Bulls wheel, deal, reacquire Griffin By Marlen Garcia Tribune staff reporter July 16, 2006, 10:31 PM CDT Adrian Griffin is on his way back to the Bulls with a three-year contract. To make room for Griffin, J.R. Smith must go. Smith, whom the Bulls acquired last week along with P.J. Brown in the Tyson Chandler trade with the Hornets, will be sent to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Howard Eisley and two future second-round draft picks, according to sources familiar with the deal. The Bulls plan to waive Eisley to sign Griffin, sources said. Bulls general manager John Paxson declined to comment except to confirm that the Bulls have reached an agreement with Griffin, a popular journeyman who was a co-captain for the Bulls two years ago. Last season the Bulls passed on the 6-foot-5-inch swingman. Griffin, 32, signed a free-agent contract with the Mavericks in late November and averaged 4.6 points and 4.4 rebounds while starting in 45 of the 52 games he played. He helped the Mavericks reach the NBA Finals. Griffin's agent, Tony Dutt, told the Dallas Morning News that the Bulls offered a three-year deal but didn't disclose the terms. By trading Smith, the Bulls would have a minimum of $1.39 million available. The Bulls had about $17.5 million to spend in free agency but are using most of it on Ben Wallace, who signed a four-year deal worth $60 million. To complete their deal with Griffin, the Bulls first need Smith to complete his physical exam. Smith and Brown are expected to undergo physicals Wednesday. Then the Bulls can make their trade with Denver, but it will take a week for Eisley to clear waivers once the Bulls release him. Smith, 20, is a 6-6 guard whose youth probably would not serve the Bulls. Paxson has made clear he is looking for veteran leadership. Griffin, Wallace, 31, and Brown, 36, balance a roster heavy with young players. mxgarcia@tribune.com Copyright © 2006, The Chicago Tribune IF THIS IS WUT THEIR GIVING UP FOR JR, WHY CANT THE ROCKETS THROW LUTHER AND SUM 2ND ROUND PICKS. ID TAKE JR NE DAY!! c*m ON CD GET IT DONE. PLUS HES ON HIS ROOKIE CONTRACT!!! THEIR GIVIN UP JR 4 NOTHIN!HOWARD EISLEY???????
Terrific post. This articulates my feelings perfectly. It's funny. Before the Rudy Gay hoopla, back in the era of the great "Reddick, Carney, or Brewer?" wars, I would have been thrilled to trade Reddick for Battier, or Brewer for Battier, or Carney for Battier. So when you put it in perspective, we did well for ourselves. It's only the tantalizing prospect of "what might have been" with Rudy Gay that stings. All in all, judging on the merits of Last Year vs. This Year, I consider this a servicable off-season. (Assuming we sign JL3). And if we get V-Span, now we're really talking. No need for doom and gloom. Our roster is in good shape. (For the record - I still hate the Gay trade because "what might have been" is pretty damned spectacular, and those opportunities don't come along that often. But looking strictly at our off-season checklist, looking strictly at the present, we're not in that bad of shape.)
wow, howard eisley...he was old in the 90s. seems like young players are being had for pretty cheap. is there anyway we can steal delonte west? boston sure could use malik badaine.
To compre Bush and Young to Gay is silly. Bush and Young could not be more decorated prospects by ANY imaginable analysis. Coming out of college, Gay is so far inferior to those two that such a comparison is ridiculous. I'm not saying Gay can't be good ...just saying that it is 100x more likely that Gay will never be 1/4 of what Young and Bush are.
Even so.... If Gay blossoms into an All-Star, and especially if he blossoms into a perenniel All-Star, we'll be feeling bitter for a decade. I can see it coming. Agree 100% with sold on that. (And in an unelated note, I'm just happy I had an excuse to use "blossom' with regards to a grown man. I find it hysterical when broadcasters and sports-writers use the word "blossom.")
I can't. I good projection for Rudy Gay might be Tayshaun Prince. He's a good player and we'd love to have him but after 4 years he's no all-star. Tayshaun's #'s, ironically, are comperable to Battier's (including age) but I'd bet you'd crap on yourself to get Tayshaun. Conversely, Steve Novak might be an all-star. JL3 might be an all-star. Or all three might not be in the league in 4 years (aka Eddie Griffin). Just let it go. The trade is done. Gay might be great or might be a bust or more likely might be somewhere in between. What the hell does that mean.
I have to agree with Mr. West on this one. Cause, he's Mr. West. He sees talent, he sees UConn being successful, he sees Gay, he sees Battier as a tremendous piece arguably in the "untouchable" frame, he sees Battier available for Gay and Swift, he sees this as as an easy deal? Easy deal, think about that. Jerry West thinks it's the best move out there, arguably..he's raving about it heavily. Makes you wonder.
Battier has a big contract. Gay going on rookie contract. Battier doesn't put fans in their seats. Gay is young and exciting. (these two items having nothing to do with talent, btw) Battier will definately never be a franchise player. Gay MIGHT. Houston needs role players ...not franchise players. Memphis needs franchise players. Houston can contend in 1-2 seasons. Memphis won't contend anytime soon. Jerry West was in a position to gamble on a player like Gay. We aren't. We got burned w/ Eddie Griffin and that set us back years. We are in no position to take another gamble like that at this point in time. Eddie Griffin killed us. Players we passed up to get him: Joe Johnson Vladimir Radmanovic Richard Jefferson etc. If we hadn't gambled on him and instead got one of these other guys, imagine how much better we would have been. We can't afford to get blanked in the draft this year. In Battier, we are assured of a perfect role player around our existing stars. We don't need another star. Unless Gay turns into LeBron, which he won't, this trade won't be a bust after 2-3 years. Take that to the bank.
Jerry West also thought drafting Troy Bell, Dahntay Jones due to their high atheleticism scores and paying 17 million dollars for Mighty Mouse were good ideas.
I would have made a new thread about this, but i don't have enough posts to do so. I think this thread should do. I don't know the validity of this "insider" but you can check it out for yourself. On the sixers board at realGM, a poster is saying that we have been asking about kyle korver. Like I said, i have no idea if his source has credibility, but felt yall would like to know. The title of the thread is "monday morning talks.." korver can definitly shoot the longball and has a very quick release, but he is also a small foward. If what they are sayin is true, then either tmac is gonna play the 2 or shane is gonna play the 4. korver would be nice comin off the bench as long as we don't lose too much. I have no idea what the sixers would want from us, other than our trade exemption.
It means I need more coffee. As for the off-topic mini-thread... I guess we have different assumptions, so we're bound to have different conclusions. If I shared the view that Gay's upside was Prince, then yeah, I wouldn't still feel like I've been kicked in the solar-plexus. In any case, I certainly hope you're right. And back to the main topic, I'm certainly delighted with this signing.
that made me laugh. There is no way to draw a conclusion on the trade until a few years has passed. One thing for sure is it was surprising we didn't get their #24 in return. But that isn't a huge thing. I have a prediction: Kirk Snyder will have a better season than Rudy Gay. It seems like Kirk has learned a few NBA lessons and being on a legit team with two superstars will keep him in his place. I think he will have a solid season.
Ridiculous comparison, I think not. Gay was on "everyone's" top ten NBA draft board and first on many. All three were passed on by Houston sports teams. Makes sense to me.
bush and young did great things and achieved great things in college, gay didnt do crap. it doesnt make sense, period.
Also look at who Mr. West has drafted lately. Drew Gooden, Troy Bell, Dahntay Jones, and Hakim Warrick. Not exactly the greatest first round picks of the past few years. Then with trades and free agent pick ups he gets Eddie Jones, Bobby Jackson, and Damon Stoudemire. All this nets Memphis a 0-12 playoff record yet he is still a genious. If CD had made these picks we would be bashing his rep relentlessly and already slam him for not getting the Rox out of the first round even though he got us Yao and Tmac in the past four years.
