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joec32033
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http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-041111bulls,1,4807408.story?coll=cs-bulls-headlines
No bargain here
Paxson isn't excited by teams' trade bait for Curry
By K.C. Johnson
Tribune staff reporter
November 11, 2004, 11:31 PM CST
The Eddy Curry sweepstakes began anew on Thursday, with Bulls general manager John Paxson fielding preliminary—and underwhelming—offers from at least six teams.
League sources said that, at least, Denver, Phoenix, Minnesota, Memphis, the Lakers and the Knicks called Paxson, all convinced a change of scenery would help Curry realize his scoring potential.
But names like Denver's Nikoloz Tskitishvili, Minnesota's Michael Olowokandi and Wally Szczerbiak, Phoenix's Bo Outlaw and the Knicks' Nazr Mohammed did little to make Paxson's heart race, which means this issue will be an ongoing one.
The bargain shoppers were out in full force thanks to Curry's underwhelming first game and a general sense of dissatisfaction after the Tribune reported club Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is on board with trading Curry and one of Curry's agents went public with a trade demand in a separate published report.
The trade demand blindsided Paxson, who strongly rebuked the agent, Darren White, even as he tried to prop up Curry's sagging spirits and trade value.
"I'm not going to be intimidated or persuaded by any agent who goes public and tries to do what he thinks is right for his client," Paxson said. "I think it only hurts him and doesn't do us any good either. They went about things the wrong way.
"And I won't just do something to make any kind of move. It's going to have to make sense for us."
White said he apologized to Paxson, who met with Curry twice on Thursday and with the entire team before the morning practice. Team sources said Curry, too, was caught off guard by his agent's public request.
The second meeting between Curry and Paxson took place late Thursday. In it, Paxson asked Curry if he wanted to be traded. Curry said no.
Earlier, Curry left practice early to get a MRI test on his right knee after he hurt it while trying to set a screen.
Reached late Thursday, Curry said he suffered a deep bone bruise—the team called it a sprained right knee—and that he just wanted the latest situation to go away.
"I just want to be happy," Curry said. "I don't want to leave Chicago. This is where I'm from, and I don't know anywhere else. But I also can't imagine a whole season like this, especially if we're losing."
Curry is an easygoing sort who doesn't like confrontation and typically seeks the path of least resistance. He may not be happy he didn't get a contract extension or that he may be benched to start Saturday's game, but he also is uncomfortable with the mess he created.
"I was nervous going to practice [Thursday] because I didn't know what people were going to say," Curry said.
Paxson and coaches alike were unanimous in trying to prop up Curry.
"Until Eddy's not a part of our organization, we have to find a way to get him going, get him playing, get him believing," Paxson said. "That part falls on us. But it's a two-way responsibility. He has to buy into it.
"I just don't want Eddy or any other young player on our team looking for the easy way out thinking it will be different somewhere else. There's only one way to be successful. That is to buy into what the organization is trying to do—work hard and become a better player."
This strategy could be viewed as self-serving, too, because the Bulls know they need Curry to have, say, four straight 20-point games to drive his value back up. This could be tough if Curry's deficiencies in defense and rebounding continue.
Coach Scott Skiles doesn't hand out minutes—or sympathy.
Asked if surrounding players can have a more positive effect on a young player like Curry, Skiles said: "I was fortunate enough to play with Shaq [O'Neal] his rookie year. Shaq pretty much thought about one thing and that was catching the ball and seeing how many people he could dunk on, very similar to [Amare] Stoudemire. I think you get what I'm saying."
At the team meeting, Paxson spoke for roughly 30 minutes and stressed the importance of limiting distractions and buying into the system. Captains Antonio Davis, Kirk Hinrich and Adrian Griffin spoke, according to some present. Curry didn't.
"We have to band together," Tyson Chandler said. "This is about team. It's not about individuals. Everybody is unhappy when you lose. We have to start winning so everybody can be happy together."
Added Paxson: "That's why I sat down with Eddy. I don't want this to affect us. There's no easy out. Have I put the team in the position where we're young? Yeah, I have. But that doesn't excuse anybody from not coming to work every day and giving their best."
Players who would interest the Bulls from some of the teams who inquired on Thursday include the Knicks' Kurt Thomas, Minnesota's Trenton Hassell, Phoenix's Joe Johnson and Memphis' Lorenzen Wright or Dahntay Jones.
Making matters difficult, Curry is still on his rookie-scale contract at only $3.8 million. The Bulls do have the expiring contracts of Othella Harrington and Frank Williams and a manageable contract of Eric Piatkowski to broaden a package.
And go down the list: Paxson has divorced himself from all players—Jalen Rose, Eddie Robinson, Jay Williams—that either he didn't like or who didn't want to be here.
It's likely that trend will continue—at some point—with Curry.
[Edited by - joec32033 on 11/12/2004 12:14:12]
~You can't run from who you are.~
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11/12/2004 2:03 PM