Source: Knicks want Curry
Bulls won't budge on offer to center
By Marlen Garcia
Tribune staff reporter

September 18, 2005, 1:06 AM CDT

Eddy Curry's agent said Saturday he has found a team that is a willing buyer in a sign-and-trade for the Bulls' center. The agent, Leon Rose, declined to name the team, but sources familiar with the negotiations said it was the Knicks.

Bulls general manager John Paxson said he would not pursue the proposal, which Rose said he made about a week ago.

"Unless there's a deal out there I want to make, I'm not making it," said Paxson, clearly angered by Rose's announcement. "I'm not going to give Eddy Curry away."

Worse for Curry, a three-year offer from the Bulls appears to be off the table, leaving him with only the one-year qualifying offer of $5.14 million.

"They've already rejected it," Paxson said of the short-term contract offer.

At this point, any other contract offer is "not going to happen," Paxson said. "There are too many questions."

Those questions always come back to Curry's risky heart condition, which was diagnosed last spring.

Unless a sign-and-trade can be put together, or another team gives him an offer sheet by Oct. 1, Curry will have no choice but to accept the qualifying offer.

A source close to Curry said Paxson will not negotiate with an Eastern Conference team but has sent out feelers to Memphis and Denver, both from the Western Conference. Paxson said he has not spoken to representatives from either team.

"I don't think it's my obligation to cold-call teams," he said.

According to sources, Rose's counteroffer to Paxson is based on the premise that Curry would ask for $70 million over six years if not for his heart condition. While Curry is not insurable this season, Rose wants guaranteed money, in line with the aforementioned dollar figure, if an insurance company drops the heart exclusion later.

At a minimum, he wants Curry to receive a percentage of $70 million if the heart condition ends his career prematurely.

"Eddy is willing to share the risk," Rose said. "He would get nowhere near the total amount of the contract."

That won't work for the Bulls. Even with insurance, Curry's contract still would count against the salary cap and luxury tax if an injury ends his career, Paxson said.

Rose said two more respected cardiologists have cleared Curry to play in the last few weeks and their reports have been provided to the Bulls.

But Paxson isn't impressed. He stands by a leading heart specialist who declined to give Curry clearance months ago and instead asked Curry to undergo DNA testing to determine if he is predisposed to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which can be fatal. Curry declined to take the test but sought the opinion of another respected specialist, Dr. David Cannom, in Los Angeles.

Paxson said one supporting opinion that Rose offered came from a doctor based in the same medical group as Cannom. He said an opinion from another doctor suggested Curry undergo genetic testing.

"This is what we've been saying all along," Paxson said.

mxgarcia@tribune.com
Copyright © 2005, The Chicago Tribune

Isiah still hungry for Curry

Knicks president Isiah Thomas is not giving up on Eddy Curry, even though the Chicago Bulls appear reluctant to trade the restricted free agent center to the Knicks.


I think Zeke should seriously consider moving Ariza and/or Sweets to get Curry and maybe some filler. If Paxson doesn't want to deal with us that is his problem but I thiinclude at least one of these guys in a package to net us Curry (preferably Sweets).

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/story/347460p-296567c.html

agreed

Why keep throwing in Reezy? Isiah is offering a good deal. Currys camp will proimse to never sign with bulls and walk. they get a perfectly healthy plate of Sweets!

Throw in one of the Spurs picks if need be! Reezy is a part of our future! They have deng anyway.

[Edited by - nalod on 09-18-2005 09:53 AM]

Posted by Bonn1997:

Posted by Nalod:

Why keep throwing in Reezy? Isiah is offering a good deal. Currys camp will proimse to never sign with bulls and walk. they get a perfectly healthy plate of Sweets!

Throw in one of the Spurs picks if need be! Reezy is a part of our future! They have deng anyway.

[Edited by - nalod on 09-18-2005 09:53 AM]

We'd have to include a lot more than Sweetney to make the salaries match unless Curry's willing to sign a worth less than the 1 yr qualifying offer.

This is what happens when you dont have many cheap players to toss in. Sweetney AND Lee - start Curry off at MLE money for 4 years.

Why are so many ready to toss Sweetney into any deal. No question Curry has the size advantage along with his health negative but what has he shown that would may so many want to give up on a guy who IMHO will be a double double for his career. Sweets has shown he can dominate the boards, put it back and/or go to the line consistently. He has a wide body and good hands as well as eccellent quickness for his size to go with long arms. As long as he they keep a traveling dietition Seets will be fine.

I agree with nalod, why keep throwing in reezy? he is our future, and if we can't get curry with the deal being supposedly offered then we walk away, but why get fleeced? are we that hard up for curry? The bulls will try and play hardball, and believe me the guy is a top 2 pick the bulls don't want to lose that for nothing next year, even if they get a first round pick that would be better than nothing..

Posted by Rich:

Isiah knows that with the way he is rebuilding the team on the fly, it will be very difficult to acquire a C with Curry's potential. As a result, he is willing to overpay for Curry, rolling the dice that he will be healthy.

NY is all about now.

Posted by Caseloads:

Posted by Bonn1997:

Posted by Nalod:

Why keep throwing in Reezy? Isiah is offering a good deal. Currys camp will proimse to never sign with bulls and walk. they get a perfectly healthy plate of Sweets!

Throw in one of the Spurs picks if need be! Reezy is a part of our future! They have deng anyway.

[Edited by - nalod on 09-18-2005 09:53 AM]

We'd have to include a lot more than Sweetney to make the salaries match unless Curry's willing to sign a worth less than the 1 yr qualifying offer.

This is what happens when you dont have many cheap players to toss in. Sweetney AND Lee - start Curry off at MLE money for 4 years.

Lee can't be traded until Dec 15. By that point the Knicks should have some outstanding potential trade assets with the expiring contracts and young players.

I don't like Eddie Curry-in-No-Hurry and after Sweetney is done bouncing his ass around like a pinball, Mr. Knick James Bitch will finish him off.

If Curry can stay healthy and have a decent season, the MLE is out of the question.