Bulls operations chief John Paxson and New York Knicks general manager Isiah Thomas remain at a stalemate in their negotiations for an eight-player deal.

Paxson would sign free-agent guard Jamal Crawford to a seven-year contract and deal him and reserve forwards Jerome Williams and Eddie Robinson to the Knicks for guards Moochie Norris and Frank Williams, forwards Shandon Anderson and Othella Harrington and center Cezary Trybanski. But although Thomas dominated Paxson in their NBA playing days, Paxson is showing that he can be more competitive in negotiating trades.

''I'm still trying to make a deal,'' Thomas said. ''I'm not trying to be emotional, not trying to make a name for myself and show somebody up. I've made a lot of deals already in my previous jobs in building the Toronto Raptors expansion team, in running that club and coaching the Indiana Pacers.''

Paxson has said that if Norris, whose contract potentially pays $12 million over the next three years, is replaced by center Dikembe Mutombo, who has one more year worth $4.4 million on his contract, that would be more acceptable because it obviously could save him $7.6 million. But Thomas is offering to pay for the first of those last three years on Norris' contract, and the last year is not guaranteed.

''So the savings to the Bulls is the same on Norris' deal that it would be on Mutombo's deal,'' Thomas said. ''And the deal I'm offering would save the Bulls some $25 million over the next four years. But I can't give him all my big men for two small forwards and a guard. I would end up with six small forwards and six guards [plus center Nazr Mohammed and power forward Kurt Thomas].''

Thomas said he will continue to try to complete a trade for Crawford, but that he's also working on other deals. He is interested in Toronto Raptors small forward Vince Carter, Dallas Mavericks forward Antoine Walker and Golden State Warriors power forward Erick Dampier.

Meanwhile, other players the Bulls were interested in have either been traded -- like Al Harrington -- or have signed with other teams -- like forward Brian Cardinal. Harrington was traded from Indiana to the Atlanta Hawks for Stephen Jackson (another player who wanted to play for the Bulls), and Cardinal left Golden State and signed with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Is Paxson worried about losing all his options?

''The top-level guys are done,'' Paxson said, ''but we have a [three-year, $9 million] deal in principle with [forward] Andres Nocioni, and we're just trying to resolve that. That would be a big plus. The Crawford deal isn't an easy one to do because he is a base-year compensation player. But we're going to keep working at it.''

Does Paxson have any interest in Carter?

''You always have interest in great players,'' Paxson said. ''We haven't called them yet and they haven't called us, but we're also looking at other avenues.''

http://www.suntimes.com/output/bulls/cst-spt-bull21.html

Posted by MaTT4281:

Paxson has said that if Norris, whose contract potentially pays $12 million over the next three years, is replaced by center Dikembe Mutombo, who has one more year worth $4.4 million on his contract, that would be more acceptable because it obviously could save him $7.6 million. But Thomas is offering to pay for the first of those last three years on Norris' contract, and the last year is not guaranteed.

''So the savings to the Bulls is the same on Norris' deal that it would be on Mutombo's deal,'' Thomas said. ''And the deal I'm offering would save the Bulls some $25 million over the next four years. But I can't give him all my big men for two small forwards and a guard. I would end up with six small forwards and six guards [plus center Nazr Mohammed and power forward Kurt Thomas].''

http://www.suntimes.com/output/bulls/cst-spt-bull21.html

First, this article justifies the Weatherspoon trade a little bit. Briggs was upset that we traded Spoon for Moochie because even though Moochie makes less he has an extra year, which is an understandable argument. But, as it states in this article, if that final year is not guarenteed, that trade was a steal.

Second, does it bother anybody else that the article mentions Nazr Mohammed and KT but not Sweetney as another frontcourt player?

First, this article justifies the Weatherspoon trade a little bit. Briggs was upset that we traded Spoon for Moochie because even though Moochie makes less he has an extra year, which is an understandable argument. But, as it states in this article, if that final year is not guarenteed, that trade was a steal.

Second, does it bother anybody else that the article mentions Nazr Mohammed and KT but not Sweetney as another frontcourt player?

Yep, if thats the case then it was a very good deal.

About the second, I think it was more about the author of the article mentioning him because not even Isiah really mentioned KT and Nazr, it was the author remainding the reader about it. What Isiah wants to state is that he would lose considerable height and get none in return.

[Edited by - KnicksFan on 07/21/2004 12:55:03]

Fish, that trade is too perfect for us; I can't imagine the Bulls doing it. Among the 8 players included, they get the player with the worst contract (Shandon) and we get the most talented player (Jamal).

I like how Zeke is handling this.

Zeke's done a great job of playing hardball. The 3MM is a good way of getting them to take Mooch. And who knows, maybe Zeke and the Knicks leaked Harrington's name being invovled in the Dampier deal to accelerate the process. I think he's doing a great job of drawing this out, and he's got Chicago in a position where their working with only one suitor.

Posted by VDesai:

Zeke's done a great job of playing hardball. The 3MM is a good way of getting them to take Mooch. And who knows, maybe Zeke and the Knicks leaked Harrington's name being invovled in the Dampier deal to accelerate the process. I think he's doing a great job of drawing this out, and he's got Chicago in a position where their working with only one suitor.

I like the suggestion someone had here; if they want Deke, fine; but they should include Ty Chandler then

Posted by simrud:

Once again, who cares how much we take on? As long as they all expire before 07 I could not care less about how much under the cap we are in 05 and 06. Ticket prices will go up regardless of how much the team is spending on its payroll, so f Dolan, let him pay as much as Iseah can make him put out.

both Crawford & Dampier & their agents want a minimum of 6 years, maybe even 7 for any sign & trade to go through...that means they'll be on the cap through 2010 at least.

[Edited by - TMS on 07/21/2004 16:56:58]

Posted by Ray15:

Posted by MaTT4281:

Paxson has said that if Norris, whose contract potentially pays $12 million over the next three years, is replaced by center Dikembe Mutombo, who has one more year worth $4.4 million on his contract, that would be more acceptable because it obviously could save him $7.6 million. But Thomas is offering to pay for the first of those last three years on Norris' contract, and the last year is not guaranteed.

''So the savings to the Bulls is the same on Norris' deal that it would be on Mutombo's deal,'' Thomas said. ''And the deal I'm offering would save the Bulls some $25 million over the next four years. But I can't give him all my big men for two small forwards and a guard. I would end up with six small forwards and six guards [plus center Nazr Mohammed and power forward Kurt Thomas].''

http://www.suntimes.com/output/bulls/cst-spt-bull21.html

First, this article justifies the Weatherspoon trade a little bit. Briggs was upset that we traded Spoon for Moochie because even though Moochie makes less he has an extra year, which is an understandable argument. But, as it states in this article, if that final year is not guarenteed, that trade was a steal.

Second, does it bother anybody else that the article mentions Nazr Mohammed and KT but not Sweetney as another frontcourt player?

It was reported by two sources at the time of the trade that the last year of Moochie's contract wasn't guaranteed.

I am surprised that Chicago with all the 'rookie' pg's would not want Moochie Norris. John Stockten he's not, but still, there is something to be said of having a veteren pg around to school the youngins...

http://www.nypost.com/sports/knicks/25508.htm

KNICKS WOULD TAKE PIPPEN TO GET CRAWFORD

By MARC BERMAN

July 22, 2004 -- With the Erick Dampier sign-and-trade hitting a roadblock, Knicks president Isiah Thomas revisited his bid to nail down Jamal Crawford from the Bulls in a multi-player package and his latest proposal asked that the washed-up Scottie Pippen be included, The Post has learned.

Pippen would replace either Jerome Williams or Eddie Robinson in the package. Thomas was looking for a compromise for taking Moochie Norris' fat contract out of the offer and replacing him with Cezary Trybanski, who is in his final year.

Meanwhile, Thomas and Knicks coach Lenny Wilkens met yesterday with their own free agent, Vin Baker, who's drawn interest from the Cavaliers. However, Baker's first choice is the Knicks and his re-signing could be imminent.

The Bulls are desperate to unload Williams and Robinson's long-term deals and probably won't want to part with Pippen, who's in the last year of his contract, making $5.4M. The former Michael Jordan sidekick played just 23 games this season, averaging 5.9 points in an injury-wracked season. With the $65 million Isiah Thomas is offering Dampier, the Knicks have become far and away his first choice.

Dampier, who could become the Knicks' most dominant center since Ewing patrolled the Garden paint, was back home in Jackson, Miss., having lunch with his business manager and hoping Thomas, agent Dan Fegan and Warriors GM Chris Mullin could work a sign-and-trade that would make him a Knick this week.

"He's waiting to see if anything can be worked out between the Knicks and Warriors," said Ed Jones, who runs Dampier's kids foundation.

Fegan flew into New York from Los Angeles late Tuesday night to meet with the Knicks president to try to figure out how to rearrange a trade package. They may have to add a third under-the-cap team to absorb one of the Knicks' contracts.


The Crawford talks seem a stronger option than Dampier. The Bulls were willing to take Frank Williams, Othella Harrington, Dikembe Mutombo and Shandon Anderson for Crawford, Williams and Robinson before Isiah pulled Mutombo from the deal, adding Norris.

Super agent Aaron Goodwin, who represents Crawford, will be in New York today for a LeBron James function and hopes to meet with Thomas about Crawford and his client Baker.

Knowing Dampier doesn't have another option on his plate other than sign for the $4.9 million mid-level exception, the Hawks reportedly are only willing to give Dampier a three-year deal, so the 6-11, 265-pound center has temporarily scratched them off his list.

Mullin's acquisition Tuesday of Dale Davis in a trade for Nick Van Exel put a stick of dynamite in the Knicks' dream of getting Dampier in a sign-and-trade for Nazr Mohammed and Harrington.

Though Thomas has told aides he was surprised by Mullin's maneuver, he did not feel talks with Golden State were "dead."