Wojnarowski:

[ptpablo]

I'm pretty confident Reinsdorf will approve of a max contract for Jimmy, but I definitely have my pitchfork ready if somehow, someway we don't offer him a max 5 year contract on day 1.

Why would you be upset if they don't offer him a bird right 5 year max, rather then let him secure a 4 year max at a lower percentage increase? The Bulls will be up against the tax line and need all the room they can make to ensure future roster improvements.

Let him get his offer and match.

Because the offer could contain a poison pill in terms of a trade kicker and player options. That's why.

Trade kicker = who cares, when do you want to trade this guy? And for who?

EDIT- Poison Pill info- http://basketball.about.com/od/nba-cba- ... ntract.htm

So could a team offer Jimmy 5M, 5M, 25M, 25M??? A max contract poison pill? That seems crazy. Either way Jimmy is a completely different situation than Asik. You match for as little as possible, but you match.

[TheStig]

I'm pretty confident Reinsdorf will approve of a max contract for Jimmy, but I definitely have my pitchfork ready if somehow, someway we don't offer him a max 5 year contract on day 1.

Why would you be upset if they don't offer him a bird right 5 year max, rather then let him secure a 4 year max at a lower percentage increase? The Bulls will be up against the tax line and need all the room they can make to ensure future roster improvements.

Let him get his offer and match.

Because the offer could contain a poison pill in terms of a trade kicker and player options. That's why.

There would be no poison pill. The contract would take effect right away. Player options and trade kickers are fairly standard. I'd be more worried if Jimmy didn't want to be here long term. I'd rather have lower raises and less guaranteed years.

That being said, I think they give him a 4 year max offer on day 1.

[TheStig]

FYI The Bulls CANNOT give Jimmy Butler a 5 year deal.

Rookie scale contract extensions:

Rookie scale contracts may be extended for up to four seasons beyond the last option season in the contract, bringing the total contract length to five seasons. Teams can also select one player (called their "Designated Player") who can receive a five-year extension, bringing the total contract length to six seasons. A team can have at most one player on its roster whom they have designated for a longer extension, plus at most one player designated by another team whom they acquired in trade.

Derrick Rose is already our designated player.

[Rerisen]

There is no visible scenario that they let Jimmy walk, but there are scenarios they let other players go to more easily afford him.

[musiqsoulchild]

There is no visible scenario that they let Jimmy walk, but there are scenarios they let other players go to more easily afford him.

Team Rose better hope Derrick pulls his shot outta his ass anytime now.

Otherwise that 19 Million looks real good to Mandel right about now.

[vxmike]

I'm pretty confident Reinsdorf will approve of a max contract for Jimmy, but I definitely have my pitchfork ready if somehow, someway we don't offer him a max 5 year contract on day 1.

There could be a reason to wait. Jimmy's cap hold for next season is only $5M before he resigns.

If the Bulls can find a way to dump Rose's contract they'll be at least $12M under the cap to potentially sign a free agent and then can go over the cap to resign Jimmy. I know it's a long shot but it's possible if Rose continues to under-perform. Otherwise if Jimmy signs on day 1 the Bulls will be over the cap and stuck with the MLE to add a player next summer.

Edit: just read about the designated player. All the more reason to dump Rose and sign Jimmy to 5 years at current cap rates before the massive jump. He'll be a steal in the '19-20 season at the max under the current cap.

[Ricky ROY Rubio]

[kyrv]

Didnt see a thread on this if so lock it up mods...thanks

(CBS) The biggest relevation for the Bulls nearly halfway through the season has been the ascension of wing Jimmy Butler, who’s in line for his first All-Star appearance and averaging a career-high 21.9 points per game.

With his emergence has come an obvious question: The Bulls are going to re-sign Butler this offseason when he’s a restricted free agent, right?

Yahoo Sports NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski told the Mully and Hanley on Show on Wednesday morning the answer will be yes.

“I don’t think there’s any scenario where the Bulls don’t match a sheet,” Wojnarowski said.

“Now, they may have to make some other decisions on the roster accordingly based on how they’re going to have to pay Butler, but I don’t see a scenario where the Bulls let him walk. That just can’t happen. But maybe they have some tougher decisions to make elsewhere.”

On the final day of October, Chicago and Butler failed to come to a contract extension on the deadline for fourth-year pros, making him an impending restricted free agent. The Bulls will have the ability to retain Butler by matching any offer from another team, which figures to be a max deal. Because they hold Butler’s Bird Rights, the Bulls can exceed the salary cap to re-sign Butler.

Internally, the other decisions that Wojnarowski referred to figure to include what to do with forward Mike Dunleavy and backup point guard Aaron Brooks this offseason, as both will be free agents and probably capable of commanding more money from someone else. Externally on the free agent market, Chicago may have limited options because of a lack of salary cap space.

The core of these Bulls is locked up through 2016, which is when Joakim Noah is set to become a free agent. Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic are locked up through 2017. Pau Gasol is locked up through 2016 with a player option for the 2016-’17 season.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/01/07/ ... tler-walk/

Shocking news.

[TheStig]

There is no visible scenario that they let Jimmy walk, but there are scenarios they let other players go to more easily afford him.

Team Rose better hope Derrick pulls his shot outta his ass anytime now.

Otherwise that 19 Million looks real good to Mandel right about now.

Mandel's retired.

[kulaz3000]

We all heard the stories that the Bulls were going to match any offer that Jimmy may receive, but this is straight from Paxson's mouth:

Nick Friedell ✔ @NickFriedell
Follow
John Paxson tells @WaddleandSilvy that Bulls will match any offer sheet Jimmy Butler signs -- even if it's a max offer.

[keloms]

It'll happen, but, Gar said they couldn't see any scenario where Asik wouldn't be match 2 weeks before his offer came in too so making that statement means absolutely nothing. It's posturing to try and scare another team from making that offer.

[ATRAIN53]

Love the kid and don't want to see him walk-

but unless he's attacking the basket and getting to the FT stripe @ 8 times a game, he's not a 20 PPG scorer in this league. Not sure I want to see a 18mil+ max deal for him tying up the salary cap the next 5-6 years. reminds me of Deng and why he was never in the 20+ PPG range. he just didn't finish aggressively.

It seems teams have figured this out now the second time they see him - back away, let him shoot, he's not a shooter. Don't crowd him and send him to the FT stripe and they will get maybe 15 points max out of their SG.

[Tenchi Ryu]

Definitely want to be fair, but that Max contract ain't looking so pretty if this current Jimmy is the real jimmy.

[dmk08]

Definitely want to be fair, but that Max contract ain't looking so pretty if this current Jimmy is the real jimmy.

I know this is highly unlikely (and maybe impossible from a cap standpoint) and I may get flamed. Would you let Butler walk if it meant getting Marc Gasol? In this scenario you would also need to trade Taj and others for wings.

[musiqsoulchild]

Definitely want to be fair, but that Max contract ain't looking so pretty if this current Jimmy is the real jimmy.

I know this is highly unlikely (and maybe impossible from a cap standpoint) and I may get flamed. Would you let Butler walk if it meant getting Marc Gasol? In this scenario you would also need to trade Taj and others for wings.

Wont clear the cap room needed to sign Marc.

Assume we dont let the following folks go: Rose (19) / Noah (13) / Niko (6) / Gasol (7) / Doug (2). Thats 48 Million after adding change. Add 3 Million for cap holds.

You'll have to pretty much salary dump (not trade) everyone else to ensure the cap space opens up to get Marc.

Unlikely.

[aaqubed]

FYI The Bulls CANNOT give Jimmy Butler a 5 year deal.

Rookie scale contract extensions:

Rookie scale contracts may be extended for up to four seasons beyond the last option season in the contract, bringing the total contract length to five seasons. Teams can also select one player (called their "Designated Player") who can receive a five-year extension, bringing the total contract length to six seasons. A team can have at most one player on its roster whom they have designated for a longer extension, plus at most one player designated by another team whom they acquired in trade.

Derrick Rose is already our designated player.

Yes they can. it's not an *extension*. This summer he is a free agent, and the Bulls have full Bird rights, so they can offer a 5 year deal.

Why would you be upset if they don't offer him a bird right 5 year max, rather then let him secure a 4 year max at a lower percentage increase? The Bulls will be up against the tax line and need all the room they can make to ensure future roster improvements.

Let him get his offer and match.

Because the offer could contain a poison pill in terms of a trade kicker and player options. That's why.

Trade kicker = who cares, when do you want to trade this guy? And for who?

EDIT- Poison Pill info- http://basketball.about.com/od/nba-cba- ... ntract.htm

So could a team offer Jimmy 5M, 5M, 25M, 25M??? A max contract poison pill? That seems crazy. Either way Jimmy is a completely different situation than Asik. You match for as little as possible, but you match.

He's not eligible for the "Gilbert Arenas rule" so he is not restricted to an MLE deal his first two seasons (and therefore teams cannot structure the deal so that it has a big jump in salary in the third year).

[nitetrain8603]

Woj doesn't have any sources inside the Bulls, .

And you know this how?

He is pretty spot on with everything

How often does he report accurately on inside stuff within the Bulls ?

Bulls FO doesn't play nice with him, same as Lebron's entourage, which is why he writes bad opinion pieces on both.

I'm pretty sure he broke the whole Pax-Vinny tie grabbing incident. I also believe he broke the Gasol signing, the Melo not signing, Thibs holding off on extension, and Thibs having a rough relationship with the FO.

[blumeany]

Honestly, if Jimmy doesn't snap back into the guy he was at the beginning of this season - especially in the playoffs - then I'd be extremely hesitant to sign him to the max. I just don't see how we can have his and Derrick's contracts set aside for players who aren't acting like your franchise players.

Having said that, I hope he can find his mojo again, finish the season strong, and get that big contract. I'm not as concerned about Jimmy 'loafing' after getting a contract as I am about teams figuring him out or the extra load getting to him physically.

[blumeany]

Definitely want to be fair, but that Max contract ain't looking so pretty if this current Jimmy is the real jimmy.

My point exactly. If you sign Jimmy to the max and he regresses back to his 2013 self, you are f'd. You then will have his contract AND Rose's contract, and Derrick has yet to show any consistency as well. Bulls need to wait and see how this plays out for the rest of the season. Only way I give Jimmy max is if he finishes the year strong - showing me that he can be good, take what other teams do to adjust, and then still be good.

[pylb]

And you know this how?

He is pretty spot on with everything

How often does he report accurately on inside stuff within the Bulls ?

Bulls FO doesn't play nice with him, same as Lebron's entourage, which is why he writes bad opinion pieces on both.

I'm pretty sure he broke the whole Pax-Vinny tie grabbing incident. I also believe he broke the Gasol signing, the Melo not signing, Thibs holding off on extension, and Thibs having a rough relationship with the FO.

That doesn't mean anything. The Gasol signing was likely broken to him by Arn Tellem, Melo and Thibs by Leon Rose (or people at Wasserman/CAA).