Paxson: 'No intention' of trading Curry, Chandler

June 30, 2004

BY LACY J. BANKS Staff Reporter

http://www.suntimes.com/output/bulls/cst-spt-bull30.html


Bulls operations chief John Paxson does not want to give center Eddy Curry mixed signals. As in, telling him he has a chance to earn a long-term deal while at the same time looking to trade him.

''There is no truth to those rumors whatsoever,'' Paxson said Tuesday of talk that Curry was on the trading block. ''That's a bunch of nonsense. I've always said that we want to improve our team and we're doing that, and we always listen when people have something to say. We have received offers for Curry, [Tyson] Chandler and Jamal [Crawford]. But we have received nothing worth paying much attention to. We have no intention of trading them and we are not shopping them.

''In fact, since the draft I have not received one phone call from any general managers about any of our players. If somebody wanted to acquire Curry, they would have to make an offer that makes total sense because there aren't that many guys coming along with his size and his skill level. If we got to the point where we felt he couldn't become the kind of center we feel he can become, we would be interested in trading him. But we haven't gotten anywhere even close to that.''

Meantime, Paxson said that he will be trying to add a couple of quality veterans when 138 players become free agents Thursday and teams can start negotiating, but not signing, contracts. Among free agents who would be logical fits for the Bulls in terms of money, talent and character are Golden State's Adonal Foyle, Brian Cardinal and Erick Dampier, Milwaukee's Toni Kukoc and Brian Skinner, Utah's Mikki Moore, Atlanta's Wesley Person, Cleveland's Eric Williams and Dallas' Scott Williams. Paxson also is getting ready for his rookie camp that starts July 12 at the Berto Center, and players already have started arriving.

''Chris Duhon arrived [Tuesday] and Mario Austin has been cleared to join us later this week,'' Paxson said, adding that Luol Deng and Ben Gordon will arrive next week.

Paxson made it clear that he will not let rampant speculation force his hand in trades.

''The easiest thing to do is get players' names and salaries and sit down and say the Bulls should get this guy or the guys should get that guy,'' Paxson said. ''There is more to doing a deal than that. It's not that easy at all. I got blasted by a lot of people and e-mails on draft day because I did not do the deal for [Indiana Pacers forward] Al Harrington. Well, the truth of the matter is that we tried. But they wouldn't do the deal. And we certainly are not going to give away players or do deals that help other teams but hurt us.''

Paxson said the drafting of guards Gordon and Duhon doesn't mean Crawford is history.

''That is a great misconception that I tried my best to put to rest on the night of the draft,'' Paxson said. ''Obviously, there are only two guards out on the floor at any given time. But you have to have a guard rotation and that's one of the things I thought we are able to build up in the draft. There is the belief that we will not match Jamal's contract offer.

''Well, we are going to talk with Jamal and his agent, Aaron Goodwin, on Thursday and see where they are coming from, and we will start that conversation. We have every intention of bringing him back. He's in our long-range budget proposals. We are going to see where the market is with Jamal and we will act on that. As long as I feel a player is signed to a tradeable contract, we will do everything we can to sign that player.''

Insiders say that if Crawford gets an offer of $37 million over six years, the Bulls would not match it. But nobody is known to be planning such an offer for the 6-4, four-year veteran.


>>>>>>>> I dunno for you guys, but I know at least a team which is planning it...