Chicago off another FA they might go for by making them pay more for Duhon. Again, weird, if they really wanted him on the Raps they needed to start at 4 mil or more.
It is weird, but I think we'll see more and more of this as time goes on. I think Bill Duffy is Chris' agent, and it does nothing but create good faith and good feelings between Toronto and Duhon's reps -- who now get ten percent of the extra 2-3 million he'll earn because of Toronto's bigger deal. If, on the slight chance, the Bulls don't match, Toronto gets a damn good point guard. If they do match, Toronto looks like a player, they're owed a favor, and it's a nice front to fool their beleagured fans into thinking that they're at least trying to do SOMETHING this offseason.
